COMMUNITY
CATALOG
Table of contents Artists Streamers Cosplayers Youtubers Community events
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My firstfound interest in FFXIV began with me watching the 1.0 trailer (meteor!), so I signed up and got into the beta way back, but my popoto of a laptop couldn’t run the game back then. My interest returned during Heavensward in patch 3.1 (you know that one GIF of Meteor tightening his DRG gauntlets in the Heavensward trailer? So good!), and the music there pretty much solidified my reason to buy the game. And I’ve never unsubbed since then! I really enjoy just AFKing around in towns a lot when playing FFXIV, taking in the sights and sounds as well as watch other characters going about their business. It’s still really interesting to think that behind each character is an actual person living somewhere in the world, having fun in-game as well. I also really enjoy running content on the first day of release- clearing it with everyone’s reactions is so satisfying!
COMMISSION PRICING: fenrishion.wix.com/commissions LINKS:
ARTISTS
Fenrishion
I play a Miqo’te named Iorwyn Leucetius and an Au Ra named Sen Yuzuka, both on Tonberry server. I draw sometimes and doodle a lot, and I also craft with resin sometimes! I’m currently trying to improve on my resin soulstone craft and make glass jewelry as well. You can usually find my characters in Limsa, Kugane, or AFK at my FC’s house in the Mist. Feel free to send a /tell and say hello!
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I’ve been a freelance artist for years but I only picked up FFXIV about 2 years ago, and that’s when everything changed. It really did! I loved the game immediately and dove right in to creating fan art whenever I could - I met so many amazing people, including my SO who I ended up moving countries for - and I’m obsessed with the housing customisation and frequently rip apart my small plot and redesign it completely.
COMMISSION PRICING: I really recommend clients contact me for a free quote, as each drawing can differ in complexity and that may affect the price. But for a general idea of pricing: Sketch/Lineart or Chibi: ± $20 Shaded and colored Character with a simple background: ± $40 Detailed Character and Background: ± $70
LINKS: I love the game and the community that surrounds it so much, and I want nothing more than to create what I can for everyone to enjoy!
ARTISTS
Carby Slippers
CarbySlippers#8648
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I’m an artist who enjoys drawing, coloring, painting, and helping people bring their characters to life through it. I started drawing for my Free Company and have since moved on to drawing for friends and commissions. I draw both “chibi” style and detailed normal drawing styles. My favorite thing to do in FFXIV is hang out with friends and explore Eorzea, seeking artistic inspiration and new ideas.
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COMMISSION PRICING: Chibi pricing: Portraits $10, waist up $20, full body $30. For anime/normal style, just add $5 to the chibi pricing. Weapons, minions, and various details can be included as well - Prices are negotiable for these! LINKS:
ARTISTS
Panda Warrior
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Before I became an FFXIV player, I was pretty active as a fanartist and convention exhibitor under the names "S-girl" and “Fairytwister” (fairytwister.deviantart.com). I also authored weekly serials for several years under the pseudonym SGL (talesofthebigbadwolf.com). Several of my FFXIV characters and retainers are named after those in my stories! That said, when I started the game in 2015, a lot of these hobbies were put on the back burner. I needed a break from the intense production schedules behind my hobbies. I had previously played MMOs but FFXIV was unusual in its combination of art, music, and story alongside a fairly sizable friendly community. Of note is that I’m still playing with many of the people I met four years prior- and have met several in person at Fanfest and at other events! Currently, I play with a casual static as a Bard but love to heal and tank in daily roulettes. And when I run out of things to level in each expansion, I enjoy helping people learn content. For me, it’s important to pass on the lessons I received from other players. I’ve recently discovered how much I enjoy combining my hobbies into an interactive format through Twitch. Since I began streaming, I have been experimenting with all sorts of content including digital painting, playing FFXIV, interviewing other FFXIV players (swannlodge. wordpress.com), and playing other games.
