#❛ g'raha tia. － headcanons.

[the-random-tyler]

general ffxiv hcs

Daily Routines

More under the cut

The Rising Stones

[necromeowncy]

He's just a lil' guy.

[ainyan]

I could be way off base here, but hear me out.

In Ultima Thule, each of the Scions sacrifices themselves to help the Warrior of Light make it to the nest in order to confront Meteion.

First, Thancred sacrificed himself to create air to breathe and aether to manipulate in a world that had neither, ensuring that the Warrior of Light and the Scions could function enough to do what had to be done.

Second, Estinien sacrificed himself to create wind in a world with no wind, to create a way forward for the Warrior of Light and Scions to traverse.

Third, Y'shtola and Urianger together sacrificed themselves to give the Warrior of Light and the remaining Scions the ability to propel themselves upwards and reach the final gauntlet.

Fourth, G'raha Tia sacrificed himself to create a bridge to the Necropolis, the last bastion of life in this forsaken corner of the universe.

Fifth, Alisaie and Alphinaud together sacrificed themselves to give the Warrior of Light a way to reach the nest and challenge Meteion.

Now, in and of themselves, the sacrifices are significant for the impact they have on the Warrior of Light and strength of will that must have been required to use one's own death as a catalyst to change an entire world.

But more interesting to me is the fact that Thancred, Estinien, and G'raha Tia all made their sacrifices solo, while Urianger and Y'shtola and Alisaie and Alphinaud had to pair up in order to have enough power or strength to affect the world.

Now for Estinien and G'raha Tia, this makes sense. Estinien has long been acknowledged as only just below the Warrior of Light in sheer power and strength - it's possible that Nidhogg (or perhaps Haldrath) acts as an eighth soul, empowering him the way our rejoined souls empower us.

And G'raha Tia is eight-times rejoined - Y'shtola even tells us that his soul is as dense as ours, and we see a number of times throughout the post-ShB MSQ and Endwalker that he is incredibly powerful, if incredibly subtle about using his power.

But Thancred is, if anything, handicapped, unable to access his own aether or manipulate it in any way. And yet, like Estinien and G'raha Tia, he was able to manipulate Ultima Thule and make it work for him. Indeed, his contribution was so vitally important that without it, the Scions and the Warrior of Light would have perished without ever having begun.

We get a lot of hints throughout the game that Thancred is considered something of a paragon by the other Scions, and even by his teachers and peers in Sharlayan. Y'shtola even makes a comment that while all of the Scions are brilliant, Thancred is considered especially intelligent (it's a side comment made if you click on her in one of the post-MSQ chains).

I feel like what we saw in UT was just another confirmation of his incredible strength of will and emotion - the two things that Dynamis most thrives on and responds to. His will, and his feelings, are so powerful, so primal, they rival those of the Warrior of Light whom he so canonically admires.

I wonder what his canonical Limit Break would be if he ever pushed himself to find out. Would he have two, one as a protector, and one as a fighter? We've seen Estinien's a few times, but I wonder if G'raha Tia has one for each role he takes.

An interesting thought.

[deathflare]

casually leaning on his guy

[eemamminy-art]

I love to think of the exarch being gaunt and thin and sickly looking, so consumed by duty and guilt and literally consumed by crystal that he loses passion in eating.

But then G'raha is full and round and healthy and he wants to try every single food he can and enjoy life 🥰

[nights-at-crystarium]

A mix of canon and hc but Haurche smiles like he's trying to display all of his teeth at once, while Raha has a Mona Lisa smile. Both feel like your heart's being gripped with a bare hand.

[mothwingwritings]

Look, I don’t think this would ever happen (if anything I think the two of them are/would be great buddies and would bond over their mutual love of the Warrior of Light/you), but I am a little obsessed with the idea of G’raha and Aymeric being so jealous of each other’s relationship with you that it births an intense rivalry between the two of them.

I’m talking childish levels of banter, one step away from the two of them grabbing either one of your arms and beginning a tug of war match. They would conceal their jealousy during any important meetings, when it’s time to work they are all business and decorum, too focused on trying to impress their hero with their prowess and tact to worry about what the other is doing. But afterwards, before the assembly splits up and everyone is just milling around sharing pleasantries? Oh, it’s on.

