#Patch 6.2 MSQ

[bi-disastersoup]

Into the Void - Part 1

Welcome to a new VN series. These ones are much shorter, so I won't be doubling up the images.

Greatly recommended you read Shifters first if you haven't, or some of the stuff covered in this series might not make a ton of sense.

very mild CW for emetophobia and also spoilers for patch 6.2 MSQ (takes place right after the second fight with Scarmiglione)

Let's go.

Strap in, ya'll.

(Part 2)

[farfromdaylight]

anyway now that i dont have to spend all weekend in ucob pf i have an actual chance of finishing post-ew msq on rune, pray for me

[lavampira]

4, 16, 17, 26 for the ff14 asks?

ffxiv questions

ty friend!! 💚

4. favorite expansion?

shadowbringers!!!!!! the themes just hit me in such a profound way, and I love almost all of the fights whether dungeons, trials, or raids, so it still has a special place in my heart.

16. favorite primal?

it feels like a copout if I say hydaelyn, so I’m going with shiva, both normal and eden versions. I love her design and ties into the story!!

17. which patch did you start in?

I started the game in june 2022 so it was between 6.1 and 6.2, but I didn’t catch up on msq until a week or so right after 6.3.

26. favorite mount?

if I’m not riding around on the island gator then I’m probably on the garlond GL-II motorcycle c:

[tarounoden]

FFXIV - Patch 6.4 Golbez Theory

Alright folks, this is the big one. I’d been holding off on going all-out on this theory for some time, if only because I felt I needed some more concrete evidence to support my point. But with the release of the Patch 6.4 Website, I now feel confident enough to speak up about what I think will be an upcoming twist in Patch 6.4; that being the reveal of Golbez’s true identity in Final Fantasy XIV. Spoiler warning for the FFXIV MSQ obviously; and spoilers for Final Fantasy IV as well while we’re at it, since it’s kinda hard to talk about Golbez’s identity without talking about the big twist in the original game.

Anyhow, let’s start by recollecting what little bits of information we know about Golbez; based on the cutscenes that he appears in (or is the subject of).

Golbez’s Cutscenes

Golbez has appeared directly in 10 cutscenes so far. They are as follows;

1. 6.1 A Brother's' Grief (Post-quest cutscene) 2. 6.2 Where Everything Begins (Echo flashback after instance) 3. 6.2 Nowhere to Run (Cutscene after walking segment) 4. 6.2 Buried Memory (Post-quest cutscene) 5. 6.2 Shadowed Pasts (Scarmiglione 2) 6. 6.2 Shadowed Pasts (Barbariccia 2) 7. 6.3 Desires Untold (Echo flashback after trial) 8. 6.3 Gods Revel, Lands Tremble (Post-quest cutscene) 9. 6.3 Shadowed Pasts Once More (Cagnazzo 2) 10. 6.3 Shadowed Pasts Once More (Rubicante 2)

Beyond these cutscenes, however, it’s also worth nothing that the scene of our conversation with Rubicante after #7 is massively important; as this scene directly states Golbez is hiding a secret desire beyond that of his planned crusade. I’ve labelled this one under the heading of “X. 6.3″.

Many of these cutscenes are hiding small hints that imply Golbez may be much more than he seems; and that his true identity may not be what some may initially assume. Let’s review.

1. 6.1 A Brother's' Grief (Post-quest cutscene) Our introduction to Golbez. He warps into the room with a wave of shadow engulfing him, and clutches his right fist, before doing a dramatic cape twirl leading with his left-hand.

Whilst it’s a small detail, I should note that in Dissidia, Golbez had a similar cape-flick in his fight intros; except he led with his right-hand there instead. This ties into another detail that I noticed in a later cutscene...

2. 6.2 Where Everything Begins (Echo flashback after instance) Golbez is named here, and whilst he hints about having other plans for Azdaja, this scene doesn't seem to be hiding much beyond what it tells us directly.

3. 6.2 Nowhere to Run (Cutscene after walking segment) Interestingly, despite his fears of a memoriate interfering in his plans, the patch 6.4 artwork seems to depict a memoria crystal by Golbez's side. Could Golbez be a memoriate himself? Unless he's half-voidsent (or even completely human) like Zero, he shouldn't have been able to retain that ability following the flood of darkness.

