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sundered-souls · 1 month

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Inge Sjasaris

B A S I C S

Name: Inge Sjasaris (pre-EW), Inge Grymkoelwyn (post-EW, as she took her wife's last name to finally conform with her people's way... and give the middle finger to her in-laws who didn't think her good enough for their precious daughter while she was at it lmao)

Nicknames: none

Age: Early sixties

Nameday: 5th Sun of the 2nd Umbral Moon

Race: Viera

Gender: Loaded question given that I've never bothered posting about her tribe, but long story short: she's fine with being called a woman. In our modern western ways, she'd be more akin to genderqueer. In her people's way, it's hard to translate so she never bothers. Honestly any pronoun is technically fine by her, it'll never be completely right anyway.

Orientation: Whatever, but more female leaning overall.

Profession: Mercenary, alchemist

P H Y S I C A L A S P E C T S

Hair: I've yet to find a satisfying mod for what I have in mind but curly and mid-long, black, badly cut 'cause she tends to do it herself whenever the length annoys her too much. Rarely tied though, she doesn't like the feeling (hence the terrible haircuts)

Eyes: Grey

Skin: Dark brown, with some freckles

Tattoos/scars: A tattoo left by Louisoix's spell between her shoulder blades. Many scars scattered on her body, most faded though and none too remarkable.

F A M I L Y

Parents: Both alive, never named them x)

Siblings: Two unnamed sisters and one brother, which she doesn't know is a brother because she left before he hit puberty. He's called Solrunn and is played by @inah-ffxiv (who also plays her wife)

Grandparents: I didn't flesh out the family tree so far so.... no idea

In-laws and Other: She's married to Yersinia Bordetella, which isn't her real name if you wonder after reading Inge's family name above x) Yersi doesn't get along with her family, who's quite rich and posh, and they never approved of her choice of partner. Not that any of them care. Also in a relationship with Y'shtola.

Pets: None

S K I L L S

Abilities: The notable ones would be magic enhancing/debuffing (and healing but if you don't get hit, it's even better), war surgery, alchemy (mostly potions), botany and bow hunting. She can hear the Elementals too

Hobbies: Reading smut and romance. That's about it, she loves her job as an adventurer and doesn't take much time off.

T R A I T S

Most Positive Trait: Steadfast and kind

Most Negative Trait: emotionally constipated and prone to reproach people their recklessness before doing the exact same fucking thing five minutes later (But it's different because she knows what she's doing™)

L I K E S

Colors: she loves bright colors in general but mostly wears neutral/earthly colors herself (as to not make a target of herself). Doesn't have a clear favorite

Smells: damp soil, forests, quite a lot alchemical agents, tea, campfires

Textures: Leather, smooth polished wood, soft wool

Drinks: Tea, tea and more tea

O T H E R D E T A I L S

Smokes: Recreationally. Did you know the Twelve will approve of your union even if you're too high to remember the entire day? Should you get lucky enough to meet them, they'll even mention it /shudders

Drinks: Tea and water. Occasionally maybe some fruit juice. Never any alcohol, it makes her sick

Drugs: Nothing other than what I mentioned above

Mount Issuance: Inge's actually in the Twin Adder and got her chocobo through them. The bird doesn't have an actual name, she whistles to call it/give it orders and mostly uses it as a beast of burden rather than a mount. Her yol is in the care of the Mols. She didn't want to take it away from its natural environment, but she visits sometimes.

Been Arrested: Never. To say that she's always a law-abiding citizen might be pushing it though...

Tagged by: @lilbittymonster (ty!) Tagging @inah-ffxiv @adrayellinaeth @archaiclumina @hakai-zonapher @feathersage @wpip-raham @the-crimson-rose @sharlayanscion @ooc-miqojak (so you can pick which character you want to do it with) @punchelf @chadhunkler @clockworkdimensions @gatheredfates @corsair-kovacs @heavensw4rd

I went through my followers list and I have more characters so feel free to ignore if you're not interested and I'll tag more people when I do it with the rest of the cast!

#OC: Inge #thank you again o/

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braininatankwithalaptop · 29 days

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An interesting background detail implied but not exactly explicitly stated is that there is a tradition of open hand martial arts in Altazia. The way that Taiven has a sparring dummy even though she's a mage with a weapon, the poses that she has in the art, it points to some type of unarmed technique. "Well no shit sherlock, why bring it up?" I wanted to establish this because in most dialogue, her comments of knowing how to fight and physical fitness could be interpreted as her talking about using weapons in combat. And I wanted to establish that because I was trying to figure something out. Why is there an unarmed tradition in a world of mages? Martial arts are not born in a vacuum. Willingly deciding to train how to fight without a weapon instead of with one is usually done with other factors involved. Sure, most cultures in our world developed some type of unarmed combat, but most of the time it devolves into some type of sport overtime (like boxing and wrestling now) as weapons prove more and more effective (from what I understand). What usually kept unarmed martial arts alive for serious self defense is either a) a population that can't afford weapons or b) an oppressive government that bans weapons to disempower resistance (this is based on my limited understanding, I know there are gaps in it). I know that Okinawan Karate became as strong of a tradition as it did because Japan banned Okinawans from owning weapons and they had to find a way to defend themselves without them (some people argued this was with the goal of fighting in a secret resistance with guerrilla tactics but that's been heavily disputed). So, in the MoL world, why would weapons be banned? How useful would unarmed combat be in a world where organizations that can ban weapons can also have mages? Because unlike having a weapon, magic can be taught to any one, and probably be much more effective. I can personally only think of three reasons why. 1) Mages were much less common than they seem to be in modern day Altazia. Fighting other people with weapons when you didn't have any was still viable and learning magic from anyone at all (including non-giant power structures like witches and tribes) wasn't viable for most. 2) Weapons were important to mages, as it was hinted in the gods' boons to mortals magical artifacts and weapons were used to push back against the frontier. This suggests a significant portion of magic use was done through objects and weapons, and the banning of it meant that people had to learn how to cast without those objects and fight without them at the same time. (Of course overtime spellcasting without weapons/objects were adopted by everyone as all superior spellcasting does, and as the spellcasting tradition was separated from the martial art, all that was left was the physical techniques). 3) Martial arts aren't a method of self defense at all and are only regarded as a sport. Only useful for exercise, and most importantly, cements Taiven's character as a jock official as she is the coach's assistant to teach the sport and has dummies to practice at home.