G’raha talking just a smidge too loudly about all the fun and exciting adventures he has gotten to share with you (and will continue to share with you far into the future), making sure Aymeric is within earshot so he can clearly hear each little intimate detail. Aymeric in turn excusing  himself from whoever he is speaking with so he can interject into the conversation, standing just a little too close to you as he does so. He places his hand on the small of your back while he regales the party with tales of his time together with you, recanting with a fond twinkle in his eye all the time you spent together as you brought about the end of the Dragonsong War. He focused most of his time elaborating on the moments he spent alone with you and the greatness the two of you were able to achieve together, how well you both complimented each other.

They both get under each other’s skin so easily. G’raha is essentially living Aymeric’s dream life, getting to go on countless daring adventures all over the world (and beyond) with the person he treasures the most. And Aymeric intimately knows you in ways G’raha does not, as Aymeric has been a beloved companion and confidante in your life before G’raha even had a presence. For so long G’raha simply existed as an unreachable, detached entity from you, only able to dream of an eventual reunion (that on most days seemed like an unobtainable dream). He feels like he’s constantly playing catch up, while Aymeric consistently frets that he is being left behind. Both men know sides of their hero that the other does not, and both have experienced moments with you that the other will never share, and that gets to them.

Of course all the other scions notice this and tease them both about it mercilessly. Despite the heavy handedness of it all and their desire to always one up the other, both are always exhibiting remarkably good behavior around you to the point where you yourself are a little clueless as to the extent of this rivalry. And they work hard to keep it that way! No sense in looking like a fool in front or the person they love and admire the most, even if they are hell bent on being as petty as possible to each other behind the scenes to claim the top spot in your heart.

(Which is silly, you love and cherish both equally! :) No matter how much that impartiality may irritate them.)

[crystal-verse]

Call Him By His Name

Thank you for fighting for this world. For believing. Fare you well, my friend -- my inspiration.

[cinnabun-faerie]

Could I request how the Scions would react if they had been able to watch the fight between Zenos and WoL in Endwalker?

A/N: I just imagine them just standing there and at some point, they realize that you both are fighting to the death. And I just can't see them just watching this unfold.

She would be screaming to be let help you. It would tear her apart to see what you are doing. She would fight her way out of her brother's grip and sprint over to you. You don't have to do this alone, and you won't.

If he can't join in your fight he will keep you alive by heals. He has watched friends die and get hurt and he couldn't stop it. But you, he isn't going to let you die. He's going to make sure that is avoided at all cost.

He wouldn't care if this was your fight alone with Zenos, he's going to jump into the fight with you. You have done so much for him and he's not going to let you throw everything away for one fight. Hells, he wanted you to just let him die when he was possessed by Nidhogg but you didn't. So he's not going to let you die. To hell with seeing who is stronger between the two of you, he's not going to let you hurt yourself for pride.

He'd be absolutely devastated when he realizes what you and Zenos are doing. And he knows that if he leaves you alone to do this, you might not survive this. You are a mighty fighter, but you are not invulnerable. If you don't want him to fight, he will find other means to help you.

He knows that this is your battle, but damn it, he's not going to just stand there and watch you fight until you die of exhaustion. He can't do it. There were too many people that you all had lost, and he wasn't about to add you to that list. So if you're upset at him for this, he can deal with it. But not your death.

If this is what you want to do, then he will not interfere. Would he try to sneakily heal you? Yes. But for the most part, he will try to prevent anyone from joining your fight. But if worst comes to worst, he will step in 'alongside your other comrades. He cannot accept your death this day.

While she knows what you want to do, she can't let you die. At some point, she would intervene. Sorry, but you need not fight this battle alone. But perhaps for your sake, she'd wait and watch until she believed it was too much to do on your own.

[crouching-mouse]

*slams table* was nobody going to tell me that there's a version of Eternal Wind with lyrics

okay let me back up...