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In streams I love to heal because as a healer everyone is watching what you choose to do. A plucky healer can fix the worst of situations or go down trying. I also stream as several different characters- and the specific character can impact playstyle. For example, when I play on my Lalafell tank, he acts like a kid and runs off into everything. He has no fear of death. Healers beware! In terms of my Twitch goals, it’s simply to keep having fun and interacting with people. I enjoy turning what can be a solitary activity into something that either entertains or shows people how to have fun. I’m also looking to see how to give back to the community, whether it be through interviewing and featuring people or even helping them overcome their fear of the game! So if you’re a shy player who wants to learn dungeons, please hit me up on Twitter or on Discord at ElisaSwann#8392! LINKS:
STREAMERS
Elisa Swann
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Lystrade, known as Ly’strade Navaarne on Balmung, made her first Final Fantasy XIV cosplay before even playing the game. Thanks to some friendly peer pressure, she created the female Miqo'te starter set to cosplay with a group all wearing XIV costumes, including her fiance in a Jandelaine costume. She ended up having such a positive experience that she picked up the game, and her love for XIV and its community has grown ever since. The Azim Steppe was Lystrade’s favorite part of Stormblood. She enjoyed its immersive lore about the residing Xaela tribes, but was especially drawn to the fearless and tenacious personality of Sadu. Sadu’s outfit of contrasting of dark blue and silver-white (which represents the night sky) caught Lystrade’s eye, though she admits she was worried about costume’s complexity. Perhaps some of Sadu’s confidence wore off on Lystrade, because she tackled the cosplay despite her concerns, and created a truly spectacular final product that earned her a finalist spot in the 2018 North American FanFest costume contest. Lystrade used a variety of woven fabrics to achieve the same textures as Sadu’s in-game outfit, detailing the fabric with gold and silver stretch vinyl. The tail was created with FOSSHAPE material and stuffed with polyfill to maintain its shape, while the facial horns were 3D printed. Both were detailed with craft foam and 3D paint to achieve their final design. For Sadu’s iconic Black Mage staff, Lystrade used EVA foam and a
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PVC pipe. Magnets were also used to make the staff easier to take apart for travel, particularly the large orb and LEDs inside. The costume’s complexities were not as much of a problem as the make-up, however. Matching the make-up to the spandex suit was a particular challenge, but she was proud of how well the two blended together. Just applying the makeup, including attaching the Au Ra scales, was a two hour affair, while the costume itself took an additional hour. The entire outfit was “very uncomfortable,” but she says the look was worth the discomfort in the end! She enjoyed displaying her work for the developers at the FanFest costume contest, but acknowledged the crowd’s reaction even more: “Seeing people light up, seeing a character they love, really brought a smile to my face (it’s hard to look as fierce as Sadu is when people are so happy around you!). At one point a toddler ran up to me, all excited about my staff lighting up, that was pretty adorable too!” The question for Lystrade now is not if she wants to keep cosplaying FFXIV characters, but deciding how to pick just one at a time. She would like to tackle a bard outfit due to her character’s main job, but she is also considering Y’shtola or even a primal, if one from Shadowbringers catches her eye. Considering her impressive and detailed work on Sadu, we’ll definitely be looking forward to any cosplay she tackles next!
COSPLAYERS
Lystrade
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What drew you to cosplay Sadu? My favorite part of Stormblood was definitely the Azim Steppe, just the overall lore of the area really drew me to the Xaela. Sadu was so fierce, didn’t take crap from anybody, and wasn’t afraid or ashamed of her beliefs. Her outfit scared me at first, but I really loved the textures they used in the in game model and how her color scheme represented the moon (dark blues for the night sky, white/silver hair, etc.). I’ve really been enjoying how they’re developing the story of the Steppe and I can’t wait to see what happens next with Magnai, Sadu, and Cirina! Any particular challenges or parts of the cosplay you’re especially proud of? The makeup was the most difficult part (I knew it would be going in) and matching the skin-suit to the makeup was definitely a challenge. It took about 2 hours to fully put the makeup on, and another hour just to put the entire costume on. I was very proud of the way the scales came out on the suit itself and how it blended in naturally. It was very uncomfortable, but the look it had was very worth it! 14
What are some of the materials you used in your cosplay? Most of the costume is fabric (textured/woven for the base, stretch vinyl for the gold/silver details), craft foam, EVA foam, and nylon/ spandex blend for the skin suit. The scales (face) and body were a combo of craft foam and puffy / 3D paint. Favorite memory of wearing Sadu at FanFest? Wearing it on stage and having developers of the game see me was definitely the best, the crowd reaction was also amazing! Seeing people light up, seeing a character they love, really brought a smile to my face (it’s hard to look as fierce as Sadu is when people are so happy around you!). At one point a toddler ran up to me, all excited about my staff lighting up, that was pretty adorable too! As uncomfortable as the costume is to wear, it was all worth it to make people happy! LINKS:
COSPLAYERS
Have you cosplayed any FFXIV characters previously? My first FFXIV costume was the standard Miqo’te starter set, I had made it a a few months before I picked up the game. My friends (who were all playing at the time) convinced me to make something, so we had a small group (a friend in one of the Yukata outfits, me in my Miqo’te started set, and my boyfriend at the time (fiance now!) in his Jandelaine cosplay). It was so much fun, and the community was so wonderful, that I decided to pick up the game.
