Posts Originally From: June 28, 2019 – July 14, 2019
All the excitement and exploration of the then-new expansion – Shadowbringers!
Crystarium
Long Hair Amon
“When you wake up one day and you suddenly feel like a different person…”
Not sure if I’m going to keep the new hair or not, though it actually matches the length of Boss!Amon’s hair quite well. It works (mostly) with the hat – only some clipping while running.
I do miss the messy mop, so I think I’m going to trial this hair for a bit. One way or another, I’ll need to switch back for story purposes, but if I find I like it, this might be a future style for him!
(Buy the hair in the Gold Saucer at the Prize Claim II for 30K MGP)
Just what the heck did those crazy Allagans have hidden down in the Tower anyway? Looks like the Ironworks had a hand in some of the fun, too!
It was super cool to see the technological side of the Tower that was hidden to us during the raids! I always felt there was a LOT more to the Tower that we didn’t see.
Amon – Dancer
Truth is, he’d break his neck trying this stuff, but it was still fun to snap a few screens!
Darn It!
When you finally arrive in the First…
…and even your Free Company won’t let you throw wide the gates. 😦
Posts Originally From: April 14, 2019 – May 12, 2019
The FC house continues to expand in themed private rooms to include a Recreation Room, Guest Quarters and Sparring Room.
Lazy Sunday in Shirogane
We used to love to sit out by the ocean.
Guest Quarters
In the event Homewood Cottage (my FC house) should have visitors who need to stay the night, we have a brand new Guest Quarters (Koh’s Personal Room)!
There’s a bright and cheery main room for reading, dining or just relaxing by the fire. In a more private section, you’ll find the sleeping area and an upstairs hot tub.
The beds are screened off for a bit of privacy. And there’s a little sitting corner for late-night reading or early morning beverages!
This room is open to visitation anytime! If you stop by, feel free to leave a comment in our guest book on the counter in the main room!
Shirogane Plot 14, Ward 14
Sparring/Training Room
Mateus – Shirogane – Ward 14, Lot 14 – Room #5
My newest private room design for our FC house is a sparring/training room. This was a great theme for the alt who owns this room being he’s big into fitness and battle.
He’s also into blue – can you tell? Which is perfect because the FFXIV iteration of the character ended up a Dragoon main.
Anyhow, there’s a large open area in the center of the room with some red mats for the actual practice space. There’s also a training dummy (mannequin) set up.
For the record, I’m not calling Roes dummies. There were only three races to pick from and this seemed to fit the idea of a sparring partner best.
There’s a trophy display of an Ixion horn in the back corner.
Next to that, we have some lockers for changing, and a curtained-off shower station. Gotta wash that training funk off after practice!
Lots of windows to brighten up the otherwise darker room. And a scuffed-up PotD floor which lends to the feeling that it’s seen better days. 🙂
I still feel like there’s some more I can add to this room as new housing items come out – it was only in Eureka that we got the chainmail hangars and the crossed halberds (which aren’t listed at the FFXIV Housing site!). Why don’t we have more weapon displays? It’s hard to make a convincing sparring room without some weapon racks. But.. maybe one day.
Anyhow, this personal room is labeled RP at the Homewood Cottage FC house, and is open to visit, like all the RP personal rooms. Address is up at the top!
If you stop in, please let us know in our Guestbook – located on the counter of our main room right near the front door. We appreciate the Likes and the comments! 🙂
Who Killed Amon…?
…and tried to hide him under the chair in the FC room? Scylla swears he was like this when she got there. Looks sus to me.
Relaxation & Recreation Room
Mateus – Shirogane – Ward 14, Lot 14 – Room #3
This isn’t actually a new-new room for our FC house, but one I just put some final touches on, making it ready to post about. I still think there can be some additional wall decor added, but I’m holding off to see what the new expansion releases for housing before investing a whole lot more.
Here we have a rec room – there’s an attended spa to get you in a chill mood. Lots of reading nooks, including one under the loft. Up top, is a couch perfect for arts and crafts, a musical moogle and a peaceful little aquarium.
There’s also a cushioned window nook and an art corner with another aquarium for inspiration. A number of of comfy napping spots and cushions are included for your enjoyment.