#mother of learning #taiven #just had some thoughts on martial arts I wanted to share #because I find this kind of worldbuilding and history very interesting

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ctrl-alt-tahu · 30 days

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The Everyman Problem

So, I've had a kernel of a Bionicle post rattling around in my for a couple weeks that I haven't quite been able to articulate, but I think I might have the angle to explain it now.

I'm an "old Bionicle fan": by which I mean, I'm old enough to have got into Bionicle in the "Mata Nui" era (2001-2003). A glance at the notes on my big [unfinished, looking abandoned] alt-canon fanfic shows that I'm old enough to have disliked the change of the Toa from Mata to Nuva... in 2002.

So, which that as background, remember that I'm old enough to remember a time when it wasn't known at all that Matoran, Toa, and Turaga were all the same "species."

Thinking back on it, I don't think I initially "noticed" the revelation that no only were the Turaga were former Toa, but the Toa (Metru) were Matoran before that--Takanuva too, but he was something of a special case. In 2004, I was really just absorbing that Vakama, Onewa, etc. were former Toa--that "Toa" might mean something other than "single demi-urgic hero of each element." I got there eventually, as far as acceptance goes, but it part of my age-related fade out of the Bionicle fandom.

2006, on the other hand, emphasized the other part that I'd ignored more during the LoMN/WoS era: that Toa came from Matoran. I still don't love this, but until last night I couldn't really lay a finger on how to express why.

I thought it might just be my habitual stick-in-the-muditude: you changed Jaller from Captain of the Guard! You changed Matoro from Nuju's stoic interpreter to a worry-ridden saviour.

I also thought it might just be the genre shift: it's all fantasy, of course, but it's a different thing from the island mythology-vibe of Mata Nui to the Lost City of Atlantis vibe of Metru Nui (and then the vibes beyond). I like the Toa more as unique elemental avatars than evolved Matoran, but that's not really it either.

Last night, though, I watched later era Marvel movie--it doesn't matter which one, because they all have this problem--and as the credits were rolling, I realised that the reason I don't really like the MCU is much the same as this "problem" I had with Bionicle: if just about anyone can be a superhero, you lose the "ordinary" members of the story.

Putting it another way, I realised I prefer "chosen one" stories to "X-men" stories. This is probably the Tolkien fan to some extent: you can have a world full of magic and heroes and super-powers, but if it also has "ordinary" folk, their specific importance in the story is that they ARE ordinary: Gandalf and Aragorn are heroes and amazing, yes, but Frodo never "levels up"--he is a greater person at the end of the story than the beginning, but it is the growth of an ordinary person.

Because superheroes are so common in the MCU (or DCU, etc), it's hard to have ordinary people be front and center--and harder still for them to stay ordinary people. And something like that is my problem with where Bionicle went that I don't think ever fully resolved for me: part of the wonder of Mata Nui, the whole storytelling point of MNOG is that the Matoran contribute to the victory too: they have no mask powers, no elemental powers, but they are there to help the heroes and do their part and its essential.

This already starts changing with MoL, it changes more with LoMN, and by the time we get to the Voya Nui arc, we've gone "Full MCU": everyone in the story can be a Toa.

I think, if the Inika had been "four or five" new characters and only one "already-known" Matoran, I'd have been much happier. But when you take the most prominent Matoran from every tribe and make them all Toa... who's left? The headcanons that the Chronicler's company become Toa too both satisfy and don't work for me for this reason. They satisfy me if they leave the Inika as Matoran, because I think that was a better way to go; they annoy me if they're BOTH Toa now, because that exacerbates what I think is the "problem" here.

It's not really a problem, objectively, but it is my subjective sticking point. And it's the reason that even though I might keep most of this lore, despite the grumbling, I'm willing to jettison completely and utterly the idea that "only some Matoran are destined to become Toa." Destiny is always a hard thing to make work in the story, but the Doylist result is that Matoran now come in two categories: Special Protagonist and Ordinary: and the Ordinary is now completely swept off the stage and I really don't want that: I want the story to include a real focus on some powerless, ordinary individuals.

So I'd rather it be that ANYONE can turn into a Toa: they don't, maybe, because the circumstances lead there, but every Matoran has that potential. Because if anyone COULD be a hero, then at least when they do become a hero, it's more ordinary.

But I'd still rather that none of them could--but I'm not sure that is a concept you could return to without retconning Gen-1 so far that you end up with Gen-2. And I don't think I want THAT either.

#Bionicle #Toa #Matoran #conundrums without conclusions

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starrysnowdrop · 10 months

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Reintroducing…

Kore Gharl AKA: Persie! 🥀

So, for those that have been around forever, like 3-4 years ago, you might remember her! Though Yume was my first WoL OC, my second was a Xaela woman Kore, but I lovingly called her Persie. She was originally of the Mol tribe, and she had pink hair and pink eyes. But since @meepsthemiqo asked about her lore the other day, I got brainworms and decided to recreate her and change up her looks and her lore a bit. So, here we go!

First, I changed her tribe to the Gharl tribe, as I thought it was fitting for her symbolism of being connected with the earth. Here’s the wiki entry for the Gharl, with a screenshot of the Gharl tribe from the cutscene of the Naadam:

Before each migration, the Gharl will fill a sacred urn with the soil of the place they just camped. This soil is then dumped upon arriving at the next location. This tradition has been carried out for thousands of years, leading people to believe that most the steppe is now all of one soil.

When the Tsagaan Sar ends, the Steppe holds a Naadam to decide who will be the new Khagan. The location of the dispute is revealed only at sunrise when the Gharl has scattered the soil.

Anyways, the next thing I decided to change was her looks, which I ultimately didn’t change much, outside of her hair and eyes. This is because she originally had pink hair almost identical in shade to Hali, but since I love Hali too damn much, and she is my only OC that I want to have pink hair, Persie had to get a makeover. I do think the brown hair and grassy green eyes are very earthy and suit her well.

Oh, and in case you’re noticing her name and nickname, yes, her Unsundered self is Persephone, and I had shipped her with Emet. I know I know, not the most original idea ever, but I tried to be a bit unique with her backstory.

Here’s a bit of her backstory, though I’m now reworking it so this is just a very short snippet: Kore was born to Arik and Zaya of the Gharl Tribe, and was their only child. Her mother died in childbirth and was raised solely by her father until he tragically passed away during a battle with a neighboring tribe, trying to protect her and the other children of the tribe. Due to the tragic loss of both of her parents at such a young age, she wanted to become a healer, and to save as many lives as she could. Kore is not a Warrior of Light like Hali is, but she does join the Scions in the course of the events of Stormblood. Her canon job is a hybrid job that I’m calling Shaman, and it’s a mixture of White Mage and Geomancer, with perhaps some other magic thrown in. I haven’t thought that through yet.