Photographer: Cobheran 15
Suzaku is not Carina’s first fray into Final Fantasy XIV cosplay. Known as Ultima Ida on Sarganatas, Carina has previously cosplayed the Miqo’te starting gear, Y’shotola’s Heavensward outfit, and Lyse’s rebellion dress. She was immediately drawn to Suzaku’s design from the day the 4.4 trailer was released, and grew to love the character even more as she worked her way through the Four Lords story and learned Suzaku’s plight. As for the cosplay itself, she had only two months between the release of the 4.4 trailer with Suzaku’s reveal and FanFest 2018, which put her speed building skills to the test. She needed dedication as strong as Suzaku’s is to Tenzen to overcome her cosplay trial, but the stunningly detailed final product is a true testament to Carina’s dedication to her craft.
cosplayers), and copious amounts of hairspray and glue held Suzaku’s iconic swooshy spikes in place. While the armor was one challenge Carina expected, she hit yet another snag with makeup in the final stretch of her costume. With FanFest fast approaching, she discovered the white face paint she had purchased caused an allergic reaction. She ended up buying a pale foundation and white concealer at a Vegas Sephora the day before the festival to match Suzaku’s distinctively white ears on her costume.
Being more familiar with sewing fabric than building armor, Carina anticipated the challenge of designing and building Suzaku’s armor out of EVA and craft foam. Sealing foam is no easy task during October in Canada, as the cold weather ruled out the spray can sealants typically used for props and armor. After airbrushing and painting the details by hand, she ultimately used gesso and Flexbond to make the armor resilient yet flexible.
The sleepless nights, last-minute fixes, and unexpected challenges were worthwhile when the day of FanFest 2018 finally arrived. Meeting fellow cosplayers she had chatted with on the FFXIV FANFEST: The Cosplayers’ Guild Discord channel was one of the highlights of her experience. After watching and helping each other build their costumes in the months leading up to the festival, they were finally able to see everyone’s work in person. She was glad to see cosplay so well represented at the NA FanFest, and gladder still to call many of the cosplayers her friends, brought together by their love of costuming and FFXIV.
She also sewed a total of eight metres of fabric to achieve the floaty effect of Suzaku’s outfit underneath the armor. The wig was purchased from Arda (a favorite wig supplier among many
As for future plans, Carina had been eyeing the Blue Mage and Yugiri’s Stormblood outfit for some time, but with the reveal of Shadowbringers, Y’shtola’s new outfit is calling
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COSPLAYERS
Ultima
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Have you cosplayed any FFXIV characters previously? Suzaku is the 4th costume I’ve made from FFXIV! I’ve made a costume for every year I’ve played, starting in 2015. So far I’ve done the Miqo’te starting gear, Y’shtola’s Heavensward outfit, and Lyse’s red outfit. What drew you to cosplay Suzaku? It was a combination of not having time to do what I originally planned for FanFest, seeing Suzaku’s design in the 4.4 trailer and wanting it IMMEDIATELY on my body, and the ambition to challenge myself with a speed build using skills I don’t normally use. I’m primarily a seamstress, so armor builds as involved as Suzy are super out of my wheelhouse. Still… I felt ambitious (and maybe a little masochistic). I did manage to find time as I was working on her to get through her part of The Four Lords story (since I more or less had to immediately start 18
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the costume as soon as the trailer dropped) and I ended up loving her character and how tragic her tale was. It really validated the decision I made to do it in such a short period of time. Any particular challenges or parts of the cosplay you’re especially proud of? Well, the fact I made it in only about a month and a bit was the biggest challenge AND probably the part I’m most proud of. I like doing speed builds since I find they help refine my skills as a cosplayer, and armor was something I really wanted to try since I don’t normally do it outside of small pieces for costumes that are primarily sewn. It was also my first time using all EVA foam to make sometime, minus the underclothes which I had to sew, and I had to come up with different ways to seal the foam and paint it since it was October in Canada and cold weather plus spray cans are a bad mix. The technique I managed to cobble together to make it both resilient and flexible wound up working super well, so I’m especially proud of that. Another challenge I faced was I had a bad reaction to the white face paint I was planning to use for the makeup! I found out far too late to purchase something I could use instead before my trip started, so my first day in Vegas (which was also the day before Fan Fest started) I had to run to Sephora in Caesar’s Palace to find a pale enough foundation and white concealer I could mix with it to make something workable
COSPLAYERS
her name. Her shortlist doesn’t stop there, however; she’s also interested in gear sets such as the Ironworks and Ryumakyu Maiming set to represent her main class, Dragoon. Tsukuyomi and Omega-F have caught her attention as well. She readily admits that time is a deciding factor in which projects she tackles, but that’s not going to stop her from trying! And if her Suzaku cosplay is any indication, any cosplay Carina creates will undoubtedly turn out stunning!
