Allow me to introduce Ingenia

 

This is Phlux. This Elvaan male started out a RDM, and is an excellent one. In addition to RDM, he has BLM, WAR, and THF at 75, with DRK and WHM coming up through the ranks quickly. Phlux has probably done just about everything one can do in FFXI - all manner of endgame activities, missions, quests, and battlefields, and he has the gear to show for it.

In an alternate reality, this handsome Elvaan man is an adorable Tarutaru female named Ingenia. We call her Ing, or sometimes Geni, and for the time being she is a MNK. In our final party setup, Ingenia will be our PLD tank -- because Tarutaru female PLDs are among the cutest in the game.

An experiment in choosing to be noobs

It all started as a crazy idea, formed in a half-dream state as I was falling asleep one night.

I have been playing Final Fantasy XI for about 2 years now. I've got 2 jobs at 75, I have a decent grasp of most of the game, and I've experienced a big chunk of the things you can do. Boy a lot has changed - I remember being a total noob who didn't even know how to talk to people or move around. I wonder what it would be like to be a noob again - like if I was starting now, but with all the knowledge I have about the game?

I mulled the idea over for a few days before bringing it up to Melsara. Mels is one of my favorite RDMs (and DRK, THF, COR) and has been playing the game longer than I have. He laughed, and then decided the idea sounded fun. We started talking about finding an alternate server to make mules on, so that we could duo. But the more we talked about it, the more we both thought it would be even more fun if we had a full party of 6 to play with.

We approached my in-game twin, Sheathe, first. The idea was greeted with much enthusiasm, and Sheathe came firmly onboard. Next up, I talked to two of my other favorite RDMs, Imitarate and Phlux. Imit first said no, that he was going to be too busy - but that didn't last long. ^_^ "What the hell? I'm in." was the answer after about 5 minutes. Phlux thought about it for a couple of minutes, then agreed that it would be fun.

5 down, 1 member to go. We spent a week or so discussing who else would be a good fit for our group, and fit all of our requirements - 1-2 jobs at 75 on Gilgamesh, a good grasp of the overall game dynamics, and someone who is known and on friendly terms with everyone else in the group. Then it hit me - Ellion! A real life friend of mine, and someone that everyone else knew and liked. I proposed the idea, and he immediately agreed.

With the party filled out, thus was born the Mules of Gilgamesh!