Dowani Fa
Adventurer, sorceress, priestess
Magic-steeped devotee of Menphina
Shroud-born, but new to her people's ways
Confident, clever, cunning, guarded
Introduction
Age: 30-something
Pronoun type: she
Posture: confident, flowing
Aether: abundant, balanced, potent
Orientation: demi-r, femme-leaning, ENM
Inner self: neutral good
Secret favorite: indulgent chocolatey coffee
Vibe: chilly autumn night with a full moon
Associates: Atrienne Erevei, Keilis Starfall, Uun Borlaaq, Velyt Nienne, Naia Newpath, Eveline Serra
Associations: Thaumaturges' Guild of Ul'dah, Gridanian Conjurers' Guild, Order of the Twin Adder
Locations: the dark corners of Eorzea, the battlefields of Gyr Abania, recently - the deep shadows of the Black Shroud
Typical adventures: exploring ruins, handling voidsent and ashkin, working with occult magics
Jobs: black mage, white mage, ninja, dancer, paladin
SummaryDowani Fa is a Keeper who didn't have a chance to learn the ways of her ancestors, but who is now trying to right that wrong.Young Dowani was born to a family who'd left their clan behind, but despite whatever reasons her parents had for leaving, the occasional parable, song, or little ritual made its way into the precocious girl's memory. The same spark that let her hold onto those things, however, also lit curiosity and independence, and so, one day, she stowed away in a traveling merchant's cart just to see where it would go. That act saved her life - when tragedy befell the village, she wasn't there to fall to it.With no home to return to, Dowani's new life was one that honed a sharp edge to her independence and bolstered her adventurous heart, and the sweet and clever girl grew into a woman sly, cunning, and confident. She still held onto her family's reverence for Menphina, but in her own personal, idiosyncratic way, and the half-remembered lessons from grandmother to mother to daughter informed her burgeoning spellcraft, but she was keenly aware that she was missing so much of what she could've known.Now a worldly woman, and one who's learned many lessons from the Final Days, she's made it a priority to connect to her roots. What she didn't learn from her mother and grandmother, she hopes to learn from someone's mother or grandmother. Dowani may not know who her ancestors were, or even the entirety of her family's name, but she knows who her people are, and coming to terms with that is an adventure long overdue.
"Whether under soft moonlight or shroud of darkest night,
by my power, or my love, wrongs will be made right."
Hooks
Her Passions
With the troubles of recent years largely concluded, this adventuresome miqo'te feels like the time has finally come to connect with her roots. Whether connecting with other Keepers, taking part in public ceremonies, or simply wandering the Twelveswood with no other purpose than to experience it on its own terms, Dowani is happy to take the opportunities she can to make up for lost time.
Though she's never been able to put her finger on why, Dowani's been inspired to venerate Menphina for as long as she can remember. She has her own idiosyncratic ways of doing so, informed by her broad experiences and independent nature, but she's keen as can be to learn how others honor the Lover, the Moon's Keeper.
Nothing sets Dowani's imagination aflame more than the moon. She's listened to the folklore of every tribe that's pondered the celestial orb and read every scholarly study she's been able to get her hands on, but the recent flood of information has left the Seeker somewhat unfulfilled. She's certain that there's much more up there waiting to be discovered, because surely there must be some ineffable source of the moon's empowering inspiration, not just her mere imaginings.
The mysteries of magic have always appealed to Dowani, especially those that evade or defy conventional study. Yes, she is a mage of the black, but even that revived tradition knows little about a bitter crone's curse or the accidental, organic spells woven by the eddies and whorls of a shadowed pond. Similarly, love and passion and intent may all give rise to special magic, but how, when there's no aether being worked and no caster to set to purpose? In such mysteries do Dowani's talent, experience, and curiosity align.
Her Interests
Dowani's an adventurer through-and-through, and though it isn't her primary focus these day, she's always ready to aid those in need and find a thrill or two along the way. She specializes in old places, old magic, and mystical enemies, but she's down to help with anything that isn't an obviously terrible idea.
Not one to be bored, Dowani is quick to find interest in things and spark her own enthusiasm, but when someone brings their own verve and genuine excitement, oh, how easily she's pulled in! There are few qualities more inspiring, enticing, and interesting to this miqo'te than giving a shit about something, so if someone has a passion for a common goal or task, Dowani will be inspired to care all the more for it. On the other hand, if someone thinks they're much too cool to care about anything, she will struggle to take them seriously.
