The Lost

[racooperii]

I will simply refer to my character as my The Lost since I havent come up with an actual name yet .

 

Awoken after the start of the Seventh Umbral age th Lost finds himself with no recollection of the world, his or his past, all that he knows is this world is not his own. He has some skill in magics and weapons, but nothing legendary and has plenty of room for growth 

 

He is haunted by visions and dreams of a crystal, gleaming and full of light but filling with shadows. Is it a premonition of the future or a hint to his past, The Lost searches across Eorzea to find himself again.

 

Let me know what you think or what I could do to bolster this character some, I have an idea about his origin and revelations he will make, but not how or where I can weave this into the In Game story.

[Xenedra]

Hello and welcome to the RPC!

 

In my experience it's not a good idea to start a character with an amnesia problem. It's also sort of a faux pas to have your character jumping in from another dimension. I may have misread, but that sort of seems where you were going with "this word is not his own." Maybe you could build up at least a little bit of backstory based in Eorzea? We have a number of guides and such around here to help with that and I'm sure we'd all be willing to answer any questions you may have.

[Varus]

Welcome to the RPC!

 

Well, a character without any origin in Hydaelyn?

 

I'll play devil's advocate to Xenedra and say: Go for it. Such an outlandish origin is hard to pull off, but if done well, it's great for truly unique character development.

 

I was thinking of brainstorming a dimensional traveler as well, haha! What with all the time-traveling, dimensional rifting mumbo-jumbo FFXIV has been throwing about, it's not completely impossible.

[racooperii]

You caught me, I was going a lazy route for it.

 

But im not sure on where to find good sources for lore on the cultures. I plan on being Hyur or maybe the Mithra equivalent. I typically like a mix of swords and magic so I was thinking a Paladin as I also like the idea of a defender/protector.

 

I want avoid a marty sue by all means, and i could go with when he awoke he realized he had lost everything because he was not strong enough to guard it. Visions of his failures creep in the shadows of his mind and heart, seeking the strength to redeem his failure he searches for redemption or revenge. Maybe something more like that?

 

I just for see him as someone who wants to protect but also seeks power(RP reason to have multi-classes going) and someone who views his losses as his failures and sins.

---

Welcome to the RPC!

 

Well, a character without any origin in Hydaelyn?

 

I'll play devil's advocate to Xenedra and say: Go for it. Such an outlandish origin is hard to pull off, but if done well, it's great for truly unique character development.

 

I was thinking of brainstorming a dimensional traveler as well, haha! What with all the time-traveling, dimensional rifting mumbo-jumbo FFXIV has been throwing about, it's not completely impossible.

 

I was going that route, using my old FFXI character to build off of. He died during the Chains of Promithia, and I kind of write in there that the goddess Altana of that world took pity on him and sent his soul far from the grasp of the dark god. The crystal could represent his soul essence and the lastin coruption, but not from his previous world( Kind of how jobs are Soul Crystals).

 

He would never find true answers and instead focus on his new life finding it a gift, seeing this new world in turmoil would spark his soul to seek answers and defend his new home. 

 

That was my original idea. Some non cannon but it would be over run with canon as I played.

[Xenedra]

No reason you can't take that personality from your FFXI character and transpose it into a character who's original is in Eorzea. Like I said, we'd be more than happy to answer any questions about lore you might have. Here's a sum-up og the 1.0 storyline as well, if that helps: http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=1615

:>

[faceman7381]

I like this idea very much.

 

Amnesia is a very traditional FF character trait. 

 

I also like your current title place holder.  "The Lost"

 

That just screams 'I have a cool past, come talk to me!'

 

If you need anything, just ask!

[Varus]

I was going that route, using my old FFXI character to build off of. He died during the Chains of Promithia, and I kind of write in there that the goddess Altana of that world took pity on him and sent his soul far from the grasp of the dark god. The crystal could represent his soul essence and the lastin coruption, but not from his previous world( Kind of how jobs are Soul Crystals).

 

He would never find true answers and instead focus on his new life finding it a gift, seeing this new world in turmoil would spark his soul to seek answers and defend his new home. 

 

That was my original idea. Some non cannon but it would be over run with canon as I played.

Well then.

 

It's better than my idea.

 

/goes back to brainstorming.

