Can Someone be a Self-Serving White Mage?

[Cota Orben]

The title is sort of self-explanatory, but here's a bit of follow-up information. I've been playing a Lalafell who's an Ala Mhigan (If that's possible, if not he's from Limsa Lominsa) White Mage, who serves as a mercenary with a companion and happens to not have many qualms with taking jobs from the Garlean Empire. The backstory needs some tweaking, but that's the rough idea. 

 

I was talking to some people who have differing opinions on the lore. Some say they have no issues with what I'm doing, others say that there's lore that suggests that White Mages are sort of... inherently good, and wouldn't do something as self-serving as mercenary work. They cite the fact that White Mages are apparently chosen to be so by a giant tree of some description; and lore supports this. 

 

So, what do -you- guys think? If there is strong lore that outright condemns this, it's no biggie. I can play Scholar and achieve roughly the same result. (Though I am going to want to change this character's magic color-coded eyes, somehow).

[YesGood]

I'm going to whip out the backstory thing again, here.

 

White magic, the arcane art of succor, was conceived eras past that the world might know comfort. Alas, man began perverting its powers for self-gain, and by his wickedness brought about the Sixth Umbral catastrophe. Although the art subsequently became forbidden, it is now in the midst of a revival at the hands of the Padjal, chosen of the elementals.

Those who would walk the path of the white mage are healers without peer, possessed of the power to deliver comrades from the direst of afflictions—even the icy grip of death itself

 

Yes. White magic. Sounds like it was used for evil there for a while.

 

I thought of using the Light in WoW as having a sort of cleansing effect; over time, even Blood Knights (Blood Elves who ingested the magic and were able to use it against their opponents or for themselves in battle due to their inherent ability to manipulate magic) might eventually become better people instead of wicked people; the way that Fel magic has a tendency to corrupt.

 

I don't think that White Magic operates the same way. First of all, I'm not sure that any of the races are inherently magical (i.e. have magic naturally coursing through all of their bodies) or feed off of it. Not to say that that's the only way for magic to have an effect on the wielder.

 

If you have the skills and training or natural affinity for wielding white magic, it looks to me like you could easily wield it for whatever reason -so long as it's serving its purpose-. You probably couldn't tear someone apart with it, but whatever the reason you choose to use your ability, you'll still be healing people right? Money or fame or glory or... vengeance somehow... 'NO! I won't let you die because you're a jerk!'... it shouldn't change your ability to heal and healing shouldn't effect your personality.

 

I actually love your idea-- the idea of someone capitalizing on their healing abilities sounds realistic, like some doctors not helping people who can't pay-- not that -THAT- is good by any means, but if you're going to be a huge benefit for people then why not reap a bit of finance off it from those who can afford it? Doesn't mean he'd refuse to heal someone who was poor and dying, right? I -will- say, though, that I think working with the Garleans for any reason might not do so good for anyone who wants to walk around the cities. The only viable explanation for it, -maybe- to one's peers, even if it requires lying, would be to say you'd heal anyone who needs it. 'Need' being interchangeable with 'can afford'. I could see some people who know their history and who discover your character -possibly- having good reason for wanting to extinguish that merc. healer off the face of the planet if only because they might not trust the magic in the beginning and certainly don't trust someone who isn't pure of heart to begin with.

 

* Re-reading that paragraph at the top again, I'm not sure if they tell you in the story quest, but it seems like either people were 'abusing the magic' for immortality or maybe for something else? Sounds like the pursuit of immortality to me but maybe I'm just not 100 percent sure how White Magic works. Regardless, looks like it can be abused and thus, doesn't influence its user.

[Skylar Steelheart]

I think I will pay attention to this topic, since I hope for my character to eventually be a white mage herself. =^^=

 

I came across something curious and possibly relevant on the RPC Wiki's timeline a little while ago. If you scroll down to the Fifth Astral Era...

 

- Grand Companies come together to prepare for the Sixth Umbral Era.

- Many White Mages abuse their power and the art begins to die out.

 

I wonder?

[Cota Orben]

Siobhan, thanks for the input! Definitely seems like it's something that could be done. And, yeah - it's not like he's a complete plutocrat - he heals his mercenary companion all the time, and that's how they actually met. 