Close connections, well-earned trust, and mutual, meaningful caring are deeply important to Dowani. This isn't to say that she seeks such things out, but that she honors and holds them dear when they develop. Physical intimacy is very much a part of that, and Dowani is drawn to drape herself over her close ones, hold their hands, or otherwise keep in physical contact with them when free to do so.
Her Disinterests
Dowani isn't one to suffer fools gladly, or much at all.
There is a time and a place to learn, but if the current situation is neither of those, Dowani struggles to maintain her patience with people who've shown up unprepared.
While Dowani deeply enjoys intimacy, she's the first to admit she doesn't work well as a girlfriend. As one partner puts it, "emotionally-intimate allies with benefits" suits her just fine. There is a possibility for conventional relationships, but it'll take a truly remarkable woman to get Dowani to take on a larger dance card than what she already has. And sorry, guys, but she's found a man she's happy with, and she isn't willing to roll those dice again. All the cretins, over-aged boys, and other ridiculous "men" she's been encountering have only strengthened her resolve.
If there is something that bores Dowani, it's gil. If money is the only reason to do a thing, she's not going to do it. She isn't a wealthy woman, but she's certainly well-off enough to do the work she finds worthy.
Her Reputations
Dowani's best known among adventurers as someone willing to engage in the occult without being unapproachable or oblique, though she's certainly cut from a different cloth. She's also known as a woman who enjoys her secrets, but not to the detriment of the mission. Finally, will she favors magic, she's a fair fighter, too, with light swords, daggers, or chakrams.
Blessed with diligence, talent, and enthusiasm, Dowani took to thaumaturgy extremely well, but she had very little interest in the rest of the Order of Nald'thal, instead working Menphina iconography into her trinkets, charms, and fetishes. When the Order began to revive the study of Black Magic, however, she returned to study nearly immediately, though she never revealed how she acquired her soul crystal.
Dowani was a dedicated student of Gridanian conjury and acquitted herself well, though it was noted how uncomfortable she was with certain parts of the Shroud. Her reticence was tolerated, however, since it never got in the way of honoring the elementals' will. She did eventually earn a White Mage soul crystal, but only pursued that after several years as an adventuring conjurer and with the urging of one of the early non-Padjal White Mages, herself an avid adventurer as well. Menphina iconography was part of her habit and equipment here, as well, but wasn't nearly so unusual as it was among the thaumaturges.
Until recently, Dowani did much less adventuring in the Twelveswood than she did elsewhere, but nearly all that she did there was under the Adders' auspices, and when she took part in the endeavors of Eorzea's combined militaries, it was the Adders with whom she worked. Like with the Gridanian conjurers, Dowani exhibited some discomfort when alongside Adders, but when asked whether she shared some sympathies with the anti-Gridanian woods-dwellers, the miqo'te vehemently denied it, as if insulted. Her stance is less strident these days, however, and her discomfort is also gone.
Word around the Shroud is that a miqo'te matching Dowani's description has been openly putting out feelers. For what, it's unclear - some say she's looking to start a coven, others suspect a Menphinic cult, and others wonder about things far darker. What's the difference, though, when the Shroud is so thick with mad mages meddling in magicks they mustn't? Whatever that miqo is planning, she reeks of magic and ambition, no matter how genuine her smile may seem.
A Ritual
WIP
Gallery
RP Notes
What I'm Looking ForCompetence, adventure, magic, occult, grounded, mature, experienced, emotional intimacy, atypical romancesMy favorite sort of RP explores, through our characters, what it means to live in this world and have agency in it. It can be dramatic or calm, action-packed or slice-of-life, but it's firmly rooted in the world and engages with it.I prefer characters and situations consistent with the MSQ's setting and tone.In-game RP is wonderful, but I also enjoy Discord RP, and sometimes prefer it! Feel free to give me a poke: kay.lis
What I'm Not Looking ForIncompetence, purple prose, petty crime, pointless antagonism, fetishes, macho insecurity, jealousyNo minors - adult players and characters only.Some of the things I like to explore - love, conflict, sex - attract players who aren't ready to do so in mature, grounded, and believable ways, and those are characteristics I'm not interested in compromising on.I very rarely RP opposed actions with unknown players. I'm happy to have such things with mutual trust and a system for resolving conflicts, but lacking those, I find it best to avoid it altogether. Miss me with pointless random pick-pocketing.