For anyone who wasn't aware, Eternal Wind is the overworld theme of FF3, but when you hear it in FF14 it's basically G'raha Tia's theme. afaik it only plays during scenes he is in

So the other day I found out that in FF13 Lightning Returns, for some reason there is an acoustic version of Eternal Wind with lyrics and like...I know this game came out years before FF14, but I feel like they fit G'raha SO WELL:

Feel the wind eternal, sweeping 'cross the land

Over sea and desert, stirring waves and sand

Lost within the darkness, I am blinded by light

A radiance that brings endless night

Now a secret beckons, let it show us the way

Together we will find the break of day

Beneath a fiery sky, where the rain runs dry

Let my song be lifted by the wind on high

It's all there: the yearning for adventure, the reference to a blinding light that "brings endless night" (the WoL, his guiding light, becoming the Warrior of Darkness to bring back the night)

and I cannot stop thinking; "G'raha was a bard at one point! The lore books say he is a great singer! PLEASE LET HIM SING THIS SONG"

.....I swear I am totally normal about him

[theworldwalkerswols]

Alt text: Please note repeated tags and numbered tweets indicating thread progression have been omitted. 

Twitter thread by user G’raha Tia @/graha_tia on Jan 1, 2022

RADZ-AT-HAN SCENE ANALYSIS: G'RAHA TAKES CHARGE (and makes the fans collapse into a collective sobbing heap) 

G'raha's flight, fight, or freeze response is 'Assume Full Command and Take Charge of the Situation' and I think it's the most amazing thing.

The guy is surrounded by people who are literally exploding into horrifying, rampaging monsters & the leader of those people was just devoured alive in front of him, and he kicks into high gear & gains control of everybody in under twenty seconds.

It shows his leadership experience as the Exarch, and how many crises and horrors he must have endured throughout his time during the 8th Umbral Calamity and the Flood of Light on the First. Everything about the scene is so perfectly done, too.

G'raha doesn't just pull out his weapon and start screaming orders - he positions himself in the middle of the space so everyone can have a clear line of sight to him, and he to them. This not only makes it easier for everyone visually, but places him at a vulnerable yet defendable point of reference - everyone (including the Blasphemies) can get to him with relative ease and he, as both a healer and combatant, can get to them quickly if needed. He straightens his posture, pulls back his shoulders, tucks his chin a little, and starts speaking slowly from his chest and diaphragm-which drops his pitch half an octave, adding bass & power, and makes his voice carry without much effort and with absolute clarity over the shrieks of the Blasphemies and the sounds of fighting. 

His commands are simple & concise, which is vastly different from his normal talkative demeanor & shows his familiarity with similar situations - after all, it's hard for people in crisis mode to listen & process anything complicated. He's able to break things down to short, digestable phrases: "defend this point", "run here for safety", "REMAIN CALM," and makes it very easy for people both panicking & fighting for their lives to understand & follow.

He has such a strong presence that everyone around just instinctively listens - not a single person questions his authority or decisions, despite most of them having no clue who he is. He establishes himself immediately as a steady rock in the middle of the (almost literal) storm, and even the people who don't know him can feel his reliability & gravitate towards it. The entire scene is just absolutely perfect to me, from the animation & cinematography, to the superb voice acting, to the music and sound design (the cries of the Blasphemies [were] positively bone chilling)... Phenomenal, and one of my favorites from the expansion, not only because it's G'raha. 

A visceral, horrifying experience that compounded & solidified the dire nature of the situation into players' minds, and started a long chain of even more terrifying scenes of tragedy (because objectively the Palaka's Stand arc was one of the most distressing). 

But despite the fear & dread the story always reminded us that even the darkest moments had light. 

Whether it was G'raha standing tall in Radz-At-Han, the WoL & twins fighting their way to Palaka's Stand, or even dear Matsya & the teachings of his faith--it was a constant, well-executed reminder to keep the hope. 

Anyways thanks for coming to my TED talk! 

I'm so happy to have experienced such a phenomenal, thought-provoking, heartfelt story and honestly have much more to say about everything, but perhaps that'll be for another time. <3

Attached at the end of the thread is a meme image of a man sitting at a table on a campus. The sign on the table reads “ENDWALKER IS THE BEST YOU CAN’T CHANGE MY MIND”

alt text end.

--

This thread perfectly encapsulates why this moment was so powerful! It also is so COMPLICATED, character wise, because just before he takes charge, he sighs and it sounds distorted to me, like the voices of those who are beginning to succumb.

