hello! my name is Sarah and this is going to function as my general FFXIV blog where I can document my adventures (hi - the last time I was on here I was brand spanking new to the game and afraid) and, more importantly, scream and cry about my various characters and their adventures.
"...--perhaps one day you will see victory in the arena, Beau, though I am always surprised to see that you are in good spirits afterwards - win or lose."
"And why not?" The warrior replied, a grimaced grin upon her features. Good spirits, after all, did not dull the pain of a bullet in the back. "I am able to leave this place, after all; hale and hearty and none the worse for wear. There's naught to prove in this arena, for me. That I can get up, shake my opponent's hand, and depart? That will always be a victory unto itself. I'd not have it any other way."
Dawnstrider had never considered herself crafty. Though, in times such as these, she occasionally saw the merit in the adjective bestowed unto her. Perhaps others in her position would be glad to wear the title with pride and honour befitting a fabled hero, but she was no such person. Faceless; nameless. Unrecognisable, save for her white hair, and she'd not have it any other way.
The walls of the Hallow were her sanctuary; her respite. The patrons; her friends, companions, and strangers alike. There, she was known - but unassumingly so. She could lean upon a wall and remain unbothered for the eve, opting to people-watch and eavesdrop on conversations about memories; desires; dreams. The stories of others took the spotlight and swept people's attention and concerns by the boatload, and she'd not have it any other way.
Here, she was Beau Dawnstrider: registrar; adventurer; beloved companion to some and a cheerful, friendly face to others... and very unfortunate indeed, unanimously agreed, when it came to any manner of pit fight - and she'd not have it any other way.
There's a good amount of folks who indulge me (for whatever reason) and subscribe to Beau being their Warrior of Light in-game. It changes very little about her, in truth, but one of the things I often have to navigate is the reality that she is an incredible fighter - at least enough of one to be able to defeat the foes she does - and I am putting her into scenarios where fights are determined by random dice rolls... which I often lose.
Being who she is, though, the solution is pretty straightforward for me - and though it's kind of become the butt of a joke to have Miss Dawnstrider have her arse handed to her in the arena it has paved a path for me to explore with her that I've really been enjoying. A form of self-acceptance that she need not be perfect, and that she is truly no different from any other being. She is safe in her little sanctuary, and she cares not if she is the butt of people's jokes or the reason for their ego boost. She is just glad that they get to walk away at the end of it, unscathed.
It's a true pleasure - when compared to the horrors she has faced and seen - to be able to say that she can do that each and every time she faces someone in that pit. It is a joy unto itself and nothing will have that grin fade from her face. Not even seven bullets lodged into her body...
I look forward to the day that someone who subscribes to the WoL!Beau bit puts two and two together and realises that the person who is laughing about having been beaten for the ninth time by an arena combatant is the same person who is spoken about - and has been spoken about for years - in legendary fable. Such will come in its own time, though.
one week until baldur’s gate 3!!! and this is your reminder to do a clean uninstall before 1.0 if you have played early access (especially with mods). here’s a guide from the down by the river discord server on how to do so
oh my god, I didn’t think there were any surviving versions of this post left
For those who weren’t around in the Deep Lore times, this is one of the relics of the editable post era. This post has THE SINGLE HIGHEST NOTES of ANY post on this site, bar none, but with more than a dozen variations. Every single post you’ve ever seen with more than 3 million notes has been a different version of this one.
This is the “Dean’s Gym Shorts” post. This is the Flubber post. This is the original “Reblog if you support gay people” post. it was ALL of them. before half the site got nuked, it had even more notes than it has now - at one point, well over 15 million, and that was years ago.
This, with no exaggeration, is the ONE TRUE heritage post
to be perfectly honest. i don't care if it is cheesy or cliched or idealistic. i like stories where the core of it is about kindness, the warmth we can offer others and the gentleness we receive in return. maybe the moral of the story IS love triumphs. it better fucking be