Golbez being (or having once been) a memoriate would also have interesting implications for his past. Given the ongoing theory that the power to wield memoria was a “blessing” granted by the Ascians, and with us later learning that Golbez has spoken to Ascians in his past, could it be that Golbez recieved some of his power from the Ascians directly? After all, the original Golbez’s famous twist was that he had been possesed by a greater evil; a greater evil associated with the moon (much like how the Ascian’s are associated with Zodiark and the moon by extension).

4. 6.2 Buried Memory (Post-quest cutscene)

"The prison of passivity is an obstacle to my cause. And so you must fall. What irony that the blessed damned should set us free!"

The line and scene that started many an MSQ theory. We all know it; that still image of Golbez striking down a robed figure that resembles the Watcher, foreshadowing the reveal of Golbez's headquarters, and furthermore the means by which he could achieve his goals. And yet, what if I told you there were two small details in this image that I haven't seen others note up to this point?

For one, Golbez's sword. Golbez is clearly wielding a Moonward Longsword here. The Moonward Longsword owes its design to the sword Cecil is depicted wielding in several pieces of official artwork for Final Fantasy IV; including several Amano artworks. See the above comparison; top left being (FFXIV) Golbez’s sword, top right being the Moonward Longsword, and the bottom being Cecil’s sword from the Amano art.

Secondly, Golbez is wielding the sword in his right-hand. Whilst this may be a superfluous detail, it should be noted that in his past appearances across the Final Fantasy series, Golbez has historically been a left-hander. Combined with Golbez using his left-hand for his cape flick instead of his right, I suspect that, for one reason or another, Golbez’s dominant hands have been deliberately mirrored for his FFXIV incarnation.

I should also note that Golbez is seen holding a different sword (alongside his Shadow Dragon) in the Patch Art for Patch 6.4. However even then, his sword seems to owe a few design queues from Cecil’s sword; with a grooved handle, a golden orb near the crossguard, and a blade that widens just after the crossguard before tapering off further down the edge. Interestingly, the crossguard on Golbez’s new sword is inverted, pointing towards the pommel rather than the tip of the blade. Finally, I should also note that Golbez is, once again, holding this sword in his right hand.

5. 6.2 Shadowed Pasts (Scarmiglione 2, Cutscene 2 in Unending Journey) Golbez's aether is described as "overwhelming" by Scarmiglione. It is unclear if Golbez has already feasted upon some of Azdaja's aether at this point (though it is possible). And if Golbez’s “overwhelming” aether didn’t come from Azdaja, then where did it come from? I have multiple theories. One possible source could be, as raised earlier, power recieved from Ascians. But there’s another possibility that may tie into Golbez’s supposed secret identity...

6. 6.2 Shadowed Pasts (Barbariccia 2, Cutscene 4 in Unending Journey) No notable details here.

7. 6.3 Desires Untold (Echo flashback after trial) Golbez reveals that he has, at some point, spoken to Ascians. In the French translation, Golbez uses the gendered-term "Ascianne" here, implying the Ascian he spoke with identified as a woman. Ergo, it is highly likely that the Ascian he spoke with was one we know was highly involved in their efforts on the Thirteenth; Igeyorhm.

We also finally confirm Golbez's goal; to invade and conquer the Source. And yet...

X. 6.3 Desires Untold (Cutscene after echo flasback, cutscene 6 in Unending Journey) Notably, after the echo flashback, Rubicante states that Golbez has a goal seperate to that of his plan to open a gateway to the Source. Quote;

"And perhaps your own will resonate with his...and draw forth that singular jewel which abides deep within his heart. A desire which lies beyond his quest to free us from our purgatory. A desire...all his own..."

We aren’t directly informed of what that desire is- However, I believe that it’s already been hinted at across the patches.

8. 6.3 Gods Revel, Lands Tremble (Post-quest cutscene) "The end to life on that star. And the end to my suffering..."