People write things like "IC ≠OOC" and such, but I really mean it, and I insist upon it. I'm a dude who lives on Earth and enjoys RPing - I'm not a sorcerer and I don't solve problems with a sword, and you're a real person on Earth, too. If someone struggles to maintain firm IC/OOC separation, I feel that they probably shouldn't be roleplaying. That said, even if someone is well-adjusted, deliberate, and intentional in their RP, things like emotional bleeding can still happen, and the solution is to communicate about it, rather than blithely dismiss it.Also, IC/OOC separation is no excuse to be an asshole - I've been RPing for about 20 years, and "but it's what my character would do" has nearly always been about trying to be shitty without the consequences.
Along the lines of IC/OOC separation, while I love making new friends, I'm not here to be your internet boyfriend, real-life dom, sugar daddy, or amateur therapist. All of these have been asked of me, and often with attempts at emotional manipulation.I'm just here to play a dang computer game, y'all.
If either you or your character don't care to distinguish between ethical non-monogamy, open relationships, polygamy, and cheating, don't bother interacting with me. Even if such things will never be relevant between us, I just don't want anything to do with players or characters scared of nuance, honesty, self-awareness, and communication, regardless of whether it's due to trauma, immaturity, or simply too much exposure to QS cat/bun/xaela fuckboys. This isn't to say that your character needs to be into them, just that there needs to be enough social competency to distinguish between them.I don't want to interact with characters that use the game's world as nothing more than a launchpad into self-indulgent bizarro land - Bahamut's shape-shifting bar-hopping daughter, "Unsundered Azem", etc.No fetish/kink/ERP-only characters.
I'm very much not into the Second Life-ification of FF14. Sure, the Garleans have cars, but once people start ordering DoorDash on their tomesmartstonephones while wearing Nikes, I'm out. And yes, I've seen exactly that, plastic bags and all.
RP Style and PreferencesMirror-style RPer, mostly. I feel very strongly that there's a distinction to make between roleplaying and writing - they are very different activities with different goals and methods. Two or more players mutually pursuing a satisfying scene via character interactions is entirely different from authors taking turns writing paragraphs of an uncoordinated, improvised story. I'm very much for the former, so my focus is on being relevant, realistic, interesting, and timely, which usually results in a bit more than a full FF14 text box per post. I'm very much for one-liners when appropriate - which they sometimes are - and in the style of snappy, Sorkin-esque dialogue.In terms of post content, my preference is to emote relevant things that other characters might perceive and then interpret on their own, not broadcast my character's thoughts as though everyone's playing telepaths - my posts are meant to engage the five senses, not the sixth. Of course, an occasional bit of special insight can be handy to help move things along.I will be intentional, considerate, and mature in our interactions, and I trust that you will do the same.
I tend to not pursue specific goals with my characters, e.g., avenging a loved one, settling an old score, reuniting with a lost companion, etc. Rather than focusing on attaining certain story beats or specific arcs, when I roleplay with someone I typically want to explore the fertile fields of our mutual and complimentary themes, interests, and perspectives, dotted as they are with our compelling differences, and see where we're drawn to! I find the experiences that arise from that often get more personal investment from everyone involved, and have far more satisfying results. That said, even when one intends to wander, it's smart to have a map, just in case.
Romantic RP is on the table, but there are a few things worth knowing ahead of time. First, all of my characters are either ethically non-monogamous or aromantic. Polyamory gets somewhat of a bad wrap in the FF14 community thanks to bad actors and shitty people, but for my characters it isn't about having multiple life partners or sexual companions; instead, it's more about having allies with whom they can share emotional intimacy and companionship. Mutual vulnerability and solace, providing relief or distraction, knowing that someone is truly in your corner - these are what my characters want to express and honor when they can. After all, the adventuring life can be hard on people in every sense of it, and death is a regular risk, so why not share warmth, appreciation, and affection while you can? Though love isn't my focus in roleplaying, expressing and receiving love, and how that can change a person, plays an important role in my romanceable characters. Along these lines, while "emotionally-intimate allies with benefits" are more the norm for several of my characters than typical girl/boyfriends or spouses, there may well be room in their lives for more conventional relationships.Finally, pregnancy or parenting RP are a limit for me OOC and for my characters IC, all having taken multiple steps to prevent such things.
I rarely engage in ERP, but I do enjoy IRP, or intimate roleplaying. Emotional and intellectual intimacy, intimacy of purpose, romantic love and platonic love. That said, physical intimacy is often an accompanying element of these, but I go into such scenes with the expectation that we will explore something about our characters and their relationship. Further relevant information and gposes are available on this carrd, but there's no link to it, so you'll have to ask me directly or guess the url for the NSFW portion. WIP
I do use Mare and am generally happy to pair with others. Personally, I go for a "Vanilla+" look, but I don't mind people choosing to go a bit more extravagant. That said, I do pause sounds and most VFX, and I also pause or unpair ridiculous-looking characters - GMO viera, 9-foot tall miqo'te, fetish/kink/wish-fulfillment characters, and other people who obviously can't be left alone with Customize+. If such things are the only way you can find fulfillment, then sure, I wish you the joy of it, but I have no interest in being an audience to it.