[racooperii]

No reason you can't take that personality from your FFXI character and transpose it into a character who's original is in Eorzea. Like I said, we'd be more than happy to answer any questions about lore you might have. Here's a sum-up og the 1.0 storyline as well, if that helps: http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=1615

:>

I could use some pointers on Hyur cultures, and I am pretty caught up with the Seventh Umbra its just the final details Im looking for. Maybe it could be mmore a reincarnation as apposed to dimentional travel, either way I like tragedy in a character.

 

The XI personality kind of arose from a strange series of events in non roleplay gametime, and my own arrogance as a Rdm. Which I dont see recreating in XIV again anytime soon....like the time I found out a She was a He. My LS heard that tall tale alot but it was hilarious .

[ArmachiA]

I'm personally fine with people having Amnesia, and it seems like that's going to be a major plot point anyway, but I have always been itchy when it comes to Dimension jumps. I say this because I've had some pretty awful experiences with Roleplayers and Dimensional things. SO I think Xenedra has a pretty good case here, just use your FFXI character as a baseline and go from there!

 

(This isn't to say you couldn't make it work, so please don't take this as an offensive post)

 

Armi is from FFXI too, she was created there and she also, like your character, died there. Ever since I've been kind of transposing her personality into different games, though this will be the first time I bring Armi back to a Final Fantasy game. Because of this Armi has had many, many storyline and many interesting things happen to her. FFXI had a lot of great storylines and stuff that happened to her but it was for the best that I left those storylines in FFXI as, even with the same people, it would be hard to recreate again. They were magical then and lightening generally doesn't strike twice.

 

So I understand where you're coming from.

[Adelpha]

I don't intend to dissuade you, but you should at least be aware before proceeding with such a character concept that other characters (my own included) may think that your character is clinically insane if he keeps going around and telling everyone else about how he's from another world.

 

That in itself could lead to interesting RP situations, of course, so if you're cool with that, then go for it.

[Grott]

I could use some pointers on Hyur cultures

 

Hyur Midlanders kind of lack a cultural identity. Hyur Highlanders have some. They're brutish people. Usually manual laborers or fighters, though not entirely unintelligent by any means. They're big city state was Ala Mhigo until it got taken over by the Garlean Empire. A lot of Highlander refugees live in Ul'dah now, though they can be found all over.

[Xenedra]

http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/world/races/hyur

That's the official write up from SE on Hyur. Unfortunately there's not much to it, but it basically says that Hyur (Midlanders at least) are aaall over the place! To me this indicates they've got quite a varied culture. More likely the city/region you chose to be from will more heavily affect your characters cultural traits. You can find write ups on Ul'dah, Gridania and Limsa on that site and also on our wiki.

 

Another little tidbit that might help you is here:

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/61149-Hyur-Naming-Conventions

Naming conventions for Hyur! There's a little lore in there as well for them. If you haven't looking through SE's lore forums already, I suggest you do! It's a bit limited at this point, but it's got some gems :>

[racooperii]

I don't intend to dissuade you, but you should at least be aware before proceeding with such a character concept that other characters (my own included) may think that your character is clinically insane if he keeps going around and telling everyone else about how he's from another world.

 

That in itself could lead to interesting RP situations, of course, so if you're cool with that, then go for it.

Considering even in XI he was considered insane it could work . I think what that really translates to is I want the charact to have a sense of longing for something he can never truely regain.

 

Hes stuck with what he has and what he can make for himself and he rises to the challenge. Perhaps as a first step he takes odd iobs around Eorzea to make gil and secure himself enough to start searching for answers(RP excuse to try all the crafts lol).

 

I also dont know if I would ever fully reveal his other wordliness if I go that route, it would be more a sense of loss and failure, like knowing that you can never say goodbye to someone close to you because they are already gone. It would be an internal driving force that would bleed into the world of Eorzea(Such as my learning about the world while playing).

 

So maybe i could incorperate the spirit of this idea as more of a reincarnation idea, where he built a life in Eorzea, was born there, loved and lost. Use the Seventh Umbral as a point where a spark of his soul calls him to be more than he has been, due to a great loss.

 

Just fyi Im loving this, I like fedback to really develop a character that will work in the community.

[Rhostel]

I think what that really translates to is I want the charact to have a sense of longing for something he can never truely regain.

 

So how about looking at the opportunities for that within the lore?

 

First thing that springs to mind: Something important to him was annihilated in the Calamity. From Bahamut blowing up his Dad to a fragment of Dalamud falling on his tiny home village, there's plenty there to work with.