Oh and though we may all be hyped for Fanfest right now, feel free to send me asks about her if you’d like! She is also a new alt in game, which you can find her as Persephone Kore on Seraph (Dynamis, NA)! Thank you all so much for your interest in her! I might work on her more if I get more inspiration to.

#ffxiv oc #ffxiv original character #female au ra #female xaela #kore ‘persie’ gharl #she needs an OC tag

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mimble-sparklepudding · 10 months

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FFXIV Swap Poem Thingy

I had the honour of being matched with the very marvellous @paintedscales for the FFXIV Swap. I really enjoyed learning about Nomin and her backstory and it's given me the opportunity to do a lot of background reading on Xaela lore and the history of the Azim Steppe. Definitely worth reading Nomin's Carrd if you want more detail on the events described below.

However I was a bit worried that a poem might not be as exciting as some of the beautiful artwork created by others for this project, so I took the liberty of commissioning a custom character banner for Nomin as a little extra.

Anyway Poetry Time (mostly under the cut as it's quite long).

The Nameless Child.

The nameless child, left by design,

Bound tight with rope to sacred pine,

As tribal customs did dictate,

But was resolved to change her fate,

And once she had her bonds untwined,

She chose to leave her tribe behind,

From that day forth, without regret,

She was no longer a Tumet.

Having swiftly named herself,

Quietly and with practiced stealth,

She made her way across the plains,

To the lone town the Steppe contains,

Where, seeing one so young exiled,

They grudgingly took in the child,

Gave her food and clothes withal,

And raised her as a young Saghal.

The traditions of this peaceful tribe,

Among many other things proscribe,

The killing or the subjugation,

Of beasts with whom they share creation,

And thus, bitter irony indeed,

The adherents of this gentle creed,

Were enslaved, or left for dead,

Their lives destroyed by the Jhungid.

Having beheld her brother slain,

She had to work quite hard to feign,

Any form of acquiescence,

As she grew through her adolescence,

Under the watchful, callous, eyes,

Of custodians who she despised,

So she knew exactly what to do,

When battle dawned with the Kharlu.

As each tribe faced the other’s host,

In battle for the Eastern coast,

She drew the arrow in her bow -

And turned her back upon the foe,

Without pause, without remorse,

She shot her leader from his horse,

Before riding back to burn their yurts,

Administering their just deserts.

Having freed her former tribe,

She knew that she must circumscribe,

Her kinship with them all thenceforth,

To keep them safe, so journeyed North,

And West across the Steppe alone,

In search of tribes as yet unknown,

And, from spending time with each,

She’d learn all that they had to teach.

Whether across a glacier,

Travelling with the Angura,

Or racing upon an Oroq Sled,

She absorbs all that they’ve done and said,

And be it Himaa, Gharl or Mol,

Each colour's blended in her soul,

And every one that she recalls,

Is carried forth in her footfalls.

(For those that are interested in such things I opted for rhyming couplets as the nearest form I could find to traditional Mongolian Epic Poetry (known as tuuli). There are six variations of narrative in these epics, and (extremely loosely) I opted for The Mythicised Epic, where the hero fights to restore order, as the basis for Nomin's tale. The most famous version of this narrative in Mongolian Folklore is the Epic of King Gesar, but there are lots of other ones. Definitely worth learning about if you enjoy cultural history.)

Many thanks to @paintedscales for their patience in waiting for me to pull my finger out and finish this - and also for helping me with the pronunciation of the various Xaela tribes with which Nomin has been associated. Needless to say, until this assistance, I was apparently getting most of them very wrong (aside from the Mol - I could manage that one!)

I hope you enjoy my silly poem and the nice Custom Banner!

#ffxiv oc #Nomin Tal Kheeriin #ffxiv au ra #ffxiv xaela #ff14 #ffxiv writing #ffxiv banner #ffxiv wol #ffxiv #azim steppe #the nameless child #final fantasy 14 #ff14 ffxiv #final fantasy xiv

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avampyone · 8 months

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My FFXIV OC blog ☠️

Feel free to call me Ded or Pharos. Chill, non-binary (any pronouns), pan goth with a love for vampires, RPGs and horror games! I may reblog content from other fandoms I adore.

I go between content and occasionally rping or visiting RP venues in game - venue recs welcome! I'll be posting primarily gpose (mostly Hemlocke) on here but will include gpose/story snippets and writing when I have the time and energy to do so.

☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾

Hemlocke:

Former Ishgardian noble who’s come to Eorzea searching for a specific black mage cult. A workaholic - Hemlocke is usually busy with bartending or working off his debt to the Thaumaturge guild. Confident and reckless, you’ll rarely find him without a smirk on his face no matter what situation he's facing. A mysterious elezen who's easy to talk with but difficult to truly know. Unfortunately, his supernatural constitution affects his ability to wield magic effectively, and he's likely one of the worst cooks you'll ever met. Hemlocke has a pet bat named Bruce.

https://hemlockevamp.carrd.co/

☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾

Additional Alt OC Info below the cut:

Dr Arazul De'Fleur:

A renowned doctor born of the De’Fleur family of Old Sharlayan - quiet, enigmatic and calculating. Like his father, he excels in medical practice and alchemy. A run in with the Garlemald empire and surviving Black Rose changes the course of his life forever. He awakes with an odd mark over his eye, silver hair and lips stained with a purple hue proving remnants of the poison lingers, unbalancing his aether. Worst of all, he develops a ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality’. Will he ever find a way to cure himself completely?

Seiro Malkavi:

A WoL and a skilled hunter of the Dotharl clan from the Azim Steppe. His stoic demeanor hides a softer interior, unable to ignore a cry for help. He's honest, straightforward and generally warms up to others quickly. After a tragic incident involving a friend of the Mol clan and in disagreements about war, Seiro leaves his homeland to become an adventurer. The lust for battle and desire for stronger opponents consume all sense from him, and he finds the thrill of the fight in hunting monsters.

