#Elpis

[asteriasfallingstarsandtears]

One of my favorite parts of Endwalker is Emet-Selch seeing the Ghost WoL, immediately clocking it as Azem Something and going No, Not Today Satan while Hythlodaeus is sitting down beside the Ghost WoL and making pspspspsp noises at them and offering them free hugs and Emet's Aether and giving Emet the biggest wettest puppy dog eyes of Can We Keep Them?

Meanwhile WoL is having some emotional whiplash and an existential crisis.

[donutfloats]

Apollo and Leshy doodles (with bonus daughters) for the soul

[diadoescomics]

My tribute comic to the Ancients.

It didn't really come out as I would have liked but I'm glad I finished it.

The text is from the song "What Angel Wakes Me" from the Titania fight in ffxiv, written by Masayoshi Soken. Making this comic was only possible through the support of my patrons. If you enjoyed it and want to see more don't forget to ring that bell and smash the subscribe button consider giving me a follow and donating on kofi or subbing on patreon! Links are on my pinned post

[jacketbopo]

starbird

[caladhel-iarian]

This started out a lot shorter than it eventually became.

I got the idea for this comic when a Lalafell flew by me on the goobbue mount and it made me remember how my friend always screamed whenever I used my goobbue mount to sneeze on him. It was all too easy to imagine Emet-Selch having a similar reaction to a goobbue's unfortunate defense mechanism--and even easier to figure out who might have created something like that.

Welcome to my Azem: remarkably smart and forethinking in some ways, incredibly thoughtless in others.

[sapphire-scarletta-wol]

Wol in elpis is basically just a stray cat wandering into an animal shelter where everybody wanted to adopt them

~~~~~~

[4threset]

Endwalker Menus

[autumnslance]

Ancient Transformation

I know how we all love to meme on how it's stated transformation is seen in the Ancient society, but I also tend to think it's one of those cases where the actual meaning of the passage has been, well, meme'd a little too far.

(Like how the devs have had to go out of their way to point out Estinien does bathe, guys, it was aetheric alteration to his armor, and he does regularly wear armor which might lead to funk and helmet hair but he likes to be clean when it's off.)

Let's look at the actual passage in the Elpis quest "Their Greatest Contribution" where they're trying to help the charybdis fly (bolding by me):

Hermes: I shall transform and fly with it, helping it to manipulate wind until it finds its wings. Troubled Observer: What!? Y-You needn't go to such lengths… (Emet-Selch notices the WoL's confusion) Emet-Selch: You don't know? But of course not… Emet-Selch: Transformation is an art in which one manipulates a vast quantity of aether to construct another body around oneself. Emet-Selch: In practice, this allows one to assume any conceivable form, and thereby transcend the limits of one's flesh. Emet-Selch: Yet convenient though it may be, transforming in the presence of others is considered vainglorious in the extreme. As uncouth and unseemly as running about robeless. Shameful. Emet-Selch: Am I to understand you make a habit of this? Hermes: N-Nothing of the sort. It's just that, when transformed, I can wield the wind and fly. Hermes: It may seem excessive, but what is our shame next to the lives of these creatures? Hermes: They deserve a chance, and we owe it to them to do all in our power! Emet-Selch: Be that as it may…

What everyone tends to focus on, of course, is his analogy of "running about robeless" and equating that it's the same as nudity. Which makes for funny memeing.

But look again at the actual description of how transforming is seen:

Yet convenient though it may be, transforming in the presence of others is considered vainglorious in the extreme.

"Vainglorious" is the adjective of "Vainglory" which Merriam-Webster defines as "excessive or ostentatious pride especially in one's achievements; vain display or show; vanity."

the "uncouth and unseemly" part isn't so much the nudity part, but the showing off. Visibly boasting about one's power and strength by displaying one's transformed state.

So why the nudity analogy? Well, for one, is it actually discussing nudity, or walking around in outfits/ways that don't conform to societal standards? Ancient society seemed to be striving for an egalitarian system, which their magics made easy enough, though there's still stratification of some kind (based on peoples' roles). But the robes and masks are an attempt to produce a visual equality among members with variable magical skill (and that would otherwise be seen via those transformations if they indulged in them). It's about the conformity (for better or worse) to community.

The other reason I can think for that analogy is how common Ancient Greek inspired words and names in Amaurot's world are. And what many people also equate to Ancient Greece, aside from the tales of the Olympians, is the myriad artwork, often in various forms of athletic bodies in competition, whether war or sports. While there's plenty of fully clothed/armored imagery, classic nudes are common imagery in popular culture and not even in a sexual way; they're showing off their prowess as athletes and warriors.

(The third possible reason is Emet-Selch has ever been a Dramatic Bitch Like That and tends to the theatrical in his wording, even at his most traditional and conservative.)

Emet-Selch's concern about Hermes transforming is because it's considered bad manners to just transform on a whim--because it would indicate he's a boastful show off, or reliant on his transformed state, or otherwise cavalier about societal norms--which however one reads the line about transformations, would, from Emet-Selch's view, be a bad look for a potential member of the Convocation!

And the poor charybdis observer is all too aware that a member of the Convocation is standing right there, boss! Even if this is something Hermes does at times in extreme cases to aid their creations in his role as chief, this is not the best time to break out the transformation, even for the sake of a troubled creature.

And of course we do eventually see Hermes in his transformed state, and just how capable he is at manipulating wind magics in it.

In the end, the question of transforming for something as simple as the charybdis's struggles strikes me as yet another indicator, despite his mentor's nomination, that Hermes was not Convocation material despite his role as Elpis's chief; his shaken state post-Ktisis would be seen as a reaction to the "accident", and he likely knew how to mask (in the social emotional sense) and give the right answers despite his own depression and doubts. And with none but Venat remembering what else happened in those days at the facility, he managed to obtain the role anyway, now that he believed his Meteion project to have failed.

[kar0xs]

Commission done for Insomyy on vgen~

[Check pinned for commission info!!]

[varethane]

The risks of not properly reading the sidequest instructions...... or, that time I lost a game of chicken with my own healthbar.

Bluesky | Shop

[pobbler]

At journey’s end

[donutfloats]

Leshy and Apollo’s daughters have names!

Gaia the eldest daughter, and Elpis the youngest daughter

[jove999]

[gelatinpanda]

━━━━━━━━━━━ [M] Chambers of the 14th Like always, if you want to visit, I can add you!

[dysansohmin]

[cosmicseashanty]

Sky Unsundered / Order Yet Undeciphered