FFXIV: A Bunny of Myself
Posted on March 5, 2023 by Aywren
Back in August of last year, I wrote about how I wanted a side alt in FFXIV that somewhat represented myself. Though my main has been Ben since the Great Main Switcheroo of 2021, I had that longing feeling for a character that I could identify with. I chose my bunny, then under the name of Fljot.
Since then, Fljot has undergone a second shift in identity and a very slight makeover. Mostly just hair color and the addition of a neat pair of turquoise-dyed glasses. At the time, I’d wanted to transition her into a story character concept I had, but it just never took off.
Turns out, I already have way too many story characters that don’t get enough time. Though I tried and tried to pack as many of those alts into my main server in my main FC, over this weekend, I decided maybe I really didn’t need to do that.
What’s in a Name?
While I was running the Little Ladies’ Day quest on all my alts, I logged into my Bun in turn. I recognized that I really enjoyed her aesthetics, and realized I was missing the feeling of having a character that used my net name – Aywren Sojourner.
In the Main Switcheroo post, I wrote that I purposely moved away from using “Aywren” for my main character. This was because it just felt odd to refer to my character by my own handle when I wrote about her. I also felt it kept me from immersing my character fully, especially when I wanted to use her for a story or RP.
Both are still true. But, after having lived with the outcome of this choice for almost two years, I’ve decided there’s nothing wrong with having a casual character who bears my handle.
I know… I know… I’m the most indecisive person.
To make a long story short, I bought a name change and now my Bun (I’ll just keep calling her that) sports the name Aywren Sojourner.
But, as I noted in my first Bunny post, if this character is to carry my name, she’s going to have to catch up on a lot of stuff.
New Bun Projects
My Bun has been stuck at a point in the MSQ right before Holminster Switch (the first dungeon in Shadowbringers) since… well… Shadowbringers launched. I’ve pushed five of the eight characters I have on Mateus through Shadowbringers, but fizzled out when it came to the rest of them.
But even more than MSQ progress, she has zero crafting or gathering levels. That’s something I have to do something about.
While I did say this was going to be a “casual” character, even my casual characters are able to craft and gather at a decently high level… mostly just because I enjoy the process of leveling those jobs. I’m aware of the time investment I’m setting up for myself, but I don’t mind. I’ll chip away at it a little at a time, just as I have my other characters.
She’s also never unlocked Bard as a job. Her main job is Red Mage, which is perfect. But she really needs Bard as well because… that’s just a staple of any character who represents me. Plus, I like to be able to play music in game if I’m in the mood.
New Old Adventures
This past weekend, I spent some time working on odds and ends with her.
First, I unlocked Botanist and Miner, and started them both on a path to leveling. After my first day, I was at level 13 with them both, which is pretty standard. From here, I will do daily Grand Company turn-ins, supplemented by job quests when they are available. Once I get her to the point that she can take part in beast tribe quests for gathering, I’ll be using those.
Not the fastest way to level, but the least time consuming, in my opinion.
I also cleaned up a few side quests that she’d opened a while back. This included unlocking the Firmament, getting access to the new housing zone in Ishgard, and unlocking the Heavensward hunt board.
I also decided, on a whim, to buy an apartment for her. Since I just unlocked the Ishgard housing area, and none of my characters have ever lived in that zone, I chose to do something different and unlock her apartment there.
I’m not fully sure what I’m going to do with the place. Though my Bun has a hefty amount of gil on hand, I don’t think I want to spend it all decorating her apartment (as I’m apt to). I mostly did this because it was something different from what I normally do – I haven’t even explored the newest housing zone yet, unlike the other areas.
There’s a number of things I haven’t done in FFXIV yet – shocking, I know – despite having played for going on 10 years this fall. Dusting off a character that’s not exactly brand new, but has only cleared part of the MSQ, might be a nice refreshing change for me.
So far, I like the feeling of having a character with my name once again. We’ll see how it goes as I spend time and start making that character connection with her.