Cerys La'Sorciere:

An eccentric sorceress from the Churning Mists who wields a powerful command over the elements and plant life. She has a knowledge of herbal remedies and potions. Merciless to her enemies and seen as a trickster to many – At her core, Cerys carries an ancient secret that none would believe. Unwelcomed in Ishgard, she is the last of the long line of the La’sorciere family whom have made the mists their home for many decades. She allies herself with the Moogle tribe, dragons and the RedBills.

Amaranth Vyce:

A Dhampir priest in training from Ishgard. Trained from his youth at the orphanage, Amaranth primarily fights against the packs of the feral undead and aids Hemlocke when he can. He seems cold, vicious and detached, but he truly doesn't want to harm anyone unless he has to. One of his strengths is the strong connection to spirits and ability to see/talk to them. As a dhampir, he naturally struggles with less than priestly thoughts and hopes fervent prayer to the fury will overcome this.

☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾ ☽༺༻☾

Alts profile carrd below:

https://pharosgremlins.carrd.co/#

FFXIV NPCs:

Carvallain De Gorgagne, considering Deryk.

#hemlockeffxiv #ffxiv oc #pinned intro #ffxiv rp #my blorbos

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pensola · 3 months

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Xaela Lore Through the Fishing Log

One of the reasons Xaela is my favourite clan in XIV and Azim Steppe is my favourite zone forevermore is due to the lore presentend and how they are consistently shown and used. Not like how Seekers are given lore that is then contradicted in-game, or any other races/clans that are given lore but then it is all ignored because XIV prefers geographical culture and lore nowadays (which is fine, I just wish they would USE the lore they give rather than give arbitrary racial/clan lore that then never come up). Xaela's tribe facts are actually a thing that is used and referenced in the zone in many ways, MSQ, side-quests, FATEs and more. There are so many ways to learn more about the tribes and the zone's history, and it feels relevant. Azim Steppe was the first zone I ever completed all side-quests on, and I actually stopped the main-story-questing in order to do it because I was so curious about their place and culture.

One thing I love is how even the fish you can catch present humorous lore about the zone, and that the Azim Steppe fish lore stays consistent. Sure, it is never referenced anywhere else, but it is a charm to it. I just wanted to add in the ones I have found so far that I found related to lore and were not the general "the fish is named/looks like this because reasons" descriptions down below. A quick summary of Xaelan fish lore:

-The Xaela like fish. A lot. - Fishes are personifications and gifts from the gods, sometimes a representation of their love for the people they created. - Being reincarnated as a fish is seen as a high honour, only thing better would godhood. At least if you are a beloved animal.

Cavalry Catfish: The “cavalry” of its name arrives from the popular rumor that an esurient school of the catfish split a river-fording horse in two, devouring it from the stomach out. Horse-lovers and the weak of stomach might steer clear of this “meal that eats you back.” - Noted since there is a tribe that do love their horses, so I liked that addition.

Dotharli Gudgeon: This freshwater fish commonly found in the upper One River is also known as the Mol gudgeon, the Kahkoli gudgeon, the Dataqi gudgeon, the Horo gudgeon, and after whichever other Xaela tribe that insists their ancestors first caught the species. - Always love when the specific tribes are mentioned, if only because it is funny.

Dawn Herald: Denizen of the middle and lower rivers of Othard who loyally serves as the eyes of the Dawn Father, to hear the Xaela tell it. Dusk Herald: Looming larger than her dawn relative, the dusk herald benights the waters with silver-blue scales of twilight in devout service to Nhaama. - Just funny how the fish lore keeps reminding us how the Xaela view fishes as sacred and important to their gods.

Flamefish: The act of swallowing the sun burned a permanent orange hue in to the scales of this hungry fire-eater and brought about the first eclipse, in case there was any question concerning how that astronomical phenomenon occurred. - Again, fish are so important to the xaela. "Oh, the first eclipse in the world? No, no, that's not a bad omen, a fish did it."

Fickle Krait: Feared and reviled by the public for the role its deadly venom played in the infamous assassination of a feudal lord, the snake itself is blameless, exhibiting a passive temperament and not ordinarily given to biting. - I added this more because it is interesting that it mensions "feudal lord", something more suiting Yanxia than the steppes, yet the fish is only found in Azim Steppe's waters. Can help describe how some commoners in lower Othard would assosiate with the steppes.

Glaring Perch: Fiercely territorial from birth, the younglings seek to intimidate any and all who enter their perceived sphere of dominion, kin included; a posture that sits perfectly well with the Oronir. - Either the Oronir find the Glaring Perch's protectiveness well-working, or they identify with the fish' territorial attitude, and either way it is hillarious to think about.

Eternal Eye: Unblinking sentinel left in the wake of the Dawn Father and Dusk Mother's departure to watch over the Xaela in their absence. - Again, fish are mentioned to be the Xaelan creation gods' important servants.

Soul of the Stallion: "A rare white freshwater fish believed to harbor the soul of a once-proud steppe stallion" and "According to the existential hierarchy of Xaela reincarnation, fishliness is next to godliness. Horses who serve their masters well in life ascend to the waters afterward, with the most noble of destriers reborn in pristine scales of white." - This, I find, is the most important one. We know at least Dotharl and one other tribe believe in reincarnation fiercely, it would not be farfetched to assume it is what many or most Xaelan tribes believe. We do not know if this is a hierarchy for animals specifically, since they only mention horses, but still, it is written in canon that Xaela believe the only lifeform greater than fish is deity, and that is amazing.

Nhaama's Boon: A fish held in the highest esteem by desert denizens, who deem it a gift from the Dusk Mother herself. It's edible, but far from transcendent. Nhaama's Treasure: "A queen among Nhaama's boons, and lady of the waters of Dotharl Khaa." and "Believed by many of the Azim Steppe's Xaela tribes to be a gift from the Dusk Mother herself, this large wavekin is oft presented as a reward in contests of mettle held during sacred festivals." - If I ever make that fanfic where there is a big festival after the nadaam, I will absolutely include tribes gifting the Mol and my Warrior of Light this fish. My WoL is Miqo'te so she might wonder if it is an insult until it is clarified for her.

The Unconditional: "Not so much a lord as a god of Dotharl Khaa, this particular specimen is thought to be a blessing sent by the Dusk Mother and Dawn Father themselves. As such, this catch might be best left unboasted of." and "Possessed of both a dorsal fin not unlike a crescent moon, and a tail fin not unlike the rising sun, this distinctive wavekin is believed by nomads of the Azim Steppe to be the corporeal manifestation of the Dusk Mother and Dawn Father's love for their children on Hydaelyn." - I just. I just love how the fish are represented so often to be gifts from the gods to the xaela, and that they are considered reincarnations to strive for right next to godhood, and here it is explicitly said that it is quite rude, even insulting, to catch certain fish, this in particular.

