Genesis.

I'm at a loss. I really don't know where to start. I think what I shall do is spend some time setting a bit of a backdrop, then I can focus on specific topics or what I'm thinking about at the time. I'll warn you now; I'm almost always a long-winded writer.

Therefore, allow me to introduce myself. I am an adult male. I'm originally from the Midwest US, but currently reside in Hawaii. I have lived a relatively chaotic and interesting life, which I won't get into here. Years ago, I finally broke down and decided to try out Final Fantasy XI. I have been playing the Final Fantasy series since its North American inception. I previously was not interested in playing an online-only installment, but I did, and the rest is history.

Draconum, my character in FFXI, was created on July 24th, 2004. He's actually my fifth overall character, after I experimented with other races/nations/servers. He is a "Large Elvaan Male," which is to say he's very tall and lanky. This was chosen as a pseudo-reflection of my real self. Only I don't have fiery-red hair.

My character has had a few nicknames. As time goes on in this journal, you will find that nicknames for people / places / things are a definite part of my life, in this game as well as out. I will try to keep it from being too confusing. I am or have been called Drac, Drak, Draco, Drac-man, {Prince} or {Knight}, and more recently, "loldrg." There are more, and it largely depends upon the person. I'll generally just shorten my name when I write.

On the day I created Draconum, I also purchased and created a Linkshell. I named it TheSolonavi and colored the pearls a turquoise-like shade. This Linkshell has been my pride & joy for years now. I'm happy and proud to know the friends I have met. In short, I log in to FFXI for these people, for the community and relationships that have been created therein. I hope to recall & post various stories and experiences with TheSolonavi for this journal as time progresses.

TheSolonavi has gone through what I refer to as four seperate "generations." This is to say that when I created it, members and perhaps mission statement were different than the three fairly seperated periods of time to follow. These generations were divided by my absence, essentially. I have taken extended breaks for months at a time, and when I return, it seems not only my personal feeling toward the game changes, but the LS does as well. Nowadays, TheSolonavi is a social, helpful LS. We are a tight-knit group with few members but I am quite familiar with each of them. Their personalities are what fuel my interest in FFXI. I will introduce them as needed.

My main job for a long time was Paladin. Tank extraordinaire, I prided myself on my ability to keep the fight under control. Later, my side project Dragoon began to catch up, and eventually surpass Paladin. I've always been one to hop around to different jobs a lot. I am a versatile kind of player, and I like to think I have a good amount of knowledge of nearly every job class in this game. I have the well-rounded experience to act as tank, healer, damage dealer, and most importantly, leader. There aren't always leaders to be had, so our responsibility is important.

My friends (LS members or otherwise) can often be caught discussing statistics, gear, and general playstyle practices. These discussions sometimes go on for hours. I am not an elitist nor do I exclude people who don't see things my way. In fact, I'm of the mindset that I find a way that works well, but recognize that other people will either disagree or find that they enjoy something else. This is all well and good, because above all, FFXI is for our enjoyment. That's why we pay for it, right?

I have not been writing about my adventures thus far, but there has been a photo-journal
for quite some time now. Hopefully I can adequately document some of my travels between the two. Check out the photo album at: http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j6/OdinDraco/

Until next time~