What do you ride?

[FreelanceWizard]

In the vein of the artifacts and weapons thread, I thought I'd pose a new question: what does your character ride, and what's the story behind it? Adventurers have access to a number of mounts these days, from coeurls to ahriman, and with the new Mount Guide, we even have some lore for them. Does your character ride a simple chocobo purchased from an upstanding breeder? Perhaps he rides a behemoth, captured at birth by Ishgardians and given to you in return for service.

 

As usual for these threads, I'll start. L'yhta's primary adventuring ride is a modified magitek Reaper armor that she acquired in Mor Dhona. When she spotted a lone patrol rider near the Castrum relieving himself off a cliff -- and the cermet access key still in the armor -- she knew she had her chance. She carefully crept up behind the fellow and kicked him off the cliff, then hopped in the armor and dashed off with it. Of course, without proper maintenance (and possibly due to her mashing buttons and levers to make it work, with her slamming it into a cliff face during her escape a contributing factor), it quickly broke down, and it took her considerable time and assistance to get it running again using channeled Aether instead of ceruleum. As a consequence, none of its weapon systems work and it's not nearly as fast as it was before. She's also painted it a garish metallic yellow to distinguish it from Garlean equipment (and because it really irks them to see her riding around in it, or so she prefers to believe).

 

When she just wants to go out for a ride, she'll take her chocobo Shera out of the stables. She bought Shera with the funds from her first forays into adventuring, and was able to get a great deal because the quite vain chocobo is also easily distracted and prefers to strut rather than run. Nevertheless, through giving her considerable attention and mimett greens, the two have a reasonable relationship -- even if Shera would much rather be winning awards for prettiest chocobo instead of running across the shores of La Noscea.

[Aya]

I am wishing that Aya could get her hands on a motorcycle, it would seem a terrific mount for her, but it does not seem like such things fit the present setting

 

Much like the weapon and artifact thread, her availability of a mount is underwhelming by Adventurer standards.  She does not own a mount, and relies on renting a Chocobo  when one is needed.

[Unnamed Mercenary]

Franz owns no mounts to ride. 

 

While there was a time he would have been issued a certified Magitek Reaper, like most members of the Garlean army, after being dismissed, it would have bene reallocated to someone else. He typically walks places, or rents a chocobo these days, if he requires a mount. While he certainly has the funds available to buy a chocobo to raise, the additional upkeep disinterests him because he does plan to return to Garlemald one of these days, and bringing a chocobo (or any other mount for that reason) would only complicate matters.

 

 

OOCly, I love my legacy chocobo and will never abandon it. I wish I could use her instead of the company chocobo when summoned.

[ZindelloTarantella]

It depends largely on the image Tarot is trying to give off. If he's going 'casual' than he'll pull up on his Coeurl mount, lovingly named 'Carnan'. How he got himself this, he refuses to say but it is hinted that his black market connections wound him up with the very exotic mounts he keeps.

 

He does also keep a Behemoth mount, though this one he almost never uses given how temperamental it is. Both are stabled by one of his contacts, the ever present and ready 'Monsieur X'.

 

Finally, if he IS trying to go incognito, he will simply rent a chocobo. He's not fond of them, as he thinks they smell and their 'cuteness' is overrated.

[Coatleque]

Coatleque simply uses the Grand Company mount she was issued for official use by the Palace. It has been a faithful 'steed' to date, but if she has any love for the bird, she refuses to show it.

[Stormwind]

Alexander rides the Magitek reaper that he rebuilt from parts that he took from the many of Dogberry's raids on Garlean vessels. He is slowly retrofitting it with other modifications but those are often slow-going as his mind is often working on other projects.

[Berrod Armstrong]

Berrod either hoofs it or rents a chocobo at a porter because his own chocobo hates his guts.

[Oscare]

Oscare rides a chocobo when he's lazy. He likes walking. And teleporting.

 

I want a motorcycle....

[Warren Castille]

Warren is only ever seen riding on the wings of Victory.

 

Intentionally named because in 1.0 when you called your mount it specifically said something akin to "Player name calls forth Mount name." I am a dork.

 

The bird is a former Immortal Flames service bird who worked as trade lines security in Southern Thanalan. He's part of the first wave of "new" birds that were authorized to be given to adventurers.

[Eva]

In 1.0 Eva had been issued a rather stubborn chocobo she named Shuttle (weaving being her passion and all).  Alas this poor creature was claimed on the fateful D-Day (D for Dalamud here of course).