Zagas Khaal: "A freshwater fish extremely common to many of the One River's northern tributaries. Its name literally translates to "river fish."" and "Ask a nomad of the Azim Steppe to blurt out the first fish that comes to mind, and without fail you will hear the name of this pervasive species, followed by an awkward silence." - I guess the joke is that they ask someone from a place with basically only a few rivers what the fish they think of is, and they just say "fish from the river".

Steppe Skipper: This fish's aerodynamic green fins allow it to jump to conclusions rather than go through the motions. The Auri Xaela, who know a thing or two about shortcuts, regard the steppe skipper as a portent of good things to come. Dry Steppe Skipper: Unlike its purportedly “lucky” brethren, encountering this withering-grass-colored variety of steppe skipper is regarded as an omen of ill fortune among nomads. Dry humor is often lost on the superstitious. Blade Skipper: Several of the Azim Steppe's nomadic tribes believe this blood skipper, native to the One River, leapt from the depths of its Yanxian home and rode the thick blades of lush Steppe grass all the way north and east to the Upper Yat Khaal where it now dwells. Garden Skipper: Some of the Othard's nomadic tribes view this large green skipper as an ill omen that their journey is about to end, and have been known to go as far as abandoning their fishing rods to the river rather than risk reeling one in. - Can we take a moment to appreciate how most of the skippers are used to determine someone's luck and fortune?

Dawn Crayfish: Devoted disciple of the Dawn Father who battles his sworn enemy for control of the Azim Steppe, and rises as his rival sets. Dusk Crayfish: Devoted disciple of the Dusk Mother who battles her sworn enemy for control of the Azim Steppe, and waxes as her nemesis wanes. - Who else are loving the amount of duelling sealife in Azim Steppe? I certainly am not!

Bowfish: Xaela archers often present offerings of this high-strung arciform fish to their gods before venturing forth on the hunt.

Tao Bitterling: Though the breed is generally deemed unfit for consumption, the Mol nevertheless persist in fishing for them per the bidding of their holy men; a case of faith operating contrary to nature's plan. The Word of God: "A king among Tao bitterlings, and lord of the waters of Tao Khaal." and "The Mol believe they are made to endure divine trials that they must overcome to prove their worth. Catching a blessed Tao bitterling was one of these trials. Seeing as they did not catch it, their god will now punish them." - I always like whenever lorebits remind us that the Mol are considered weirdos by the other tribes for how much to the letter they follow their holy men and old gods.

Sun Bass: Azim in the sky is said to partake of this fish fit for a god, though you'll want to think twice before partaking yourself, as the parasites that riddle its body have proven potentially fatal to less-than-divine diners.

Sweatfish: The arduous sister of the Seraphim shines the glorious sunlit streaks of her Dawn Father against the ominous night sky of her Dusk Mother, and is said to be birthed from the very beads off their battle-wet brows.

Duskfish: "A khan among hardscales, and lord of the waters of Azim Khaat." and "Xaela legend has that this massive wavekin was born from a scale shed by the Dawn Father. Scholars insist it has simply had the good fortune not to be eaten."

Nhaama's Claw: A bivalve mollusk thought to resemble a claw of the Mother of the Dusk.

River Clam: One man's dross is another man's dinner with these clams, and while the Xaela may turn their nose up in the steppes, the Yanxians are more than happy to chow down by the river. - They are not fish, so I guess the Xaela simply don't care about clams that much, haha.

#final fantasy XIV #au ra #xaela #xaela lore #au ra lore #azim steppe #why can't other races/clans get this amount of lore?#I tried to look for lore for the M-tribe and got nothing

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snotsloth · 1 month

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Orion D'Oschon

— B A S I C S

Name: Orion D'Oschon

Nicknames: Rion (mostly G'raha), Legs or Specs (mostly Kendra)

Age: 30ish

Nameday: 19th Sun of the 5th Astral Moon

Race: Xaela

Gender: Cis Male

Orientation: Bisexual

Profession: Warrior of Light, Aetherologist, part-time Historian, Botanist

— P H Y S I C A L A S P E C T S

Hair: Burnt Umber (Very dark reddish brown), kept short except for a section of braids along his right temple. Orion's hair is very thick and dense, giving a matte or velvet effect in the light.

Eyes: Amber with golden limbal rings

Skin: Umber (a bit lighter than his hair but in the same color family)

Tattoos/scars: He's got a pretty big scar running down his left leg from the fight with Zenos in Rhalger's Reach, small surgical scars around his knees from where he had to have reconstructive work done after Endwalker, and a small Mol clan tattoo on his inner wrist.

— F A M I L Y

Parents: Dolgoon Qestir (father) and Odsetseg Mol (mother). Both are alive and well and living in Ul'Dah. They also use the D'OSchon surname in Eorzea.

Siblings: None.

Grandparents: Temulun Mol

In-laws and Other: Cousin - Cirina Mol. Various other cousins, aunts, and uncles within the Mol tribe. No In-laws, Kendra doesn't have any living family.

Pets: Birdlegs (chocobo), Lily (Eos, she's not a pet, but she's important and I wanted to list her), Walpole (a very bitchy Carbuncle).

— S K I L L S

Abilities: SCH main (Scholar questline is canon for him), aetherology (he started his work with the Scions as Y'shtola's personal assistant), experienced and competent field medic, unique echo manifestation gives him the ability to see the flow of aether around him in a synesthesia-like effect.

Hobbies: Reading, astrology (learned from his mom), botany and gardening, botanical drawing, alchemy, helping Kendra in the kitchen, knitting, letter writing.

— T R A I T S

Most Positive Trait: Orion has an inquisitive mind. His desire, not only to know but to fully understand phenomena has led him to several ground-breaking discoveries. And he does not hoard knowledge. He'll enthusiastically share his findings with anyone who cares to listen. He is also just as inquisitive and keen to understand in social situations, making him an empathetic and open-minded person in general.

Most Negative Trait: Orion has a deep-seated distrust of governments and other institutions of traditional authority. This is not without reason, or even some merit, but it can make him difficult to work with when it comes to large-scale endeavors. His words or actions have nearly cost the Scions a deal more than once.

— L I K E S

Colors: Blue, especially woad, ink, and rhotano blue / Green / White / Warm browns / Metalics, especially gold.

