Perhaps it was Inevitable

I applied to Eminence last week. Yes me, the Taru that was never going to do anything end-game. I applied to an HNMLS. Really. And they've given me a trial pearl. I think Beaucedine Glacier must be melting, and flowers are blooming in Xarcabard.

This came about mostly because there are things I'd like to do in the game that I haven't done yet: like Einherjar and, as I put it in my app, helping tank bigger and badder monsters than I've encountered in the past. I was talking to Goldfish earlier last week about Einherjar, asking if he thought TU might be able to cobble together a competent enough group of people to try it, since we're probably killing Salvage. I figured most people who were interested in it were already doing it with other shells. He said "You know, you should just join an HNMLS," and added that Eminence was open for applications.

I talked with Goldfish a bit about the shell, wrote up an application, talked to Peti as well, and then the next evening got a bit of encouragement from both Diasuke and Aksukia. So I actually submitted the application last Tuesday evening. I feared my lack of end-game experience and the fact that I have only PLD at 75 would weigh heavily against me, but I do have a lot of experience with Dynamis and Limbus, and have done a lot of different things like missions, assaults, and Nyzul. And I really do have a lot of nice gear on my PLD, thanks to all the people who've helped me over the years.

The Eminence schedule seems TU-friendly, since we have members who are in both (Goldfish, Peti, Dasheeit, and Reefermadness), and the few open spots in my schedule seem to fit in nicely with them. However, I do have a lot of in-game commitments, not to mention my long commute and full-time job allowing me only a few hours in the evenings for FFXI. Hopefully this won't be a problem going forward.

The public reaction to my application was welcoming, and on Saturday afternoon, Nyx/Muffins found me in Southern San d'Oria [S] and gave me my pearl. I attended my first Einherjar run (Tier I) and a Sea farming excursion that afternoon, and it was a lot of fun, though I felt very much out of my element, not to mention nervous, while trying to make a decent impression. I felt a bit like a bug under a microscope. I'll get over that soon enough I'm sure!