 

As for the Garlean thing, people have already mentioned that - the idea is that our two characters aren't blatant about it. Hoods and masks when attacking people, and entirely constructed backstories. They started off as Ala Mhigan conscripts, which is why this character can use magic at all.

[YesGood]

Siobhan, thanks for the input! Definitely seems like it's something that could be done. And, yeah - it's not like he's a complete plutocrat - he heals his mercenary companion all the time, and that's how they actually met. 

 

As for the Garlean thing, people have already mentioned that - the idea is that our two characters aren't blatant about it. Hoods and masks when attacking people, and entirely constructed backstories. They started off as Ala Mhigan conscripts, which is why this character can use magic at all.

 

Then I say you have your bases covered. Like I said, I like the idea, I genuinely enjoy taking a class and using it differently than what is expected!

[Cota Orben]

Though I have done some thinking - It's hard to decide between White Mage and Scholar. I've heard that White Mage requires you to be a little bit more focused on the party screen, but Scholar also lacks for offense a bit. I know I can just be both, but at the same time I really don't like how my Lalafell turned out (I gave him one of the lower voices, but it just seems silly, so I'd probably be fine with starting over).

[YesGood]

I tend to reroll like a fiend. I don't really know much about Scholars-- would you still apply the Merc background to him?

[Cota Orben]

I would (If Balmung weren't locked out right now - stupid server closures). It seems like it might fit more, but I do like the aesthetic of a White Mage.

[YesGood]

I like the idea of a White Mage but ultimately, if you think it fits the character better, you should try Scholar! If anything, maybe you can pick up White Mage later if he decides he has the skill and it would benefit him more?

[LiadansWhisper]

Something to keep in mind...

 

Apparently White Mages don't just grow on trees.  In fact, you can't be one without being taught the art and the Padjal have been restricting that teaching to their race for quite some time.

 

 

In the White Mage questline, you learn that you're the first non-Padjal White Mage in hundreds of years, perhaps longer, because non-Padjal have been deemed "too risky" to be given the knowledge of the Art of Succor.

 

 

With that in mind, you'd have to have convinced one of them that you were worthy (which would seem to be no small task), and then hidden the fact that you were a completely selfish, self-serving person during the training itself.  And then if you were to succeed in all of that, you'd still have to consider that the Padjal would be unlikely to be okay with you running around abusing your power.  It's highly likely they'd send someone (or multiple someones) to prevent you from further abusing it.

 

So while I'm not saying that it's impossible by any means, I think that for it to be believable, you'd have to take the consequences of such a situation into account, as well.

[YesGood]

Something to keep in mind...

 

Apparently White Mages don't just grow on trees.  In fact, you can't be one without being taught the art and the Padjal have been restricting that teaching to their race for quite some time.

 

 

In the White Mage questline, you learn that you're the first non-Padjal White Mage in hundreds of years, perhaps longer, because non-Padjal have been deemed "too risky" to be given the knowledge of the Art of Succor.

 

 

 

With that in mind, you'd have to have convinced one of them that you were worthy (which would seem to be no small task), and then hidden the fact that you were a completely selfish, self-serving person during the training itself.  And then if you were to succeed in all of that, you'd still have to consider that the Padjal would be unlikely to be okay with you running around abusing your power.  It's highly likely they'd send someone (or multiple someones) to prevent you from further abusing it.

 

So while I'm not saying that it's impossible by any means, I think that for it to be believable, you'd have to take the consequences of such a situation into account, as well.

 

This is true.

 

Also, this:

 

After the abuse of magical energies that led to the Sixth Umbral Era, both white and black magic became forbidden arts. The Padjal are children sanctioned by the elementals to conjure at full strength, particularly in favor of white magic. More recently the elementals have allowed Conjurers to use a portion of that power under the guidance of the Padjal, but only a select few ever become White Mages.

 

Makes me think that even being a White Mage is rather rare. Still, so long as he's not evil and using White Magic for evil purposes, I could see him making a profit from it, so long as he's not neglecting or refusing those in actual need.

 

He doesn't have to be an evil person, or a particular altruistic person, to dedicate the time and energy to learning the art. He might, perhaps, even be able to excuse his desire to trade his skill for currency if he were a follower of Nald'thal? Not exactly a stretch since I can't think of a god off hand who's a deity of healing/life specifically.

 

Though, again, this just raises the issue of the number of White Mages or people who RP as White Mages.

[Cota Orben]

I see, I see. 

