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New to FFXIV-- Looking for character feedback! - Printable Version

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New to FFXIV-- Looking for character feedback! - Kunatii - 05-12-2016

I'm extremely new to the game but would like to start RPing very soon. I have an idea for a character concept and I just wanted some feedback on its plausibility/acceptability. Also, I have only just started catching up on all the lore, so please correct me if I have made a mistake. I'm always looking to improve and learn more!

Warning: This is long, so I have included a TLDR (a summary) at the end.

So my concept starts with an Ishgardian couple from a lesser noble house, they are married young and have two children together. The eldest child is taken by sickness after 5 years which causes both parents to have a crisis. My character, the husband in this history, becomes obsessed with paying Halone tribute-- somehow thinking that his child was taken from them due to lack of "proper" worship. Because he is so consumed with his own suffering and loss, he fails to realize his wife constantly reaching out to him, trying to ask for support, and comfort. He repetitively denies her, and their younger child, affection and attention; as he is completely consumed by thoughts of helplessness, weakness and just overall loss. He pours every bit of himself into the work he does, thinking that somehow honouring Halone will restore what was lost to them.

As time progresses the two (husband and wife) lose any connection they once had with each other, and the wife's mental state deteriorates. She is no longer able to care for their youngest child. Realizing this, he begins to blame her and resent her-- accusing her of not being "strong enough". Fearful that her husband was going to take her child from her-- the last remaining support she had left, and the only 'thing' that she thought defined who she was in the world anymore-- she ran. 

When my character learns of this he tracks them down, considering his wife to be completely insane at this point. He verbally berates his wife, one insult after another. Realizing that the only way she can be happy and with her child, the love of her life, the wife casts both herself and her child over the city walls. A fall that would kill both. 

Short version of what happens next: My character tells everyone it was an accident, she fell, and refuses to come to terms with reality. Which includes his own faults, his wife's sickness, and how everything ended. With nothing left in life he commits himself fully to becoming a Dragoon and hopes to meet his end in battle. That day comes and he faces death but becomes so consumed by fear that he runs-- he abandons his post, his duty, his city, everything because he becomes consumed by fear. He just runs.

So, obviously now he has removed his dragoon armour and brands himself a coward. He travels one place to place and wears many disguises, as if it would help him be a better man. 


TLDR: Marries young, loses first child after 5 years. Becomes consumed with grief and helplessness. Devouts everything he is to Halone, thinking it will fix everything. Ignores his wife, denies her and their younger child affection and attention. Wife is struggling with grief as well but has no outlet. They lose their connection after some time, wifes mental state has deteriorated. He believes she can no longer care for their youngest child. Scared shes going to lose her only child and meaning for living she runs away. Husband (my character) confronts her and verbally abuses her for running away. Convinced she is going to lose her child, she picks them up and hurls herself and the child over the city walls. The fall kills them both. Husband can't face reality, becomes a Dragoon to die in battle. Actually gets the chance to die in battle and ends up deserting. Leaves everything behind and realizes he is a coward. Travels from place to place, wears disguises, thinking it will help him be a better man.

So for the technical stuff.. Right now the character I'm leveling is an Duskwight Elezan, I haven't actually seen Ishgard yet as I haven't gotten into the expansion content, so would this race be okay for this background?

Also I'm planing on giving him an age in the ballpark of 35 or so. 

Please, comments and critique-- also, thank you!

RE: New to FFXIV-- Looking for character feedback! - ExAtomos - 05-12-2016

YEEK!

It's a great idea for a backstory, I think. Very plausible. Very shivers inducing. (It brought to mind the baby-over-the-walls story from Greek tragedies.)

Besides the Halone devotee / death wish thing, what goals does your character have? Reason for progressing? That kind of thing.

RE: New to FFXIV-- Looking for character feedback! - Sounsyy - 05-12-2016

(05-12-2016, 11:06 AM)Kunatii Wrote: I'm extremely new to the game but would like to start RPing very soon. I have an idea for a character concept and I just wanted some feedback on its plausibility/acceptability. Also, I have only just started catching up on all the lore, so please correct me if I have made a mistake. I'm always looking to improve and learn more!

This backstory looks really good! There's nothing I saw outside the lore. Duskwight Elezen do exist in Ishgard and do make up a portion of one of the Four High Noble Houses. As I said, everything looks pretty great storywise and I'd be interested in RPing sometime.

I'm just going to leave some links to lore you might find helpful. Lemme know if you have more questions!


-Racial Lore Compilation (there's an Elezen and Duskwight section)
-Ishgardian Lore Compilation
-Azure Dragoon & Order of the Knights Dragoon Lore
-Timeline of Eorzean Settlements (helpful for older characters to know what did/didn't exist back in the day)

Hope this helps! ^^

RE: New to FFXIV-- Looking for character feedback! - Kunatii - 05-12-2016

(05-12-2016, 11:30 AM)ExAtomos Wrote: YEEK!

It's a great idea for a backstory, I think. Very plausible. Very shivers inducing. (It brought to mind the baby-over-the-walls story from Greek tragedies.)

Besides the Halone devotee / death wish thing, what goals does your character have? Reason for progressing? That kind of thing.


Thank you!

I was thinking he would actually turn away from Halone since he deserted. Not for a lack of faith or anything, but for feeling like he isn't worthy. Also since his brush with death he would be extremely terrified of dying, after almost experiencing it. So his reason for continuing on in life would be based on his own self interest-- He's too afraid to die but can't live with who he is. So he wants to become someone else, he wants to pretend to be a better man until maybe he can actually become one. 

At the same time as all of that, he can't really stop either, I mean he deserted his duty and city, I gotta bet there is some type of punishment for that. So if doesn't want to die, doesn't want to be imprisoned, then the only thing he can do is run under fake names and identities. To him, he doesn't have the option of ever going back, essentially, his old life is dead. So he's got to make it all work, somehow.

RE: New to FFXIV-- Looking for character feedback! - Kunatii - 05-12-2016

(05-12-2016, 11:39 AM)Sounsyy Wrote:
(05-12-2016, 11:06 AM)Kunatii Wrote: I'm extremely new to the game but would like to start RPing very soon. I have an idea for a character concept and I just wanted some feedback on its plausibility/acceptability. Also, I have only just started catching up on all the lore, so please correct me if I have made a mistake. I'm always looking to improve and learn more!

This backstory looks really good!  There's nothing I saw outside the lore. Duskwight Elezen do exist in Ishgard and do make up a portion of one of the Four High Noble Houses. As I said, everything looks pretty great storywise and I'd be interested in RPing sometime.

I'm just going to leave some links to lore you might find helpful.  Lemme know if you have more questions!


-Racial Lore Compilation (there's an Elezen and Duskwight section)
-Ishgardian Lore Compilation
-Azure Dragoon & Order of the Knights Dragoon Lore
-Timeline of Eorzean Settlements (helpful for older characters to know what did/didn't exist back in the day)

Hope this helps!  ^^

Wow those are great links, I hadn't seen the Timeline yet. That is very helpful, thank you!