FF14 HeadcanonsThis game's narrative, like any other, is full of gaps and inconsistencies, and those lead us all to develop headcanons unique to each of us. That's simply the way of things, but it's easy for us to forget that our headcanons are only those. With that in mind, by explicitly addressing my headcanons, I hope to reaffirm that, while I feel they're in-line with the game's lore, they aren't the game's lore. Also, it's good for potential RP partners to know my take on things ahead of time.As roleplayers, one of our jobs is to be flexible about these things and adapt to those we're roleplaying with. Being dogmatic about the game's lore is one thing, but being dogmatic about one's headcanons is very much another.
One of the things about roleplaying in most MMOs is that there's a fundamental disconnect between the world we experience playing the game and a world we can reasonably roleplay in. A major point of dissonance in this game is the Warrior of Light, our identity when going through the game's story, which is narratively a single-player affair that glosses over our characters' particulars. When RPing, no one can definitively say anything about who or what the WoL is. Due to that, my characters' approaches to "the" WoL are all along the lines of:"No one can agree on a single thing about them, and those who would know - the Scions and various world leaders - aren't saying anything. In light of that, I doubt there's a single 'Warrior of Light'. Most likely to me is that the things attributed to them were likely accomplished by a bunch of different people, and the 'Warrior of Light' is probably a modern myth, born out of both our want to solve mysteries and our veneration of the Warriors of Light - the unknown number of heroes saved from Carteneau by Archon Louisoix - that so many of us adventurers have forgotten about so quickly. The only ones who do know anything are tight-lipped about it, and their tacit endorsement of the growing myth seems a wise half-lie."
Some people feel really strongly that everything from the Ultima Weapon to the latest patch happened within a year, whether it's a matter of things happening with comical rapidity or that there's some sort of weird timey-wimey magical effect at play. The thing is, while some NPC dialogue does support everything happening so fast, other NPC dialogue contradicts this. Also, there are meaningful differences regarding time between the game's localizations. Finally, and most importantly, Yoshi-P has outright said that he does not have a specific timeline in mind for the game nor cares to establish one, and that each player is welcome to adopt whatever timeline works for them. Yeah, it's hard for me to wrap my head around, too, but a specific timeline just isn't going to be defined, and that's the world they've given us. My way of making sense of this is to assume things have taken place within a reasonable but vague number of years, maybe five-ish, and to refer to anything since ARR as "the recent troubles". That, and all my characters have doubts about Althyk's sobriety, too.
WIP while I'm replaying the Black Mage class quests for the ninth time.Short and temporary version - Black and White magic were as "illegal" as the boogeyman, Greek fire, or Martian death rays are IRL. That said, they can definitely be taboo. It's worth noting that, as per the level 80 Black Mage quest, Black magic is taught at the Thaumaturges' Guild in Ul'dah, though they're probably pretty picky about prospective pupils. Also, soul crystals for those arts aren't as common as, say, Dragoon or Machinist, but the ones our characters get in the job quests aren't the only ones - they're just specific crystals.The Heavensward Black Mage quests are definitely worth discussing, but that'll come later.
It seems to me that people in Eorzea would feel rather differently about death than people do in real life. In real life, we don't know of anything we can't describe physically or mathematically, and we are unaware of any part of us that might persist beyond death. When something dies, the only thing left of who they were are the memories held by others, but in the world of FF14, souls are absolutely real, and it's a settled fact that a person's essential nature survives death, returning to the aetherial sea to eventually be reborn. In such a world, death would still be a terrible thing, but it wouldn't be a final thing, and my characters' attitudes are informed by that.