 

So it might be safer to play as a Scholar, then.

[Remilia Scarlet]

Normally things can become complicating when your RP story has relations with the game's story.

[Chisae]

How do you abuse white magic to cause the 6th catastrophe? "if you dont bow down and worship me, I'm going to heal you!!"

[YesGood]

Normally things can become complicating when your RP story has relations with the game's story.

 

In FFXIV, being a white mage is being a white mage. If you choose to do the profession and choose to connect it to your lore, it's much like deciding you want to join a Grand Company ICly or become a Sultansworn. You, of course, have the option of choosing another, less sparkly path, but everyone has the freedom to choose and if one decides to go with something that has a lore skeleton they need to work within, they should.

 

The fact that male Miqo'te are rare, like Sin'dorei being rare in Warcraft, certainly didn't slow down many RPers. So White Mages being rare doesn't mean you can't be one, it merely means you need to go through the steps. It's still not as difficult or -exceedingly- rare as making a Padjal character or one of the Circle of Knowing.

 

It can be 'complicating' in the sense that others might try to drive a point home with you about how they don't approve of the character you've made because it's just so uber super hard to be a White Mage according to lore, but many other people choose to do something simple or not even have any profession/job skills/affiliation whatsoever. Do what you feel is right and for every one super special snowflake there'll be fifty not-so-special snowflakes.

 

What's confusing for me is the (admittedly rare) occasion where someone -isn't- relating their RP to the game's story. Like... at all. Demon-cats from an alternate universe? *nod* I've seen it happen, long ago in 1.0.

 

---

 

And I'm not sure what they did. Like I said, I'm thinking immortality. The only other thing I could imagine doing with White Magic is necromancy but I haven't seen any such thing relating to that so I doubt it even exists. I also imagine torturing people to death and rezzing them over and over again until they forfeit. That's a way to abuse dem White Mage powers!

[Naunet]

 

In the White Mage questline, you learn that you're the first non-Padjal White Mage in hundreds of years, perhaps longer, because non-Padjal have been deemed "too risky" to be given the knowledge of the Art of Succor.

 

 

 

With that in mind, you'd have to have convinced one of them that you were worthy (which would seem to be no small task), and then hidden the fact that you were a completely selfish, self-serving person during the training itself.  And then if you were to succeed in all of that, you'd still have to consider that the Padjal would be unlikely to be okay with you running around abusing your power.  It's highly likely they'd send someone (or multiple someones) to prevent you from further abusing it.

 

So while I'm not saying that it's impossible by any means, I think that for it to be believable, you'd have to take the consequences of such a situation into account, as well.

 

Honestly, I think this is just far too restrictive to be taken at face value. All of us can become White Mages OOC if we wanted. Simply by nature of it being an available class/job, there absolutely needs to be a way for one's character to be ICly said job without skirting the line of the "Chosen One" story. The Padjal can't possibly personally train all of the potential White Mages out there; it's absolutely unrealistic. So acknowledging that, there needs to be some give in how one becomes a White Mage.

[Jove]

And I'm not sure what they did. Like I said, I'm thinking immortality. The only other thing I could imagine doing with White Magic is necromancy but I haven't seen any such thing relating to that so I doubt it even exists. I also imagine torturing people to death and rezzing them over and over again until they forfeit. That's a way to abuse dem White Mage powers!

 

It's interesting that you mention Necromancy, because you're right I haven't seen it mentioned any where either, but you only have to go to the Deepcroft to see the undead shambling about.

 

Restless spirits, trapped in a corporeal form maybe, but it seems likely they were raised by Cthulhu's son and his cultists, which makes me wonder if corrupted white magic was used to raise these dead. After all, healers can use the raise spell on the almost dead, so what happens if a particularly powerful mage forces it on the long dead?

Is it possible that white magic becomes corrupted when used for unnatural purposes? I could easily see the corrupted white mages of old drawing on the aether to extend their physical life, or to bring loved ones back from the dead, like you say.

 

(Torture is also a good suggestion! Fling a man with Aero, break his bones every time he's smashed against the wall while slinging cures at him. Gruesome)

[FreelanceWizard]

Honestly, I think this is just far too restrictive to be taken at face value. All of us can become White Mages OOC if we wanted. Simply by nature of it being an available class/job, there absolutely needs to be a way for one's character to be ICly said job without skirting the line of the "Chosen One" story. The Padjal can't possibly personally train all of the potential White Mages out there; it's absolutely unrealistic. So acknowledging that, there needs to be some give in how one becomes a White Mage.