Smells: Sandalwood, cedar, oolong tea, jasmine (reminds him of Kendra's perfume), libraries and well-preserved old paper, and morning fog in the Dravanian highlands.

Textures: The downy fur of Kendra's ears / yarn spun from the karakul of the Azim Steppe / well-loved leather-bound books / smooth, expertly-blown alchemical glassware.

Drinks: Tea, especially oolong or pu-erh. If Orion does not have access to actual pu-erh, he will make an equivalent with the darkest Sharlayan-style tea blend he can find, a custom blend of additives he will not divulge, and karakul milk. Just tasting it once put Urianger in a sickbed for two days. / Botanical spirits such as gin and aperitifs. He's even made a few himself.

— O T H E R D E T A I L S

Smokes: Medicinally smokes whatever variety of moko grass gets you stoned. He will also occasionally smoke tobacco socially, especially cigars.

Drinks: An adventurous but moderate drinker. He'll try anything at least once. He can occasionally be cajoled into heavier indulgence but that's abated as he's gotten older.

Drugs: There have been a few controlled "experiments" over the years.

Mount Issuance: Birdlegs is his primary mount that travels with him almost everywhere. The dusky, gigantic chocobo has become a bit of a legend in her own right. However, he does also technically have a yol as well, but has entrusted Cirina with his care because there's just not enough room on any of his properties for a bird of that size.

Been Arrested: For a mild-mannered professor type, Orion has been arrested so many times.

Tagged by:@ardberts🤍 tyyyy! Tagging: @physicalvocalist@sarenraegalpaladin@janzoo@airis-ray@ae-fond-seeker@captainqster@koijikido@adina--astra@iron-sparrow Sorry if you've already done this or been tagged before! I tried to pick mutuals I hadn't seen this from yet.

#ffxiv #final fantasy xiv #orion d'oschon #wol #ffxiv wol #character profile #oc asks sort of

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morocosmos · 3 months

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#loveintheair Day 3 - Chocolate

Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV Characters/Relationships: Sadu Dotharl/Cirina Mol Warnings: None Prompt List and Event by millymischief Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 No gpose today because i'm currently not at home! i'm celebrating the lunar new year so the next few prompts might be delayed, oop.

Sadu sat amongst the furs in her tent, carefully drying her staff as she cursed the endless cold. The ironmen’s homeland made the desert chill of the Steppe seem like a comforting breeze, and her usual remedy of casting a small spell of fire was not sufficient to shield her from the wind’s vicious bite.

She was, to put it shortly, miserable. She could never let it show, of course; especially not in front of that Oronir oaf. She would rise to the khagan’s challenge with no complaints; had the promise of glorious battle not been enough to persuade her to come?

When Cirina appeared through the flap of their shared tent, balancing a pair of metal cups in her hands as she shuffled into the small space, Sadu’s gaze slid over to her, softening by an ilm. Her lover’s cheeks were pink with cold. Steam wafted from the cups in droves, but it was the smell that captured her attention; it was rich, and entirely foreign to her nose. “What is that? Medicine?” she asked, curiosity beckoning her to set aside her staff, and her bad mood, for the time being.

“I was told it is called…‘hot chocolate’,” Cirina replied slowly, the foreign word uncertain on her tongue as she set the cups down. “A soldier found frozen milk in one of the houses, and that young Ishgardian man with hair the colour of karakul horns — Emanalin, I think? — immediately seized the boon. He wished to share this with the rest of the contingent.”

“How magnanimous.” Sadu let sarcasm sink into her voice; surely such a gesture was aimed at currying favour with the myriad tribes under the Ilsabard Contingent. But a small smile graced Cirina’s lips, and Sadu couldn’t resist reaching out to touch the Mol’s cheek, delighting as the rosy hue of her cheeks deepened. Being away from the rest of the Dotharl carried with it certain privileges, after all. “But come, let us partake of these gifts before the cold steals away their warmth.”

Lifting the cup to her lips, Sadu took a sip and was taken aback as the liquid hit her tongue. It was thicker than kumis, yet sweeter than candyfruit, a luscious flavour that tingled in her mouth even after she’d swallowed. She heard a small sound of surprise as Cirina drank from her own cup, no doubt just as surprised as she was.

“This is…delicious!” Cirina exclaimed. “Is it not, Sadu?” Her face glowed like the full moon as she beamed, and Sadu’s breath caught in her throat. She truly was beautiful…and she had chocolate on her face. Mirth bubbled through her chest and Sadu snorted, unable to allay Cirina’s concern as she clutched her belly and laughed.

“Sadu?!” The squeak in her voice only made the Dorthali woman laugh harder, loud enough to wake anyone in their immediate vicinity. Oh, hot chocolate or no, she was already feeling much better! She cackled like a gleeful gedan until she had her fill.

Wiping a tear from her eye, Sadu leaned in to kiss Cirina, and she savoured sweetness twicefold.

#kae scribbles #loveintheair xiv 2024 #sadu dotharl #cirina mol #my beloveds.....#also i think the link formatting is broken at least on mobile rn #use the 1st or 2nd tag if you'd like to read the rest for now gomenesorry

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eemamminy-art · 10 months

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20. a third person pointing out how beautiful they're and suddenly you're seeing them in a different light (shalalallalaaa)

For Sadu and Cirina? Or if you're not comfy with the lizzers, then Fordolyse! - @littlelordalphinaud

a third person pointing out how beautiful they're and suddenly you're seeing them in a different light

Set at an undetermined time post-stormblood but it doesn't really reference anything outside of 4.0. Featuring Lyse being a bumbling wingwoman haha

"Oh, shit. I'm in love with you??" writing prompts

"Thank you for inviting me," Lyse said awkwardly, and a bit too loudly, though the xaela woman sat across from her merely gave her a puzzled look and a shrug.

"As companion of the khagan you will always be welcome on the Steppe, so long as she is our khagan at least," Sadu said matter of factly, stretching out her limbs and popping her knuckles. "It was not I who invited you, but I'll take full advantage of the opportunity to spar with you!"

"I had hoped you'd say that!" Lyse grinned, standing up from her seat and beginning to stretch out her muscles.

The two women stepped away from their seats, a few yalms away so as to not disturb the others around them. Not that a sparring match was ever a bad sort of disruption on the Azim Steppe.

Lyse bounced in place as she stretched out her limbs further, standing a few fulms away from Sadu whose fingers began to crackle with aether. The two locked eyes, and silently they knew to begin.