[bakuzen-xiv]

G'raha Tia would be the kinda guy to greet the WOL with "Hey, how are you?" and when they reply "I'm good, how are you?" he'd say "Good, how are you?" with the biggest smile on his face

[necromeowncy]

𝘍𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 / 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘩 𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘮𝘦. 🌼🌼🌼

[morgana96]

My Oddly Specific FFXIV Cooking Headcanons

Morgana (my WoL): A master culinarian and hardcore gourmet. Her father is also an accomplished chef from whom she gained most of her experience. People have literally had "Ratatouille moments" while eating her food.

Haurchefant: A decent cook who's been improving recently thanks to tips he got from Morgana. But honestly, his real specialty is beverages — he makes the best hot cocoa in Coerthas, as well as several other drinks and cocktails.

Alphinaud: A reformed rich kid™ who can't cook to save his life. He's quite embarrassed to have gone this long without knowing how to even make simple meals. But recently, he's started taking occasional lessons from Morgana in an attempt to improve.

Alisaie: Another reformed rich kid™ who can't cook to save her life. She's also very embarrassed about it and is now taking lessons with Morgana, but she's managed to turn it into a race with Alphinaud to see who's first to make something edible.

Thancred: Technically a better cook than Alphinaud and Alisaie. He mainly knows bare minimum recipes from growing up on Limsa's streets, and he's not very good at seasoning food. He actually got motivated to improve a little while taking care of Ryne.

Urianger: Actually alright at cooking, but his tastes can be EXTREMELY weird. He'll make a perfectly normal meal one day, but then the next day he'll make one of those unhinged recipes you'd find in a vintage 70's cookbook.

Moenbryda: Not the best chef in the realm, but way better than Thancred and the twins. If she practices a recipe enough, she'll eventually get the hang of it — much like when she taught herself how to make cockatrice meatballs for Urianger.

Y'shtola: Got banned from Matoya's kitchen as a child and hasn't been seen cooking since. She also refuses to elaborate on what exactly she did to get herself banned.

G'raha: Has specific dishes he's good at making, but is well aware that he can't bake for shit. Ask him for a sandwich and he'll make you one with just the right amount of each ingredient. Ask him for a cake or a batch of cookies and the kitchen's at risk of going up in flames.

Tataru: A very talented culinarian. She and Morgana love to make food together — especially baked goods and sweets to share with their friends and Scion colleagues.

Krile: Doesn't cook much, but she's not too bad at it. She's memorized a handful of good recipes that she used to enjoy with her grandfather and other Students of Baldesion.

Estinien: People who don't know him well jump to the conclusion that he can't cook at all. But he's actually quite competent, especially compared to several other Scions. He learned from childhood how to build a fire and cook over an open flame, and while his skills in the kitchen aren't perfect, he can follow a recipe and make something at least decent.

Ysayle: Thinks she's not a very good cook, but actually isn't that bad. She was genuinely surprised when her soup was complimented during the journey to speak with Hraesvelgr, and once she gets a new start with the Scions, she asks Morgana to help her recreate some recipes her family used to make before the Calamity.

[paintedscales]

AuRaugust 2023 - Day 30 - Dawn & Dusk

"I was raised for ten summers without a name. Such is the way of the Tumet."

"In my tenth summer, I was tied to a sacred tree and made to free myself from it. In your tongue, you call them dawn pines. In essence, freeing yourself from these 'dawn pines' is like starting the dawn of a new day. A dawn of having proved yourself worthy of the tribe -- of a name."

"I was always worthy. Even without that trial."

"My name is Nomin tal Kheeriin. In your tongue: Lapis of the Steppe. I gave myself that name, and decided I would not be part of a tribe. For I am of the Steppe -- all the experiences and lessons of the people of the land having shaped me."

"Never did I think I would see myself here, though. Never did I think I would see this kind of dusk; the end of a long chapter in my life. A chapter fraught with so much strife, but also so much growth."

"But here I am despite it all. And I'm surrounded by so much more than I imagined I would be. For that, I am grateful and look forward to a new dawn together."

[rabid-catboy]

g'raha is beginning to regret r'owans offer to take him to the drowning wench (song is the parting glass)