This personal room is labeled RP at the Homewood Cottage FC house, and is open to visit, like all the RP personal rooms. Address is up at the top!
If you stop in, please let us know in our Guestbook – located on the counter of our main room right near the front door. We appreciate the Likes and the comments! 🙂
Posts Originally From: March 23, 2019 – March 29, 2019
The last thing I ever thought I’d hear was that the Crystal Tower was going to become relevant in Shadowbringers. Needless to say, that was extremely exciting to me (and Amon). Also, I had some fun during the 4.56 MSQ!
I Think I’m Moving to Norvrandt!
Be still my heart, Crystal Tower is relevant again! I’m so excited, even if it’s a dimensional version of ST. I’m really looking forward to how they’re going to develop this!
I’m also stoked to see that the idea of a city at the base of the Tower came to be – I wrote about this concept in my Memories series, but didn’t imagine it to be quite like this!
Oh, and Zuri is going Dancer.
The Crystarium
-Happy sigh.-
Riding Home
Hey! Who Took My Hat!?
This isn’t canon, since Amon’s story doesn’t follow the MSQ. STILL. I thought it was hilarious that the recovery scene in 4.56 forced Amon to take off his hat in front of other people.
It’s like, he wakes up in utter confusion – even the child who sees him without his hat seems in shock. Then he starts shooting angry frowns, even at Aymeric!
Finally, Aymeric chills him out again in the end.
Fallen
Also not canon, but have a screen of Aymeric and Estinien protecting a fallen Amon from a scene in the MSQ. It would never actually happen, but it was a sweet picture. So I had to capture it.
Become What You Must…
Poke
“And if it doesn’t take you seriously, just poke it!”
Roleplaying as a bard in FFXIV can be a lot of fun! For one, you can get away with being a little over the top and eccentric with your character if you choose to be. Bards are, after all, supposed to be masters of performance and drama, right?
One thing I’ve found when playing a bard is that sooner or later, you’ll find yourself in a position where someone is going to ask you to tell a story. Or a joke. Or a riddle.
Then what do you do?
You might be the kind of person who has a million stories they can pull off the cuff. But if you’re anything like me, it’s better that you prepare for this ahead of time! And that’s where the wonderful Internet comes in.
Finding Jokes and Riddles
Jokes are probably the easiest material to work with. If you have a joke book, or just Google up jokes, you can quickly stash away a bunch of funny things in a text document somewhere to reference if needed. If you can, though it’s not required, try to change the joke a bit to better fit the context of the FFXIV world.
Riddles are much like jokes with one catch. If you can Google a riddle, so, too, can the people you’re telling the riddle to. And the whole point of a riddle is to make people think for themselves. If you are pulling riddles off the Internet, try to switch up the wording to make it a little harder to Google. Even better, if you can find a resource of riddles that aren’t online, I would highly suggest you going for it!
Finding Stories
Getting together a library of stories is a bit more involved.
I suggest that you keep it simple. Folks might ask for a story in RP, but they don’t want to sit there for 15 minutes as you copy-paste text lines at them. So keep it short and sweet – you don’t have to recount the Epic of Gilgamesh Greg to fulfill your bardly duties.
Good resources to pull from include:
Fables
Tall Tales
Fairy Tales
Folk Stories
Traditional Tales (Especially from other countries)
Many of these folk tales are short to tell and end with some kind of moral of the story. While this might not seem as exciting as an epic story filled with battle (feel free to tell those if you have one), there’s a reason why these kinds of stories were told and passed around in times of oral storytelling traditions. There’s just something satisfying about a story that makes a point and has a solid ending.
If there’s any way to adapt the story to have FFXIV lore or context, do re-write it do contain these things.
Here’s an example of a story I used in an Google Docs group RP – this one may is probably too long to use for in-game RP, though. I don’t remember the exact origin of the tale, and there might be many different re-tellings of it, but I remember it was a folk tale from another country.
I Googled for a folk story, found one I liked, revised it, and added FFXIV elements to it to make this:
How the Chocobo Got Her Colors
A long time ago when the world was young, every type of bird was gray and without color.
One spring day, the king of birds – the Firebird – summoned all the birds together. They gathered, chirping with excitement and flapping with wonder. What did their king have to tell them?