 

More recently she has been issued by the Twin Adders another chocobo and named it Shuttle as well, in honour of her first beloved steed.  This one is more even-tempered and cooperates a little better, but she selected it because when she first saw him, he was set apart from the other birds and behaved shyly and awkwardly at first.

 

She does sometimes refer to him as 'Shuttle 2'.  >.>

 

 

On a sidenote, I have a difficult time personally rationalizing certain mounts ICly.  While I don't fault anyone their decision to RP in whichever manner they choose, I often feel like anyone riding Magitek mounts would be shot on sight and such.  And I think a Unicorn mount would actually be pretty perfect for Eva (the white one, not the crazy EX primal ones), but they are supposed to be rare, and I would rather preserve that notion than try and be a special snowflake.  

[Warren Castille]

Spoilered for off-topic. Warning, opinions within.

 

 

I'm of a similar mind when it comes to the more, erm, prestigious mounts. Then again, when your options are only "bird, other bird, voidsent, HNM, FF5 fanservice and sparkleponies" it's difficult to do anything aside from conforming or standing so far out it looks "unique."

 

Not that I begrudge anyone for using the other mounts. I just can't bring myself to say "Yep, Warren tamed a lion and now rides that. By the way, there are no other lions in all of Eorzea." My head explodes when confronted with the situation.

 

Slightly off-topic for off-topic, it burns me that my Legacy Chocobo is supposed to be my 1.0 mount, yet I can't do anything with his barding. My "new" bird is named after my old one yet he's not the old one, and blargh I just want the cool burned feather look on my actual sidekick.

 

[Whittledown]

Morotcycles for everyone! I could totally see Hornet sitting in a badass American road machine.

 

Hornet has her own personal chocobo named 'Stinger' that she rides pretty much everywhere. He's her buddy through thick and thin. If anything were to happen to him she would be devastated. He wears the Lominsan crested barding which she acquired through means that I will not go in to here.

[Zyrusticae]

Well, really, 99% of all PCs SHOULD be riding chocobos. It's the default for a reason. It'll be less boring when we can change their colors, I think.

 

More on-topic, yeah, T'rahnu rides her chocobo around everywhere she goes. She also keeps her (the chocobo) naked and unburdened aside from her weapons and occasionally some packs of food and camping gear if she needs to go far downrange. She's affectionately named her "T'supahto", treating her as if she were her own family (and given that her own family is DEEEAAAD, she kind of needs the therapy). They have a very close and affectionate relationship.

 

So how did they first meet? Well, T'supahto was actually a wild chocobo, one that T'rahnu ran into the wild back when she was still quite young. (This was back before the Calamity hit, when T'rahnu was just leaving home.) As she was lost and confused and clearly quite terrified, T'rahnu decided to take her in and raise her as one of her own, knowing that she would eventually need a mount to aide her in her travels. As such, the two have spent far more time together than most riders would ever have with their own chocobos. This could also be seen as a weakness - while many riders would simply switch to a new chocobo should their old one bite the dust in battle, T'rahnu would be left an emotional wreck should she ever lose her one true companion. Unsurprisingly, this makes her fiercely protective of T'supahto, and absolutely no one else is allowed to feed or even attempt to ride her when she is around to see it.

[Merri]

Merri still rides his rouncey, Geldwyn, that he's had since a few years prior to the calamity. He left him in the care of a friend before heading off to Carteneau, and after the calamity and Merri's subsequent disappearance, he broke free from the stables he was housed at and went off on a five year journey in search of Merri~

 

Suffice it to say, they had a heartwarming reunion after his return. BFFs.

 

Totally original.

 

Five years does a lot to a Chocobo. Yay pretty black feathers.

 

 

He also very recently got his hands on a Draught. A very moody draught, whom he named Mimett. Because of it's voracious appetite for Mimett.

 

And while he doesn't ride is nearly as often as his Chocobos, Merri does own a Magitek Reaper that he constructed from scrap alongside his best friend and fellow engineer. She's his baby and was pet project for a few years prior to the calamity.

[Melkire]

Immortal Flames standard-issue chocobo. It's a love-hate relationship, because the bird is as stubborn as Osric is. He's not really that attached to it. Hohum.

 

Planning on grinding out a drake mount eventually that he'll actually care about. Justifying it ICly might require some forum RP that gets my character involved with the Brotherhood of Ash.

