A short time ago, I decided to make a max height Roegadyn man as a potential future partner for my future Hrothgar female Punkin.
I just felt like a big Roe man would be a good match for a Hrothgal and so I entered the character creation screen and started my work. I decided to make him a Hellsguard Roegadyn and thus I needed to come up with a suitable name that fit that type of Roe.
I immediately came up with Oak as the last name because oak trees are some of my favorite trees as they’re tall, sturdy, and hang onto their leaves the longest in autumn. I then needed a first name and I wanted it to be something that meant friendly but could be easily shortened to a nickname. So I chose Cordial, which can mean friendly or a stimulating medicine or drink. I liked the double meaning and I could shorten his name to Cord. Thus Cordial Oak was born!
I wasn’t real sure about Cord’s character when I made him, but as I continued to play him, I realized he reminded me of my father. I’d chosen arcanist as his first class because I liked the idea of a big Roe man who just quietly opened his book to do spells and summoned carbuncles to help him. That fit quite well with my father’s personality because he loved to read and he appreciated the value of quiet time. But he was also a great public speaker and had a big, hearty laugh, and that played into Cordial very well.
Now my father wasn’t over seven feet tall like Cord is, he was only 5’8″ I think, but his big heart, friendly personality, and kind soul always made him feel larger than life to me. So Cord’s grand stature embodies my father in that way. My father also had brown eyes, not blue, and his hair never looked like Cord’s ponytail, but my dad’s spirit is still well represented in my Roe man.
To me, Cordial Oak is an alternate reality version of my father. He’s a younger version who lives in Eorzea and loves to help others and explore the world around him. My father would’ve loved the ability to travel instantly via a magic crystal, to have adorable pets, and to be able to ride fantastical mounts. He started riding horses in his 50s and he was a natural, so I’m sure the Cord version of him can handle any beast.
With visions of my father in my mind, it was easy to settle on how Cord dressed. My dad would wear business shirts and slacks to work but he was happiest in jeans and a t-shirt. My dad also looked great in blue and had lots of blue shirts (as you can see from the pictures I shared of him) and thus most of Cord’s clothing will have blue in it somewhere. I especially love dragoon blue on Cord and have acquired several pots of it for him.
It’s a lot of fun playing a max size Roe man in Final Fantasy 14 because it’s the tallest type of character in the game. Unless there’s another max size Roe man in the dungeon group, I’m the tallest character there and I feel like I could put the other characters in my pockets and carry them along with me. In real life, I’m only 5’5″ so towering over just about everyone is a new experience for me.
This isn’t the first time I’ve made a character in a game that reminded me of my father and it helps me keep his spirit alive. He would’ve turned 83 in May of 2024 but he passed away in October of 2009. Even so, I celebrate his birthday every year and think of him on Father’s Day. I miss him every single day but being able to play a version of him in Final Fantasy helps me feel close to him again. Playing Cordial Oak allows me to share my dad’s warmth, kindness, and wonderfully large personality with the rest of the world and Cord is here to stay.
Srinity 