01: video

[tactical_lalafel]

[The camera cuts in on a close-up - a round face, piercing blue eyes with no clear pupils behind rimless glasses perched atop a snub nose, broad pointed ears sticking out chin-length black hair, fills the field of view, scrunched up in a look of the sort of concentration you'd expect from someone disarming a bomb.] What does that light- broadcasting? Oh, seven hells...

[The face scrambles back, revealing a person standing maybe three feet tall, dressed in a wizardly-looking sort of robe. They wave to the camera, smiling nervously.] Ah, hello! Sorry about that - devices like this aren't common where I come from, and the ones there are tend to be... hazardous, in one way or another. [If Allagan technology isn't malfunctioning from millenia without maintenance, it's functioning perfectly and trying to kill you.]

Anyhow! Malms Vovokosi, battle thaumaturge and adventurer, at your service. [He bows to the camera.] Now, since the Grand Company that brought us here has been so kind as to arrange employment already, I find I have a favor to ask. Does anyone play Illusion: The Gathering? I feel I should have some idea as to what the wares I'm to be selling are.

Comments

[tactical_lalafel]

Grand Companies are the forces officially mustered and maintained by a nation to serve as its defense, as opposed to the independent Free Companies.

At least, that's how they're known in Eorzea. They may name them differently here, I suppose...

[monster_san]

Oh, I see! So it's 'company' in the military sense. [She smiles.] So you have both formal armies and militias? I hope they aren't too much at odds.

[tactical_lalafel]

Generally not too much, although things have gotten a bit... complicated at times. In truth, most Free Companies aren't much more than bands of adventurers who've pooled their resources for convenience and efficiency. The Free Company I'm a member of, the Council of Amos, was founded because it was easier to organize a free company than convince the bankers to put twelve of us down as co-owners for a house.

[monster_san]

My goodness, that is quite a lot of names to sign on a mortgage! I would certainly prefer a company name if I was a banker.

It's interesting to meet a professional adventurer! You must be quite well-traveled, Mr. Vovokosi.

Formatting correction

[tactical_lalafel]

[Calm down, Malms. Just because someone is saying nice things about you doesn't mean they're going to ask you to do something impossible. It doesn't always go like that! (Just usually.)]

I've travelled the length and breadth of Eorzea since I joined the Adventurers' Guild. It's not a lifestyle for everyone [seven hells but he isn't even certain it's for him] but I will say getting to see all the sights it has to offer has been a pleasure. [One that would be even greater if things weren't constantly trying to kill or eat him, but hey, that's the Eorzean ecosystem for you.]

[monster_san]

[poor Malms, she has no idea she's accidentally setting off his alarm bells here.]

As someone who's traveled a little myself--though not so formally as with a Guild--I quite agree. It's very rewarding to witness all the landmarks and natural beauty of a world, even if it carries some inherent dangers with it.

Fortunately, America's landmarks and natural spaces are a little less fraught with peril.

[tactical_lalafel]

[The trials of a J/MMORPG protagonist are many. It is his cross to bear.]

Oh, the travel itself was wonderful. Running all across Eorzea to head off one disaster after another, that was the part that was less great. But, since it seems like I may be here a while, I look forward to seeing what there is to see. The cities here certainly put anything at home to shame...