[C'kayah Polaali]

I am wishing that Aya could get her hands on a motorcycle, it would seem a terrific mount for her, but it does not seem like such things fit the present setting

 

Much like the weapon and artifact thread, her availability of a mount is underwhelming by Adventurer standards.  She does not own a mount, and relies on renting a Chocobo  when one is needed.

It's funny, because motorcycles are pretty canon in the FF universe. Pretty much every FF game has had them.

 

C owns a chocobo that he rides when he's out of town. Khaj is fairly young and spirited, and he replaces C's old bird which... um... was blown up in a smuggling operation gone terribly wrong...

[Askier]

Drumstick.

 

The bird of legend and mystery. Drumstick is not the fastest. Drumstick is not the biggest. But Drumstick is incredibly smart and is very dear to Askier.

 

Askier purchased the mount five years ago after he fled the Empire.  The bird has been through his many adventures and even played a large role in Askier's effort to destroy Ul'dah (saving Askier's life several times lol)

 

Askier refuses to ride any other chocobo if he can help it and often brings the bird along on airship rides and will talk with the bird if he needs to vent.

 

Drumstick doesn't understand much Askier says but can read body language and tone of voice very well. I have actually rped as Drumstick several times.

 

He got his name when Askier first bought the young bird to remained himself what part to eat first if Askier was ever starving.

[Melkire]

It's funny, because motorcycles are pretty canon in the FF universe. Pretty much every FF game has had them.

 

Most of the newer ones, yes. The early FF games were more medieval-themed, as far as fantasy goes.

 

FFVI was where the shift came, if I recall correctly. Suddenly, Industrial Age!

[Tiergan]

75% of the time, Tiergan is seen riding a coeurl named Valor he sprang loose from poachers/trappers roughly two or three years ago. Valor is calm, intelligent, protective, self-sufficient, and has been one of Tiergan's most steadfast companions. The big cat is actually female, but Tiergan's so convinced she's male (it's all that muscle!) that he didn't bother checking for gender. He'll be in for an surprise if she ever gets pregnant. :V

 

His other mount is a GC Chocobo named Baldr who is a plucky, cheerful, and loyal bird. It's overly affectionate and likes to headbutt people's hands. Tiergan seems to ignore it most of the time, but secretly doesn't mind patting it and feeding it greens.

 

I'm not sure if Tiergan has the Draught or not IC -- even though it is INSANELY fun giving people rides.

[Kage]

Kage has used a Draught Chocobo ICly to give rides. I'm considering if it's possible to have had Shiron grow from the "regular" GC chocobo he was to the size that Draught Chocobos are.

 

Kage obtained an unspecified Chocobo (Shiron) when its previous owner abandoned the Chocobo and his whistle while Kage was training when he was still short and tiny. This explains why Shiron is not Lalafell-sized carrier

[W'seckhi Asah]

Fio rides a standard grand company chocobo attained through his service to the Maelstrom. Ser Pecksalot, he named it. That overgrown chicken is friggin' vicious. 

 

He has also been issued Magitek Reaper, but that's kept at an undisclosed location away from prying eyes.

[Knight Kat]

Kiht rides her small, somewhat unruly Chocobo named Windrunner. He is super quick, and can maneuver well over rough terrain.

 

Chocobos are great. The only mount I would choose over a Chocobo, if it were available, is a Raptor mount. Kiht is small enough to where a large raptor could hold her; I would think.

 

In the minion guide description, it says that Goblins use raptors as beasts of burden. So, they can be raised and domesticated.

 

Or I could have Kiht ride a large white wolf...:lol:

[Dravus]

J'rakh doesn't own a steed. He simply wanders throughout Eorzea on foot unless he needs to head to La Noscea in which case he'll seek passage there via a ship. It's a shame there isn't an established racial mount for each playable race.

[Siha]

Siha rides a typical Rounsey chocobo, he doesn't have a cities barding but does have some light armor to protect him. She's lovingly named him Qhota which means brother, as she's had him since she was around the age of 15 and grew up with the dear thing. He's a lively ball of feathers, fiercely protective of her, but friendly to those she seems at ease with.

[TheLastCandle]

ICly, Yvelont never rides anything but his chocobo: a destrier he named Goliath after a gigas in some obscure legend he read about. He raised the bird from a hatchling from his time as a squire in Ishgard, was his sole companion until arriving in Gridania years ago, and carried him into battle at Carteneau. So, naturally, I tend to use the Legacy Chocobo to represent him in game. If only we could summon them as a companion!