OOC
~Hi, I'm Tom (he) - a cis-het (-ish) man (I reject immature ideas of masculinity and instead hold to my own ) long past 21, and while I'm very much to the left, I'm hashtag- and catchphrase-averse. Though once a working musician, I'm now my mother's full-time caregiver, and with that comes a fairly open but awfully inconsistent schedule, to say the least! Other interests of mine include high-immersion boffer LARPing, tabletop games, GW2, WoW, and CoH, and my DuoLingo streak is over 950 days! (Esperanto, French, German, and Spanish all at the same time, sheesh. Such ridiculousness was not my intention!)~In regards to RP experience, I've been RPing since '04, though I only started doing it in FF14 in mid '22. My RP background is primarily in weekend-long, immersion-focused LARPs, but I've RPed in MMOs and tabletop games for a long time as well, both playing and staffing/DMing/running.~Beyond RP, I love PvE content and trying to do it well. While I haven't gotten into serious raiding in this game yet, I've been doing it for 15+ years in other games and I'm excited to give it a go here. While I love overcoming challenges, I might just love teaching even more, so if you're intimidated by Black Mage or confused about Ninja, I'm happy to help!~I'm all for making new friends! I definitely appreciate that some prefer total OOC anonymity, but I feel that RP is a shared endeavor, and I really value the collaborativeness of it. That, and I'm always happy to have more buddies to play games with! I'm very much an open book and I'm totally fine with hopping into voice chat.Other carrds: Keilis Starfall, Eveline Serra (major WIP), Dowani FaDiscord: kay.lisFinally, for getting to the end, here - have a bonus!
Final Fantasy pick-up lines, innuendo, and euphemisms!Thanks for checking out my carrd! As a thanks to you and as a celebration of the Final Fantasy series, please enjoy this list of FF-themed off-color remarks!
If you have any to share, let me know and I'll add them to the list!
"Are you a phoenix? You look like you wanna get down.""Stick with me, hot stuff, and you'll definitely have a Limit Break tonight!""What'll it be tonight - turn-based or ATB?""If you wanna get 100% completion, you first gotta get me to 100% completion!""How many turns is your binding coil?""Forget the fairy, how 'bout you give me an Embrace?""I appreciate my husband's Innovation & Ingenuity, but not his Hasty Touch.""Honey, you must be a White Mage because you just gave me a Raise.""You must be a Black Mage, 'cause you just proc'd Firestarter in my heart!""You must be a Paladin - I see your Spirits Within under your Cover!""You must be a Monk - your Internal Release brings me to my Mythril Peak!""Nothing mini 'bout my Cactpot!""I keep striking out... guess I'll be 'punching the moogle' tonight...""I must be a SeeD candidate, because I want to junction you in my GF slot!"Finally, my favorite:
"Ride ze shoopuf?"
Keilis and Eveline
Eveline Serra - White Mage, Kriegstanzer, Echo-bearerAssociations: Gridania, the Conjurers' Guild, the Order of the Twin AdderKeilis and Eveline met years ago, shortly before she became one of the early non-Padjal white mages and he a free paladin. Their arts, ambitions, and attitudes were complimentary, and the two quickly became adventuring partners, working together and watching each other's backs all across Eorzea.Today, Eveline and Keilis remain aligned in terms of goals, sense of duty, and involvement with weighty affairs. When things are at their most dire, they both rise to the occasion, and these two always rise higher together. They also enjoy each other's company and affection in quieter times, and will always be in the other's corner, no matter the malms between them.Despite their similarities, or perhaps due to them, Eveline and Keilis are now rarely seen doing day-to-day adventuring together. When the two do take the field side-by-side, however, they're as fine an adventuring duo as any in the realm.
Keilis and Velyt
Velyt Nienne - WordsAssociations: The Students of Baldesion, The Immortal FlamesEarly historyToday,Together
Keilis and Naia
Naia Newpath - WordsAssociations: The Rogues' Guild, The MaelstromEarly historyToday,Together
Keilis and Aji
Aji Starshadow - WordsAssociations: Athenaeum AstrologicumEarly historyToday,Together
Keilis and Teva
Teva Lightstep - WordsAssociations: Order of the Twin AdderEarly historyToday,Together
Keilis and Atrienne
Atrienne Erevei - WordsAssociations:Early historyToday,Together
Keilis and Dowani
Dowani Fa - WordsAssociations:Early historyToday,Together
Aether, Rent and Mended
Kintsugi
Beautiful, spiritual, and philosophical, kintsugi is the art of mending the broken with the precious, such as shattered pottery with gold. In this way, the wear and damage is illuminated rather than hidden, flaws are embraced, and imperfection celebrated. It teaches that experience is to be treasured and impossible expectations discarded.In the recent past, Keilis participated in a magical ritual that was interrupted with a terrible backlash of sorcerous energies. The man was lucky to survive it, though his aether was shredded and a long magical convalescence awaited him even after waking from his coma. Today, he is stronger for it all, but is also changed by the injury, his experiences during recovery, and the strange particulars of how he repaired his soul.
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