Sima Qian - 司馬遷

Lei ho ⸺

  hi, i'm lao!   a Qing Dynasty meat shaped rock who works as a researcher, scriptwriter and lead editor for a large history youtube channel. In my free time, I'm a hobbyist writer, gposer, roleplayer, and novice digital artist (don't ask to see my work unless you want to behold some poorly composed uncanny valley of my OCs.) My characters all reflect my background in history, and are heavily inspired by various historical societies, cultures and sub-cultures which I try to fit seamlessly into the FFXIV setting. I enjoy playing grounded, low-power characters and telling stories about every day people's struggles in a world full of hardship and injustice.

  ˖· Rule 001 ⸺ .      Adults only.I am a 21+ player and require my partners to also be 21+ years of age.


  ˖· Rule 002 ⸺ .      IC =/= OOC.Please maintain a separation of IC and OOC when interacting with Sima Qian. His views and morality are not my own. Sima Qian is (at least in my interpretation of him) a good person, but his moral framework is fundamentally inspired by the conservative state Confucianism of old. He believes in benevolent leaders, obedient followers, and a society where harmony is achieved by everyone knowing their place. This is an intentional writing decision, not an endorsement of these values.


  ˖· Rule 003 ⸺ .      In conflict RP, be sensible and fair.Sima's story navigates through themes such as childhood trauma, violence, exploitation and human trafficking. Please be aware that you may encounter some exposure to these themes during roleplay, although the extent of which can be discussed OOCly.  ˖· Rule 004 ⸺ .      No ERP on this character.Sima Qian is happily married and fully monogamous. I am not looking to engage in romantic or sexual RP on him. I'm perfectly willing to have him be exposed to adult themes in the context of his story, but he will not be a direct participant.

  ˖· Rule 005 ⸺ .      Grounded Characters.I would prefer to RP with sensible, well-rounded characters; Characters who wouldn't look out of place among the NPCs of whichever nation they're from; characters who participate in society and have a job. I'm perfectly fine with characters with power and rank. I also love professional characters who are excellent at what they do. However, I draw the line at "rare case" characters whose premise relies on being one-in-a-million, characters with a shopping list worth of magical, demonic or cybernetic enhancements, and demigod-like characters who can personally beat up the warrior of light in a fistfight.


  ˖· Rule 006 ⸺ .      Communicate!Please be vocal with me about your boundaries and preferences, not just prior to our RP but during our scene as well. I thrive best with an rp partner who is unafraid to tell me what they want to write and how best I can collaborate them to help them achieve those writing goals.


  ˖· Rule 007 ⸺ .      No overly "modern" characters.I do not want RP anything adjacent to smartphones, tablets, social media, and modern streetwear like hoodies, sneakers, et cetera. I will not interact with anything related to Alexandria / Solution 9, or anything related to cosmic exploration and space travel. However, I am okay with Garlean magitek, as I don't see it as too aesthetically close to modern 21st century technology and fashion, and believe it to be better integrated into the lore.

Sima Qian.

  Occupation  
Sima Qian is a highborn Doman and provincial government official, serving as the chief law enforcement officer in the southern Yanxian trade port of Wansui. Lord Sima directs the The Zing On Si (靖安司 - Literally, the ‘Bureau of Tranquility and Peace’), a local police force which fights an uphill battle in their mission to rid Wansui of the highly organized Triad gangs which dominate the city.  PERSONALITY  
Humble, unassuming and bookish. Sima embodies humility, mindfulness, restraint, and tranquility. Yet, despite his near endless patience and temperance, an undercurrent of darkness lies deep inside him, submerged beneath the demeanor of the virtuous scholar-gentleman.  LIKES   history, philosophy, studying the ancients, filial piety, martial arts, inner cultivation  DISLIKES   Arrogance, Cruelty, selfishness, decadence, gaudiness and excess  HOBBIES   Calligraphy, Painting, poetry, tea ceremony, go (eastern board game)

the features.

  APPEARANCE   Sima Qian dresses with pristine modesty, wearing dignified yet plain robes without ornate embroidery in order to convey a life of noble temperance. Every aspect of how he presents himself, from his immaculate grooming to his upright posture, paints the picture of a formally educated Doman Scholar who holds dignity, propriety and restraint to be the highest of virtues.In spite of that, Sima bares a stripe of snake-scale tattoos across his eyes. Such tattoos are marks of criminality in the far east. How did such a seemingly upstanding, incorruptible civil servant acquire such an ignominious mark?

  STRENGTHS   Diplomacy, scholarship, beuracracy, swordcraft, spearcraft, "the eight gentlemanly arts"  WEAKNESSES   Improvisation, deception, advanced magic, delicate sensibilities  FLAWS   Emotionally repressed, self-hating, impulsive, masochistic, flagellant  ADDITIONAL DETAILS   Sima Qian navigates through a maze of complex ritual etiquette with his every daily motion. The burden of rank, title and hereditary priviledges compel him to adhere to a rigid protocol in how he sits, stands, walks, speaks, bows, eats and drinks. The effortless grace with which he carries himself is the consequence of a childhood spent being rigidly drilled in the proper way to pour tea, sit perfectly still for hours on end, and maintain face and social harmony with every interaction.These rituals are not performed out of petty snootiness, but are a critical necessity in maintaining power and influence in the unforgiving political labyrinth of Doman beuracracy.

  ˖· Hook 001 ⸺ .      A Crime to ReportHave you been the victim of a crime within Director Sima's jurisdiction? Are you being extorted? Has one of your family members been kidnapped for ransom? It is Lord Sima's principle duty under heaven to protect the persons and properties of his city.  ˖· Hook 002 ⸺ .      A Score to Settle.Are you a criminal with dealings in the east? If so, then it is very possible that Lord Sima's diligent policing efforts have resulted in the seizure of your ill-gained property as it passed through Wansui's harbour. Perhaps you have a vested interest in retrieving your confiscated assets from the lawmen who took them.

  ˖· Hook 003 ⸺ .      The Torii Times.Before passing the provincial civil service exam and becoming a government official, Sima was a well known crime reporter, where his unfiltered journalism made him the enemy of many powerful actors in the Doman triads. If you're a member of the criminal underworld, perhaps you've heard of this troublesome whistleblower.  ˖· Hook 004 ⸺ .      The Six Arts.According to the literary canon of the ancestor sages, the eight arts of the Doman noble are music, strategy, calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine, flower arrangement and tea ceremony. Are you a fellow highborn Samurai of the far east looking for a man of refinement to share verses with, discuss brush strokes with, or play a stimulating game of igo? Sima Qian is always ready to form a friendship with an honourable literati.