Warriors and Wanderers

RP Blog for all my FFXIV characters! Art: @leapofthekoi, SWTOR: @wayfinderlegacy

[thecalmnessandthestorms]

New pinned post! Hello there y'all! This is where I post all my silly little XIV characters doing their not always so silly things! If you're interested in my art go follow @leapofthekoi! If at all interested in my SWTOR derps (please love and appreciate them!) go check out @wayfinderlegacy! Go to @shimo-shenanigans if you're interested in my vtubing! Aaaand if you want my wildzone reblogs (I tag follow triggers on request so not full wildzone) go to @loud-shimo-screes! This blog isn't super active right now since its still under construction, but please look forward to the return of all these nerds! I love and appreciate them just only have so many spoons right now and SWTOR brainrot! :'D

[leapofthekoi]

Have an awful gremlin man researching how to kill god with his daemon buddies. :)

[thecalmnessandthestorms]

Have some more of FFXV Alastor because why not? :)

[leapofthekoi]

...Guess who fell hard down the Final Fantasy XV rabbit hole and redrew his old OC from AGES ago? Yeah. That would be me. :')

Honestly? Really quite happy with this re-design and having fun with writing and drawing him again, been great! Game's been fun to revisit too! Its been like... 6? 7? years since I last played it? A long while! Expect to see Alastor here pop up every now and then!

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Behold! The original version of our local Cat Mage! ...The not friendly version. :')

[murphys-ffxiv-ramblings]

As I am an FFXIV RP blog, I suppose I may as well share my thoughts about Mare going down. This is going to get pretty long, because I'm honestly kind of conflicted in how I'm feeling, but I'm going to try and lay out both the bad and the good.

For background, I've been playing for just about 6 years now, started early 5.2, and as soon as I cleared MSQ I started looking for the RP scene. There were modders then, mostly sharing screenshots of whatever custom sculpts and glams they used on Twitter or Discord, and as a console (hence, vanilla) player there were times I really felt left out. I got told in my own goddamn FC that I helped found that my gposes were lazy because I didn't use any posing tools, and I had ppl say they wanted to RP with me only to change their minds when I wanted them to just describe their characters instead of letting them send me their mod pack. But there were a lot more people who wrote for the love of the art form - who enjoyed telling stories and playing dolls with other people, and a lot of them I still consider friends.

Then Mare happened. And over about the first six or eight months, I noticed a change in how RP happened. Instead of walking up, checking the search comment in a character's bio, and saying hello if they looked interesting, it became "do you use Mare?" Or later, just "mare?" like that's a complete greeting/question/conversation. Groups started not merely offering but REQUIRING members to join their syncshells- and leaving console players like myself to rot. I still had my own groups, but even most of them would ask me from time to time when I was going to get a decent PC and join the modding game. Like playing vanilla somehow made me less of an RPer than the ones that use mods. And that stings. But I'm still here, because I enjoy the world and I like playing dolls with other people - even if they talk without thinking sometimes.

All that background matters, because for as fucking EXASPERATED as I've been with a lot of the Mare players (with good reason imo), I never hated it. It was a tool, not the cause, and I don't blame a computer program for how its users treat other human beings - that's dumb, and I know it. So please don't take this as some kind of anti-modding rant. The way I see it, there was a confluence of facts that all came together at once, and while I feel for the people who will miss their moon magic, I'm mostly surprised that THEY'RE surprised about it finally going away. Here's why, in no particular order:

Japanese law (which Square-Enix, as a Japanese company, has to follow) prohibits third-party modifications to licensed software.

The Terms of Service to FFXIV that we all agree to in order to make our SE accounts likewise prohibit third-party modifications and add-ons.

Mare saves your data to its own server. Know what else did that- Playerscope. AKA the stalker mod that got SE in so much fucking trouble just a couple months ago.

The page to install Mare had the dev's Ko-fi and Patreon right there on the cover. Money was being made, and as everyone who's ever been on AO3 knows that's one thing a copyright holder can't allow.

The Live Letters have had people asking about third party add-ons at least twice since I've been playing, and both times Yoshi-P basically said "we can't see what you do on your own computer but we ask you please don't use mods." AKA DON'T BRING IT TO OUR ATTENTION. (this point is relevant to the next couple facts)

Party Finder venues have been increasingly advertising "we have wifi" or "ask for syncshell" in their in game description. Not keeping it on a carrd where you at least have the plausible deniability of getting the info from an outside website, but right where everyone and their sister can see it.

Players with some kind of reference to "moon magic" in their character search comment have come to outnumber ones without anything of the sort three or four to one. Or more, depending on where and when you look.