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What are some of the materials you used in your cosplay? As I mentioned, most of the build was EVA foam and craft foam that was cut, glued, and heat formed into shape with small detailed sanded in with a rotary tool. Everything was sealed with gesso and Flexbond (a flexible glue-based sealant made for foam) and I used a combination of airbrushing and hand painting to paint it. I also used 8 metres (!!!) of fabric in making the pants, skirts, and shirt since I wanted all the layers to be full and floaty. The wig was purchased from Arda Wigs Canada and I used a TON of hairspray and glue to hold the swooshy spikes in place. Favorite memory of wearing Suzaku at FanFest? Honestly, just the experience of wearing it at an event so full of love for FFXIV. It was my first FanFest so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but all the interactions I had with other fans of the game were so lovely and I was so happy. Also entering the cosplay contest and getting to walk on stage with so many other talented folks in the community. I had joined a FFXIV cosplay Discord server in the month leading up to FanFest (shout out to the FFXIV FANFEST: The Cosplayers’ Guild) where I got to meet and bond with a bunch of other cosplayers who were working on their builds for FanFest and
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the contest. We all met up at the event and it was so great seeing everyone’s work in person! There’s a lot of really good cosplay for FFXIV and I’m both glad it was well-represented at NA Fan Fest and that I can now call the folks who made a lot of them my friends. Any future FFXIV cosplay plans? Oh man, I think half my existing future plans are from FFXIV. My shortlist before the new Shadowbringers trailer dropped included Blue Mage and Yugiri’s Stormblood gear, but I’m pretty sure I have to make Y’shtola’s new outfit now haha. There’s also a few gear sets I want to do, like the Ironworks and Ryumyaku Maiming sets because I gotta rep my main job, as well as Tsukuyomi and Omega-F. I… probably won’t have time to do all these, if we’re being honest, but that certainly won’t stop me from trying! Provided that Shadowbringers doesn’t derail everything once it comes out in the summer... LINKS:
COSPLAYERS
since I had to match the ears I had painted white. At the time I was running on zero hours of sleep due to the all-nighter I had pulled so it was an interesting experience...
Photographer: Billy Wong
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I started playing FFXIV after becoming rather disillusioned with World of Warcraft back in the Warlords of Draenor era. I guess I was part of an early wave of “WoW refugees” to FFXIV. I’d been playing WoW since 2004, and never played a Final Fantasy game before, as I never had a Playstation growing up. I didn’t know what to expect, and I was hesitant to say the least, but my friend begged me to try it. There was a free trial, so I figured “why Not?” Three days later, I’d fallen in love with the story, the art style, the beautiful world. I was hooked. Now I’m playing other FF games for the first time, and recognizing familiar elements always puts a smile on my face! I love nature, so FFXIV’s gardening system appealed to me straight away. It’s cool, but can be hard to understand, so I made explainer videos to help new players like me. I got a lot of positive feedback & enjoyed making them, so I started making more FFXIV videos. Well one thing led to another and 3 years later, I’m doing FFXIV content creation full time! I never thought a game besides WoW would captivate my interest and feel like “home”... but FFXIV has done that and so much more. This community has shown me a level of love and support I can never truly repay - all I can do is express gratitude, and return my love for them and this game through content creation. I don’t know where I’d be without them, or FFXIV, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds!
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YOUTUBERS
Zepla
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The Wandering Unity is a Final Fantasy XIV Online Community Hub for Creators of the FFXIV Community and Fans of the game. Our goal is to support Creators in the FFXIV Community. With having things in one place, it will be easy to find new creators you’ve never heard of and support them! We really focus on making the creators in the community as comfortable as possible, we’ve found some great ways to make things automatic, so creators do not need to constantly work on other things outside of their own work. What really inspired us to start, was because there have been many instances where players don’t know about certain creators, or don’t know how to support them. With The Wandering Unity, we want to allow players to make it much easier for them. So far we’ve really made a good job on improving things for everyone. We always are inspired by the creators of the FFXIV Community, and want to thank them for their hard work in the community. And we thought this was a good way of doing it. We’ve been around over a year and a half now, The Wandering Unity came into existence on November 1st 2017. We’ve come a long way and hope to stay around for years to come! Our end goal is that we create a safe place for everyone to enjoy. And have fun conversations with other players and or creators about FFXIV and other things! We’re also always trying out new things, and we hope to get more people involved with fun ideas and or events in-game!
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LINKS:
COMMUNITY
The wandering unity
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