Once all of the birds of the world were there, the Firebird pointed a great wing to the sky. There, for the first time ever, a glorious rainbow stretched overhead.
The birds stared in awe, having never seen anything so beautiful before! There were so many colors and they were all so bright and wonderful!
“Oh,” the birds cried wistfully, “If only our feathers were so colorful!”
To this, the Firebird nodded, “I have brought you here to gift each of you one of the colors of the rainbow. Choose the color that you love most, and it shall be yours.”
This sent the birds into a frenzy of joy! At once, they began to squawk and flap, trying to get ahead of each other. They were afraid their favorite color would be taken before they could choose it!
“I want green!” cried the apkallu. “Give me green!”
“Pink is most lovely! I want to be pink!” chortled the colibri.
“I must have brown, like the warmth of the earth!” chirped the sparrow.
“Blue! Blue! Blue!” was all the bluebird could trill. (It was later named after the color it chose.)
Only one bird sat quietly waiting her turn. The gentle, noble chocobo.
Finally, all the colors were chosen and given. The rainbow began to fade.
“Now each of you has a color,” the Firebird said, his own feathers aglow with the gold of flame. “And just in time, for the rainbow has gone.”
As the other birds capered and preened, the Firebird then noticed the gray and colorless chocobo, who still sat quietly in the corner. Awash with pity, the king of birds called to her.
“Why did you not ask for a color?”
The chocobo looked up, full of respect for her king. “Your Majesty, I was waiting my turn.”
“I see,” said the Firebird sadly. “But now the colors are all gone.”
Though noble and strong of spirit, this filled the chocobo with great sorrow. Still, she bore this news with strength, head held high, “Then I’m afraid I shall always have feathers of gray.”
“Shall always have feathers of gray? Because you did not push or squawk and instead waited your turn pleasantly? I think not!” the king of birds said with determination.
He then called to the capering flock of colorful birds who looked to be ready to return to their homes, and told them to line up. The Firebird instructed them to walk by the chocobo, one by one, and when they did, he pulled a little color from each, giving it to the chocobo.
“Henceforth, you and your kind shall have the ability to become all the colors of the rainbow! Eat of the fruits of the world to change the color of your plumage, and pick the one you love most!”
And that is why the chocobo, even today, can change the color of their feathers.
That’s just one example of what you can do when pulling and revising a story from another source to fit the FFXIV world lore. You can, of course, write your own, but taking inspiration from other tales is no crime!
So go out there, find or write some stories, and make yourself a document that you can proudly pull from anytime someone asks your bard to weave a tale during an RP session!
Posts Originally From: Jan 5, 2019 – March 18, 2019
Decorating continues with Amon’s lab, a new ballroom and an overhaul of Amon’s apartment!
Music Corner
I mentioned I’d be making a music corner, so here’s the start – a little stage area on the lower floor of our Free Company house.
Amon’s Lab
I’m not 100% done with Amon’s Lab, as I know I’ll keep adding odds ‘n ends to his model collection. But I did finally craft his Behemoth trophy tonight, and have most of the major pieces in place.
He’s got a library, a performance stage, a study and a lab area – complete with a holding tank!
Oops… looks like Scylla got stuck in there. I wonder how?
FC House Yard Makeover!
I’ve been holding on to a few outdoor items to work on a makeover for our FC house’s yard, and finally just got it done last night. I realize the pictures above were taken at night while it was raining, but I almost think it adds to the atmosphere a bit!
Homewood Cottage is decorated, tagged as RP, and always open to friend visits. The personal rooms still need a lot of work, but Amon’s Lab is also open. When we’re online, there’s usually someone hanging out or passing through, so feel free to say hi!
Plot 14, 14 Ward, Shirogane
Zuri’s Small Ball Room
The second RP room I finished for our FC house!
If Dancer ever becomes a job, and if it fits with Zuri’s character, I’m considering switching for RP purposes. That inspired the idea of building a small dance hall in our FC using her private quarters.
Like the rest of the house, it’s open to viewing (the other rooms aren’t anywhere near done yet, sorry!). Drop us a note in the guestbook if you do stop in.
Apartment
A couple of shots of Amon’s updated apartment, which he may be transforming into a home business in time – which may play into RP stuff! The top shot I used for one of my story posts, but the bottom gives a look at the counter and work area behind it.