Rushing toward one another, Lyse reared her fist back and slid on the grass as she sent her arm hurtling forward. Her punch was met by a wall of ice, Sadu laughing maniacally on the other side of the magical barrier.

A few rapid punches caused the ice to crack and eventually shatter, although Sadu was seemingly nowhere to be seen when Lyse finally broke through to the other side.

She could detect a hint of aether in the air, but Lyse was never much for magical things and couldn't exactly place where Sadu had gone off to. A thought crossed her mind, in hopes to draw out the powerful mage.

"You know," Lyse called out, a mischievous smirk creeping across her sun-kissed features, "It's funny you say that you weren't the one to invite me! You should have seen all that Cirina wrote about you in her letters! I'd have sworn you two were close from how she tells it!"

The spell Sadu had been holding to conceal her position faltered, and she stumbled a few fulms away from Lyse.

"She wrote about me?" Sadu echoed, "And just what was in those letters!?"

Lyse grinned, taking the opportunity to rush toward Sadu again. This time she managed to connect, knocking her to the ground and tumbling before landing on top of her, pinning Sadu's arms down.

"That was a dirty trick, Hext," Sadu hissed, lightning crackling from her fingertips as she stared up at Lyse with wild eyes.

"It wasn't a trick!" Lyse insisted, leaning back to let go of Sadu's arms. Her body still pinned down the auri woman as she sat atop her, now holding up her arms as if to surrender.

"She wrote a lot about you, about time she's spent with you since the Mol won the Naadam, about your passion and spirit! I think she wants to get to know you better but she's not sure how," Lyse explained, smiling softly as she glanced back at camp.

Cirina sat around a fire with other au ra from various other tribes, eyes fixed upon the match unfolding between Sadu and Lyse. Even from so far away, Sadu could hear her laughing and see her bright smile. She felt her cheeks growing hot until she noticed some onlookers snickering at the apparent sight of a Dotharli warror having been defeated by an outsider.

With a growl and a roar Sadu sprung up and overtook Lyse, grappling her in a headlock and messing up her hair as she laughed triumphantly.

"Alright, alright!" Lyse conceded, "You know I just mentioned it to help you! I have a little experience myself with wild warrior women— well, at least one of them!"

"Rrrr, must you keep talking?!"

There were cheers and applause, Sadu raising her head to meet Cirina's gaze in the distance. She smiled and tilted her head as she clapped, and for perhaps the first time in her life Sadu felt fear. She only could wonder how she hadn't noticed how Cirina looked at her until now.

Sadu's head snapped back to face Lyse, cheeks burning behind her messy white locks. "You might well be right... But do not think I will suffer to hear another word of it!"

Pulling herself up, Sadu stomped off. Lyse could only giggle in the grass, holding her sides and reveling in the hand she had hoped she'd played in matchmaking the auri women.

Grass rustled beside her and suddenly Cirina was standing over her, extending out a petite hand to help Lyse up.

"Are you alright, Lyse?" she asked with worry.

"Better than ever! And you can thank me later!"

#ask meme answers #'I'm in love with you' writing meme #saduciri #sadu dotharl #cirina mol #lyse hext #mentioned fordolyse because duh!!! of course #my writing #f/f ship

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redwayfarers · 2 months

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so i made a thing i refuse to edit but here's a stupid little nika and magnai thing that's been in my head all fucking day. with a side of nika + artoirel bc they're THE otp

After the Naadam, Magnai was obviously displeased. The Oronir tribe should’ve won, without any doubt, and the little Mol were supposed to stay just that, little. Yet they’d managed to gather allies - outsiders even - and thus, until the next Naadam, the mighty Oronir are dethroned, and the Mol are just slightly bigger than they normally are. Even in his displeasure, though, he has to admit that he finds the outsiders interesting. There’s a Doman, Hien, and his samurai friend. There are also hyur - a man and a woman. The woman Magnai cares little about, but the man catches his attention the moment the Oronir warriors bring them before him. There’s something in his eyes, Magnai thinks. They are of different colors, but that’s the least interesting thing about them. They’re hard, they offer a challenge; when Magnai speaks, they follow the man’s words with equal defiance. He introduces himself as Nika, in a voice that still rings of boyhood, even if his body is that of a man. Magnai later learns he also sings. But before he heard his ballads and tales, he heard his bow sing in the Naadam, and that’s what stayed with him. Nevermind that he heard Nika actually sing later, in the celebrations of the Mol’s victory, and that there was so much joy in it that it almost made Magnai forget his pride was wounded. This man is no ordinary outsider, Magnai decides. Not only is he a khagan, but also a bowman that rivals the Oronir, and he sings songs that can make stars weep. Too bad that when their eyes meet, Nika still looks as defiant as he did back before the Naadam even took place. Even worse, Magnai likes it that way.

“Care to burn that dinner off, Magnai?” Nika asks. The sun is setting behind the Dawn throne, making his black hair stand out against the warm sea of rays behind him. It paints his skin with light, or maybe that’s the brilliant flash of teeth he gives Magnai as he stretches his neck. “Been sitting for a long fucking time. Isn’t it time for your twentieth daily wrestling or something?” “That is a form of exercise, khagan,” Magnai responds, voice on edge. He takes another hard bite of meat and chews loudly. “One needs food to do it.” “I think I know a guy who’d stare at you dead in the face for chewing like that,” Nika grimaces. Then his face changes. “I would like to see him stare you down, though. Just to see who wins. Unstoppable force against an immovable object.” Magnai frowns. “Who is this man? Are you challenging me on his behalf?” Nika stares. Then he bursts out laughing, like Magnai just told the funniest joke on the Steppe. Women don’t laugh at him like that, only his warrior brothers and apparently, the outsider khagan. “He has zero idea you exist at all, Magnai.” “Take me to him! We take the yol and fly to wherever he is!” Magnai drops his plate on the ground and raises his chin. Nika’s face contorts as if he’s trying so hard to not laugh still, and then the mask breaks and he wheezes out even more laughter. “I am not taking you to Ishgard,” Nika says in between laughs, but Magnai has no idea where Ishgard is, nor who this mysterious man may be, he only knows he doesn’t like being laughed at, and here is Nika, near crying from how hard he’s laughing. His scar scrunches around his forehead as he wipes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Artoirel would end me on sight. I care about a few people’s opinions, and his is one of them, so no, you’re not going to Ishgard, yol or no yol.” Magnai stands up. “You are in the Steppe–” “And you’re the big bad Oronir leader guy. Brother of the Sun, was it? I respect that. You can make me break a sweat. But!” Nika raises a finger and lifts a brow. “Until the next Naadam, you’re not khagan. If that frustrates you, we can fight it out. But no Ishgard! Khagan’s orders, or whatever.” He holds Magnai’s stare. Magnai has to admit to himself he likes that, too.