 

I'd suggest that the easy generalized approach to this is that the current crop of White Mages are the first ones being trained by the Padjal and their trusted associates in hundreds of years (as opposed to the PC being the only one). It's a very minor change, IMO. Of course, one can always learn in other ways -- once the Padjal teaches someone the Art, there's nothing stopping that person from teaching others or using the magic for more nefarious purposes.

 

To the OP's question, as long as you have a lore-friendly, plausible explanation for why your character was able to progress sufficiently as a Conjurer and learn the Art of White Magic, you're good. Maybe your character's an excellent liar. Maybe he was trained by someone else with less scruples than the Padjal. Maybe the stress of constant battle makes him ultimately cynical and self-serving ("All this pressure and what do I get? Nothing? Godsdamn that!").

 

And corrupted white magic? Oh, there's all sorts of things. Torture is the most obvious application, but you could also harm the environment to your own benefit, overuse magic (a city where no one ever dies or gets injured), manipulate minds, abuse the elements... the possibilities are endless. I'd suggest reading through a bit of the Exalted information on their First Age; First Age Solars had both significant magical power and unbridled hubris, and they're a great example of how even seemingly "nice" powers can be bent to oligarchic, abusive evil.

[YesGood]

And I'm not sure what they did. Like I said, I'm thinking immortality. The only other thing I could imagine doing with White Magic is necromancy but I haven't seen any such thing relating to that so I doubt it even exists. I also imagine torturing people to death and rezzing them over and over again until they forfeit. That's a way to abuse dem White Mage powers!

 

It's interesting that you mention Necromancy, because you're right I haven't seen it mentioned any where either, but you only have to go to the Deepcroft to see the undead shambling about.

 

Restless spirits, trapped in a corporeal form maybe, but it seems likely they were raised by Cthulhu's son and his cultists, which makes me wonder if corrupted white magic was used to raise these dead. After all, healers can use the raise spell on the almost dead, so what happens if a particularly powerful mage forces it on the long dead?

Is it possible that white magic becomes corrupted when used for unnatural purposes? I could easily see the corrupted white mages of old drawing on the aether to extend their physical life, or to bring loved ones back from the dead, like you say.

 

(Torture is also a good suggestion! Fling a man with Aero, break his bones every time he's smashed against the wall while slinging cures at him. Gruesome)

 

I didn't realize that there were undead about! I haven't gotten far enough in. So yes, very likely, that could be connected too! Interesting...

 

They gave a dark side to those chubby little Lalafell with their white robes on.

 

(I can see you and I are going to get along.)

[LiadansWhisper]

 

In the White Mage questline, you learn that you're the first non-Padjal White Mage in hundreds of years, perhaps longer, because non-Padjal have been deemed "too risky" to be given the knowledge of the Art of Succor.

 

 

 

 

With that in mind, you'd have to have convinced one of them that you were worthy (which would seem to be no small task), and then hidden the fact that you were a completely selfish, self-serving person during the training itself.  And then if you were to succeed in all of that, you'd still have to consider that the Padjal would be unlikely to be okay with you running around abusing your power.  It's highly likely they'd send someone (or multiple someones) to prevent you from further abusing it.

 

So while I'm not saying that it's impossible by any means, I think that for it to be believable, you'd have to take the consequences of such a situation into account, as well.

 

Honestly, I think this is just far too restrictive to be taken at face value. All of us can become White Mages OOC if we wanted. Simply by nature of it being an available class/job, there absolutely needs to be a way for one's character to be ICly said job without skirting the line of the "Chosen One" story. The Padjal can't possibly personally train all of the potential White Mages out there; it's absolutely unrealistic. So acknowledging that, there needs to be some give in how one becomes a White Mage.

 

Anyone can potentially be a White Mage, and apparently this has been the case for centuries, but no non-Padjal has been one in all of that time.  *shrugs*  The White Mage questline is why I ultimately decided not to RP my character as a White Mage.  It would seem to beggar belief that there would suddenly be hundreds of non-Padjal White Mages when just getting yourself accepted was an epic effort in and of itself.  