 

Or maybe he's originally from Ala Mhigo. Even if it's someday liberated from Garlemald, it'll never be what it once was. At least he has the solidarity of other refugees.

 

Or it could be something more low-key and personal. Each city presents its own dangers that threaten to take away all sorts of things important to people.

 

Limsa still has to deal with pirates who refuse to get behind Merlwyb's new order, not to mention those who've gotten in line and been excused for past crimes still committed those past crimes. Then there's the Sahagin, kidnapping and brainwashing to satisfy their Primal, Leviathan.

 

Ul'dah has all sorts of political backstabbing. Members of the Syndicate, like Lord Lolorito, who destroy lives with just a signature because there's a slight profit in it.

 

Gridania may have the worst of it. Simply hunting in the wrong place or stepping on the wrong mushroom could invoke the wrath of the Elementals. If they're angry enough, that means becoming an outcast with little hope of redemption. If that happens to someone close to you, you may have to just live with it.

 

Basically, there's lots of ways to lose very important things in the setting already. :cactuar:

[Averis]

First thing that springs to mind: Something important to him was annihilated in the Calamity. From Bahamut blowing up his Dad to a fragment of Dalamud falling on his tiny home village, there's plenty there to work with.

 

Funny, this is pretty much what I'm doing in my story. I'd imagine it will be a common setup.

 

From my perspective I think there are plenty of reasons to be had right in the world we're given for character motivations and history instead of having to use another dimension. Authors always say, "a character is most interesting when they are relatable" and this is true for RP as well, it's easier to RP with when other characters can relate to yours. So a character dealing with loss is certainly a good angle, and one I use often, but don't just stop there, give them a reason to fight, hobbies, weaknesses etc. The more detail you add the more well rounded the character will be.

[racooperii]

Ok Ive taken it all in and i think i have a workable back story:

 

Normal is the only way to describe Grant Tenders early life, living in an inn halfway between Ul'Dah and Gridania. It was sucessf but not well reknown, average is how Grant described it. His mother cooked and sewed, his father repaired anything that was broken and his two younger sisters would gather in the wiids once they were older. Grant pitched in with whatever was needed, he was neither a genius or a failure he was as his mother said "Well Rounded".

 

Grant always wanted more, to be like the adventurers that came to his inn. Storys of love, loss, battle and discovery, daily he would dream himself a new life. Those normal days he cursed while living them, but now wants nothin more than to go back to them.

 

Five years ago his simple, boring life came to an end as the Calamity came raining down upon his home. He had argued with his family and stormed out, a 17 year old back then who "knew better". He saw the moon break and the fire rain down, the flash was blinding and the sound deafening and then the world went to black.

 

Grant awoke, fires blazing around him, he rose to survey around him. Panic slowly oozed into him from the back of his mind 'The Inn' he thought and in a mad blind dash he ran unsteadily toward home.  Thee wood had blackened and twisted, the fires sounded like cackles as Grant found his home consumed by fire. His whole life had been there, his memories anhored in the wood steps and smell of baked goods, and now it was a pillar of smoke rising unto the heavens.

 

Soon the pain closed in on his heart at the true loss, his family was gone, his last words of teenage arrogance looped in his head. It was his final memory of home and it filled his mouth with ash.

 

He would spend his next years in a trance, blaming the Empire for bringing that moon, the adveturers for not stopping it, the gods for allowing it, until it finally settled where it belonged...himself. Grant traveled and wandered around, never back towards the ashen remains of his home, often refered to as The Lost who seeks what is gone forever.

 

On his journeys Grant learned a little of this and that, how to fight, what happened that fateful night and most importantly that he was not alone. In his self pity he missed the fact that there were those who lost just as much as he did, the revelation startled him but gave him something to focus on. His family was gone, but they lived in his heart, he would not seek revenge but redemption. He would fight to stop others from having to feel the loss he had felt.

 

He would go to Ul'Dah, and pass uis families grave for the first time in five years. Bolstering his resolution to fight for the future of others and not for the sorrow of the past.

[Rhostel]

Very nice! I thoroughly approve. :thumbsup:

[Xenedra]

[racooperii]

So is there anything else I should flesh out before launch? I realized I didnt put a lot of his personality in there and instead events that could affect it.

 

 

Oh I did forget the one thing he loved for himself was fishing. To just find a serene place, cast his rod and let his heart and mind drift like the clouds reflected on the water.