Magnai’s vindicated heart soars when he has Nika in his room, pressed against the wall with little room to move, let alone escape. The indignancy on his face, expressive as ever, makes Magnai laugh, tall and powerful over him. “What now, khagan?” Magnai asks, his delight obvious. Nika claws at his skin and attempts to kick him in the shins. His hair’s in disarray, his clothes too. All of this delights Magnai to a degree he hasn’t felt in a long, long while. “Don’t lord over me, you asshole,” Nika bites out. His breath comes out faster. “What now, khagan?” Magnai repeats. Nika pulls him by the horns. “This is what, you giant lizard,” he says roughly and kisses him hard.

“We can count on you in Doma, then?” It’s the last night before Nika and the outsiders leave, with a promise of the Xaela and their yol in the upcoming battle, and it’s also the last night Magnai has to look at the uninterrupted expanse of Nika’s skin. He’ll miss it; he’ll miss its touch, he’ll miss the silky black hair, but above all, he will miss Nika’s defiant, mismatched eyes. “Yes. Nothing threatens the Steppe.” Magnai leans on his elbow. “Good to know. Garleans are shit for everyone.” Nika settles on the bed. “What?” “You are leaving tomorrow. I’d like to look at you.” “No khagans this time around?” “By the time you come to the Steppe next, you will not be one.” Magnai smiles. “You are not my Nhaama, but this was pleasant.” “I lack tits to be your Nhaama, for one. Number two, even if I had them, I’d still not be the woman you want.” Nika turns to the side and grabs the covers. Small firelight illuminates the scar on his hand. “You don’t need tits to be a woman, but you know what I meant. As a final word of advice on that, women like it when you’re not an acerbic and prideful fuck.” He laughs, but it’s a shaky sound. “Take it from me. Otherwise, this was pleasant for me too.” Magnai laughs. “I’ll see you on the field of battle, Nika. Together, Nhaama or not, we will bring the Garlean empire to its knees. Nothing defeats the yol of the Xaela.” Nika raises a hand. “Don’t have a drink with me, but here’s to seeing Garleans fall once and for all. And to you finding that damn Nhaama.” He then smiles, and it’s a soft, gentle thing. “I think I already found mine.” In the morning, as Nika is flying off to save Doma, Magnai watches him go. He will really, really miss Nika’s eyes.

#nero plays ffxiv #ffxiv #inspo birb has come to town #nika perseis #magnai oronir #stormblood spoilers #not my best work but it's fine

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lutethebodies · 20 days

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LTB Tav Tuesdays: Zafraia Zital, the Banished Bandit

My second Tav is, canonically, the accidental nemesis of my first. Her name is a loose/googly translation of the Basque "azafraia zital" or "vile saffron," a hat-tip to Malcolm Reynolds' nemesis from "Firefly." Her nickname "Zaf" is also an acronym for "zen as fuck", which is how she coolly goes through life and conducts her smuggly-swashbuckly business. It's also another hat-tip, this time to a favorite phrase my one-time IRL business partner used often. Zaf's quickie bio reads like a mashup of Mol, Nine-Fingers Keene, and Captain Grisly—though I swear I came up with it on my own years before I heard of BG3. Regardless it goes like this (again with my homebrew place-names):

"Zafraia is a cynical and calculating criminal smuggler with a suppressed thrill-seeking streak. Born 29 years ago in the Naransi city of Enancia to poor immigrants from further south, she grew up a streetwise urchin on the deadly docksides of Blackwharf. Zaf sharpened her senses to survive, soon leading a gang of semi-feral adolescents who stole and fenced anything valuable, doing that so effectively that adult criminals and authorities teamed up to stop them. As her comrades and relatives were arrested or killed one by one, Zaf stole a smuggler's skiff and escaped north to Caranacia. There she balanced smuggling with intrigue, joining the Equiposium for lucrative and dangerous espionage work."

"Zaf evaded laws, gangs, and guilds by liaising with powerful nobles, but after one such affair with a lord's daughter exploded in a public duel against a fellow Equiposian, she was banished from the City of Fortune. Going straight to lie low, Zaf became a freelance navigator in Orangeport, striking deals with local merchants as an envoy to all points East: towns, tribes, and trading posts along the arid Marakeen shore. Zaf has made three voyages in six years (sponsored by a former paramour), but lack of supplies kept her from going far. She’s recruiting a new crew for her fourth and latest voyage as captain of the ship Leverage, seeking great riches beyond the southeastern horizon, dangers be damned."

I first played Zaf in 5e as a swashbuckler rogue for an 8th-level one-shot (that became a four-shot) in 2020 for my brother's homebrew world, and then brought her to Faerun in 2023 for a 3rd-level heist via "Keys from the Golden Vault." In my own homebrew campaign, she's a potential rival or ally in an as-yet unplayed setting—but placing her there was wildly inspiring for many, many chapters of worldbuilding [sidenote: "Worldbuilding Wednesdays" will be a thing here; check back tomorrow!].

In BG3, I played her solo run as a Thief, always in muddy-red-dyed gear. Hers was my second run (and first "neutral/evil" run after Cannor's "neutral/good" run) littered with selfish actions and regrettable mistakes (staking vampires, abandoning wizards, beheading tieflings, sacrificing warlocks, humiliating paladins, and seducing cambions). To her, love is a trap for suckers and sex is a useful tool. She toyed with her companions' feelings but committed to none of them, and sneered at Withers when he tried to mock her for it. She relished toppling the Zhents, intimidating the Guild, and outwitting both Chosen to rule the Gate from the shadows.

A much less ruthless Zaf was one of Cannor's hirelings in his 4th run, and is in my current multiplayer run, where she's romancing Karlach after being rejected by Astarion, but she's always been sort of the anti-Cannor—saying and doing what he won't—and I love her for that.

#ltb tav tuesdays #bg3 #bg3 oc #bg3 ocs #zafraia the bandit #bg3 rogue #bg3 tav #my ocs #my bg3 #my bg3 character #my bg3 ocs #tav tuesday

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