 

You're free to feel it's restrictive.  I personally wish that they'd gone about the questline another way, because I also see it as a mite restrictive.  But it's the Lore they've gone with.  *shrug*

---

And I'm not sure what they did. Like I said, I'm thinking immortality. The only other thing I could imagine doing with White Magic is necromancy but I haven't seen any such thing relating to that so I doubt it even exists. I also imagine torturing people to death and rezzing them over and over again until they forfeit. That's a way to abuse dem White Mage powers!

 

It's interesting that you mention Necromancy, because you're right I haven't seen it mentioned any where either, but you only have to go to the Deepcroft to see the undead shambling about.

 

Restless spirits, trapped in a corporeal form maybe, but it seems likely they were raised by Cthulhu's son and his cultists, which makes me wonder if corrupted white magic was used to raise these dead. After all, healers can use the raise spell on the almost dead, so what happens if a particularly powerful mage forces it on the long dead?

Is it possible that white magic becomes corrupted when used for unnatural purposes? I could easily see the corrupted white mages of old drawing on the aether to extend their physical life, or to bring loved ones back from the dead, like you say.

 

(Torture is also a good suggestion! Fling a man with Aero, break his bones every time he's smashed against the wall while slinging cures at him. Gruesome)

 

Raya-O-Senna tells you that Succor (White Magic) is every bit as destructive as Black Magic when it's misused.

 

However, I don't think it has anything to do with Necromancy or raising the long dead.  There's nothing about the spell Raise or the lore surrounding it (via the Conjurer questline) to suggest that it's more than something that brings you back from the brink of death.  I honestly don't believe that it would work on something that was actually dead.

 

E-Sumi-Yan tells you that Conjurers draw upon the power of the elements and nature for their abilities.  Apparently Conjurers access a part of Succor, but are restricted by the Elementals.  White Mages can access the full power of Succor.

 

E-Sumi also tells you that the power Conjurers draw upon cannot be taken, only borrowed, and must be returned.  Others have speculated (in other threads) that the power the Conjurers are drawing from is the Aether streams, though they know it by another name.  If we follow that line of speculation, then White Mages would be drawing even harder on that same power source.

 

Now imagine if hundreds, or even thousands, of White Mages were drawing on the Aether streams of the world at a rate never before seen.  We know that when Aether is stripped from an area, it becomes barren, because the Aether is a lifeforce not unlike Mako in FFVII.  So to me, the most likely explanation for "how did White Mages almost destroy the world by misusing their power" is that they drew so hard on the Aether streams with their abilities that they nearly drained those Aether streams.

---

To the OP's question, as long as you have a lore-friendly, plausible explanation for why your character was able to progress sufficiently as a Conjurer and learn the Art of White Magic, you're good. Maybe your character's an excellent liar. Maybe he was trained by someone else with less scruples than the Padjal. Maybe the stress of constant battle makes him ultimately cynical and self-serving ("All this pressure and what do I get? Nothing? Godsdamn that!").

 

Definitely wasn't trying to suggest that it was impossible.  I don't think it's a bad idea, necessarily.  I just think that it would be more believable if consequences were factored in, and I personally find it much better for RP when I completely think about the factors affecting my character.  Having set down, if only in my mind, the steps that led to my character being where she is currently helps me immensely in portraying her.

 

And corrupted white magic? Oh, there's all sorts of things. Torture is the most obvious application, but you could also harm the environment to your own benefit, overuse magic (a city where no one ever dies or gets injured), manipulate minds, abuse the elements... the possibilities are endless. I'd suggest reading through a bit of the Exalted information on their First Age; First Age Solars had both significant magical power and unbridled hubris, and they're a great example of how even seemingly "nice" powers can be bent to oligarchic, abusive evil.

 

Was not really talking about that.  I've also read quite a bit about the Exalted - used to play the game!  Kinda miss my character.  D:  But that wasn't really where I was going with the mention of "corrupted white mage."

[YesGood]

Succor, to clarify for anyone reading this thread who doesn't know, is giving aid or assistance in times of hardship and distress. That's the actual word not the FF version of it. When they said the 'art of succor' I was thinking the 'art of giving aid' but I guess it's actually the name of their magic.