People in Ul'Dah and Limsa have at times just shouted asking for Mare codes.

Those last three were probably the nails in the coffin. Lots of modders charge for things, and Dalamud, Glamourer, or even the content tools that got the world first teams banned aren't being touched. It's only Mare. Because people couldn't remember the first and second rules of fight club.

You don't talk about it

Now, I can't tell you what to do. If you want to go on Steam or the forums and review-bomb the game, I'm not your mom, I'm not here to tell you not to be an asshole. I know a lot of venues are shutting down, and I think that's really sad that they don't trust themselves and their guests to be good enough writers to play dolls when they all have to use the same, out of the box dollies as everybody else instead of their home made custom ones, but each venue knows its own circle best. But I'm going to be here, playing with my doll, inviting the rest of you to bring your dolls and come tell stories with me.

[chronicillnesshumor-deactivated]

MY BRAIN: If you DON'T use me enough, I'll stop working properly

MY BRAIN: If you DO use me too much, I'll stop working properly

MY BRAIN: Haha. Fuck you.

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Ferrant Durand

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Izunia Sasaki

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Heilyn Hraesar

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Alastor Izunia

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I'm gonna (tentatively) reopen the askbox for this blog. If I start getting spam messages about certain topics again, I will close it back up, but feel free to shoot me asks about characters! Helps me with work on the Carrd Bios!

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I feel like queuing some old screenshot sets I did last year and never posted so look forward to seeing a new character each day here!

[thecalmnessandthestorms]

Turned off anonymous asks here for a while. Tired of spam.

[oh-munda-kukkad-kamaal-da]

Reblog if its ok to spam you with boops

[poll-position]

Will you be welcoming inbox trick-or-treaters this year?

YES! - Feel free to trick-or-treat in my inbox!

NO! - I would rather not participate!

Voting ended onOct 15, 2024

Please reblog if YES so your followers will know!

[thecalmnessandthestorms]

FFXIV Write Day 3: Tempest- The Lightning Strike

CW on this one for character death and implied/referenced child expirimentation.

“AUDRANT GO! GET AWAY FROM HERE!” His mother shouted as she and her beloved stood between her boy and the man who had brought so much torment to him. He froze but for a moment, surprised by this act, before turning to get away as he was told. Until he heard the head scientist speak. 

“If you won't behave, then-”

The lead scientist's voice trailed off as two perfect shots from his gun struck Audrant's mothers. For but a moment all he could do was stare in shock. Violet eyes wide with complete and utter horror. They were gone. The last family he had. Gone. Something broke in him then, eyes glowing with energy as lightning began to crackle around him. The scientist had made his last, crucial mistake, and Audrant was about to make that more than clear to him. 

“You killed them!” The boy shouted in pure agony and outrage. ‘I will never behave for you, never obey you! Not after that!”

The lightning coursing around him grew stronger and stronger as it shifted into a full-fledged indoor storm. There was no care for control now, only destroying everything, including the man who did this. Who started this all. The storm grew more and more until the biggest possible bolt of lightning flared and struck the research facility. The lab itself was in flames and explosions rang out as much of the tech was overloaded. The only living thing remaining in the flaming wreckage was Audrant's small, weakened form struggling to move away. His whole body felt drained of all aether. Of all energy. He was sure he'd never escape before others in the castrum came to investigate. 

Until a golden clawed hand reached out to him. 

“Come with me, I can aid you.” 

The boy looked up to see a figure in a white oak with purple and gold accents with a bright red mask on his face looking back. His words seemed… sincere. But Audrant could hardly believe him. His trust in strangers was gone at this point. Trust in general was gone. 

“Just a little test, nothing to worry about,” the aetherologist had said as she was taking her samples and giving him a check over.

“This shouldn't hurt too greatly, and it will be over soon enough,” one of the scientists had said before a storm of lightning and pain had coursed through him. 

“I will always protect you,” his mother had said as she held him close one night through his tears. 

There were sounds of people approaching however. It was now or never to make a choice. Audrant couldn't move, couldn't run, and his body was still crackling with the lightning that had destroyed this place. They'd know what he had done, and a disobedient, destructive science experiment probably wouldn't live long. That was what his mothers had been trying to do. Give him a chance to live. And this might be the only way to take it.  

Either that, or he'd be trading one hell for another.

Audrant looked to the figure with the most defiant expression he could manage. As if to make it clear that if he faced any harm like here, much would be the same. 

As if it could be. No way was another burst like that going to spring forth so soon. If ever. The noises were growing louder. No time to waste. Now or never. 

Audrant took the strange cloaked one’s extended hand and in that moment a black and purple portal appeared, carrying them both away from that site. They’d never know he was still alive and safe. The research was all destroyed in the strike. A small victory, just for now. 