 

Many games make a playable class or race 'rare' in lore but totally accessible for you as a player. Mostly because they're not caring so much about a roleplaying community that'll use their lore as weapons or shields against one another so much as the gamers who want to play through the story line. There's nothing stopping someone from being a master of all the arts they offer, and some people might carry that over into character. Likewise, there's nothing that prevents you, lore-wise, from being no more than a simple merchant or a dancer since many RPers don't want to take classes or abilities into account any more than level or gender or restrictive hair styles.

 

We basically pick and choose what is acceptable for ourselves and (sometimes in some not-so-great cases) for other people out of the mechanics, the lore, and the gameplay.

 

That being said, it -is- a bit weird that they chose to define White Mages this way for FF. Many of the other groups have an origin definition, like Dragoons, Paladins, Pugilists, etc. that don't really make it absolutely necessary that you come from the area where the profession was at its peak or was best known for. White Mages, on the other hand, are restricted as a class to being a lot of Padjal (whom I think many RPers on this forum in an old thread suggest that you not try to RP) or people who are directly accepted by the Padjal (which is still pretty shiny. It's like saying you were trained to be a ranger by a Dark Ranger in Warcraft, which is enough to make most people roll their eyes). Yes, we can try to wheedle our way around them by using loopholes and not going the 'I'm a sparkly magic person that was so great the Padjal made me one of the raaaaare Whiiiite Maaaages....' route but the base-line is still a pain in the bottom.

 

I'd have thought, knowing there'd -be- RPers and knowing that -many- -many- people are going to choose the main healing class, they would've given something a bit more broad or something with a bigger number.

 

All the same, I'm personally ready to accept any reason for a White Mage. I think it's acceptable to play a character who has innate healing potential. Maybe nothing as classy and refined as a full blown White Mage but someone who is just naturally proficient at bending aether in small feats of healing. Maybe we should concentrate more on offering other ideas for how people can play -Healers- and not specifically -White Mages- for the benefit of our fellow RPers.

[LandStander]

I would (If Balmung weren't locked out right now - stupid server closures). It seems like it might fit more, but I do like the aesthetic of a White Mage.

Log in between like 2-6am pst in Balmung, character creation is open during the ass crack of dawn. I just made a character this morning.

[E'irawen]

The way this was explained to me is... Necessarily speaking, being a white mage doesn't mean you can't work for the empire. But the powers you are granted are to be used "for good" in the sense that you are not supposed to harm another person with white magic, lest the elementals/etc. get kind of pissed at you and you end up leaving their good graces.

[Cota Orben]

... Wow, I think I love all of you guys. This thread has really opened me to a lot of ideas, including some that I've since incorporated into RP. 

 

As I have it now, and keep in mind this is liable to change, is that this character is a Scholar (A bit more neutral, healing - essentially - through arcane geometry) who passes as a Conjurer when doing some of his Imperial work; I've had him mention how difficult it is to handle Stone, Fluid Barrier and other Conjurer/WHM exclusive abilities. 

 

Though that raises a whole 'nother can of worms, when one wonders whether Scholars are exclusively from Nym? It seems like any place that has access to Arcanima and Conjury would be able to pull it off, but the background lore goes into rather exhaustive detail about Nym. Which, from what I can understand, is still around and not an Imperial territory... 

 

Unless the only thing really stopping Eorzeans from attempting to turn their cloaks is this sort of universal hatred of the Garlean Empire... Would it be possible for someone from Nym, possibly under duress, perhaps not, to ally with the enemy and thus bring over knowledge exclusive to one location? I know my friend wants to play a Dragoon, something that's apparently Ishguard - exclusive, but at the same time... if Garlean had some way to learn the mechanics of it, they could make good use of soldiers designed to fight dragons. 

 

Any thoughts?

[bamcart4]

I wanted to thank everyone posting the White Mage lore in this thread too. It has really helped me polish out my alt White Mage and even gave me more RP opportunity to have her strive to to becoming a White Mage instead of being one at start.

 

While I don't normally want to be a "sparkly magic special person" I will still be making her a White Mage at some point, regardless of how restricted and rare they are "supposed" to be.

 

Back on topic: Good luck with your character background Devin. It is definitely a unique look at using specific classes.

 

As for the Dragoon, Iseldia is from Ishgard and her main strive will be to become a Dragoon, however as others have recommended in this thread. Not every Dragoon HAS to be Ishgardian. Your friend could have encountered one in travels or even on a darker side: the Empire could have kidnapped a Dragoon and forced him to train your friend (and other Imperials) in the arts.