[thecalmnessandthestorms]

FFXIV Write 2024 Day 1: Steer- Fate's Fickle Thread

(Warning for Endwalker Spoilers) The hands of fate are a fickle thing. Not meant to be tampered with, meant to move forwards and onwards as the ticking of a clock. Once I believed fate could be turned, the clock's hands could move in reverse. Change what has been lost to time, and mistakes, and grief. Bring back a world of beauty and peace long forgotten by all but for scattered memories and dreams. I believed it was possible, we all did. But it was not meant to pass. 

You see, time has its direction and its directives. The soul may yearn, and wish, and dream. Oh will it wish and dream! But one must tell it: “what's gone is gone, the past has been written, it's time for a new tale, a new chapter.” I have learned this through trial, through grave error. Through love and loss of great measure. But I know one thing well and that's-

“Rowan!” Rowan put down her quill with a small sigh as Seraphiaux knocked on the door to her apartment and called to her. She was happy he was more full of energy lately. Less afraid. On the other hand, however, these were thoughts that needed to be put to the page. Important, crucial thoughts for the future. 

He would just knock again though, she knew it. 

With another sigh Rowan stood to open her door, revealing the brightly smiling young man behind it.

 …By the Star it was infectious. 

“Is there a reason for the excitement here?” She questioned. There certainly was, and Rowan was sure she'd be finding out, only hoping that it was NOT a disaster of sorts this time. 

“I- I got some of the seeds Alastor gave you to sprout! In the greenhouse! The ones you said came from the place in your dreams?” Sera looked a little sheepish then. Afraid he'd been just a little too much about it. “S-sorry. I… got a little carried away, but- but it's exciting! Right? A plant long lost coming back even in a small degree? I- I thought you might want to come see! If you aren't busy?”

Rowan smiled at him reassuringly and put a hand near his shoulder, only touching it when Sera gave a slight nod. “If you give me just a moment to finish my journal entry, I'll be over, okay, Sweetie?”

With just a quick nod, he was off, and Rowan could return to her desk. Finish her thoughts where she left off just moments ago.

-that fate is not ours to control. We of the Ascians tried to steer the realm backwards. Back in time. Back to before the Star was split across ten and three. A time which wasn't perfect, but was lovely, and beautiful. 

Yet this world is too, even without a hand trying to steer its course. Since the fall of Zodiark, I have made up my mind. Made up my mind to live and learn. See this realm till my end and aid it in flourishing in the little ways I can. Just like the ancient realm, it's beautiful. Imperfect, but the people have such passion, such spirit! I hope you can be proud of me, Old Man from wherever you so gaze upon us from the aetherial sea. Proud of Azem too, who's spirit still lives on in others, ever the curious soul that they always have been. 

The path we walk now is our own, and I am quite finished with trying to alter the course of things. I'll never forget the looks on people's faces of joy and wonder when I danced the tales from my dreams, the ones which still remain as I do so. Yet, I no longer feel the need to restore that place. Merely keep its memory alive. In the hearts and minds of others, in a song, in a dance, in the smallest of sprouts it yet lives! 

The road ahead is uncertain, but now I steer fate towards a new path. I steer it towards where my heart takes it, ever winding, ever new. I steer it towards a new story, a new chapter, and ever am I longing to see where it leads… 

[leapofthekoi]

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN!

...Where I start trying to get comms going! Hello! I'm currently working towards going on a trip to Japan with my buddies and I thought I'd offer comms again (and yes its the same advertising images as last time because I've been working on full body refs and not headshots lately. :')). Pricing is going to be 30 USD for a headshot sketch and 40 USD if you want a flowercrown symbolism traditional sketch (I can choose the flowers or you can! I have an extensive list). Adding on 20 USD for either if you want digital colors. I AM open to full or half body drawings! Please DM to discuss price on those. Backgrounds will be the basic ones here and are free with a colored image of any kind! I generally pick that out based on "the vibes" but you're welcome to tell me an idea of what you'd like there. I can be contacted either on this blog or via discord (darth_shimo_the_smol)

My only rules are no mecha and anthros. Vague animals features are fine though! All characters MUST have visual references. I will not draw based on descriptions, though I may ask for personality or story information as well just to get a feel for things! (And because I adore hearing about people's characters!) :) Feel free to reblog this if not comming as well, or make a donation through my ko-fi page as well on the sideline!

Thank you! And may you have a great day!

[leapofthekoi]

Last time I posted this it was for trip funds but this reblog is because I was out for a few weeks due to Covid. Doing good again, but my paycheck is a LOT smaller so any little bit helps!