An interesting phrase, that. One that could have multiple meanings; as he’s gazing up at the 13th reflection of Etheirys as he says this line, one could probably assume that “that star” is the 13th reflection.

When Golbez says this, does he mean “life” as in living, and his plan to invade the source, ergo no longer having to “live” on the 13th? Is he speaking of his desire to escape the endless life of the 13th? Or is he perhaps being more cold; expressing a desire to end all life on the 13th reflection entirely? Could this darker interpretation be a hint as to Golbez’s true desires?

9. 6.3 Shadowed Pasts Once More (Cagnazzo 2) (Cutscene 2 in the Unending Journey)

Golbez defends himself from Cagnazzo's attack using a magical barrier that closely resembles Collective Unconcious. Leveva in the Astrologian quests describes the skill as;

"Aether is the building block of all that surrounds us, meaning that everything is connected. Someone closely attuned with that aether can, in a sense, link themselves with others, feeling their joy, feeling their pain. Scholars of the soul call this empathy. Crystal-gazers and card-readers call it the wheel of fortune. We astrologians call it collective unconsciousness."

Prior to its formal introduction as an Astrologian skill, Y'shtola employed a magical barrier that resembled Collective Unconcious at several points in the MSQ. It's interesting that Golbez is able to use a form of magic typically associated with healers; as several later releases of Final Fantasy IV made Golbez's lack of proficiency in healing magic a critical part of his backstory.

10. 6.3 Shadowed Pasts Once More (Rubicante 2) (Cutscene 4 in Unending Journey) Golbez describes his goals in an odd manner.

"It matters not who I am, but what I seek to do. Join me, and together we shall banish the Darkness and see that the sun rises again."

At this point, however, we would know this isn’t completely accurate- Golbez doesn’t want to banish the darkess at all; merely free the inhabitants of the void from it by leading them unto the source. Is he just being poetic here? Or does how he’s phrased his plans offer insight into his 'desire' that is seperate to his stated goals? After all, Rubicante was seemingly the only archfiend to know of these desires.

Tying into #8, we know that darkness / the astral can have an association with life and growth; as we see in E9′s bramble phases and the like. Could it be that Golbez views the two interchangably? That banishing the darkness means a quest to expunge (the endless) life from the 13th? And could he mean to not only invade the Source, but find some means by which to draw its light (the umbral) back into the 13th to end the endless life that has taken root there?

In Summary

Based on all of the above cutscenes, we can conclude the following;

Golbez has a secret desire beyond his war with The Source.

His dominant hand appears to not be his left hand, but his right.

He wields a sword that is almost identical to Cecil’s sword from Amano’s artwork.

His aether is described as “overwhelming”, seemingly prior to the Archfiends being allowed to feast upon Azdaja’s aether.

Golbez can use a spell that resembles Collective Unconcious, which is typically associated with Healers.

He’s interacted with Ascians before; furthermore, if he was once a memoriate, then he may have recieved his power directly from them.

He seems to not only start a war with the Source, but also seeks a means by which to banish the darkness from the 13th. 

But what does this all mean? I believe that all of these are the key to the puzzle around Golbez’s identity, and from looking at all of them, there is one conclusion I come to in particular;

Golbez is Cecil

“Golbez” in Final Fantasy XIV is not Theodore, first son of Kluya and brother to someone named Cecil (as was the case in Final Fantasy IV). Rather, I believe that Golbez in Final Fantasy XIV is Cecil, and for one reason or another, he has adopted a seperate moniker.

“Golbez” here lacks quite a few traits of his namesake, whilst seemingly adopting a few subtle traits from whom I believe to be his secret identity. For one, Golbez is seen wielding Cecil’s sword (in the form of the Moonward Longsword). Furthermore, unlike his namesake, Golbez is right-handed, much like Cecil has been across his many appearances series-wide.

Furthermore, Golbez is seen casting a spell resembling Collective Unconcious; which is associated with healing magic. His namesake was not able to cast healing magic at all; and that in particular played a notable part in his backstory. Cecil, meanwhile, obtained the ability to cast White Magic in Final Fantasy IV after becoming a Paladin.

Speaking of which, Golbez at multiple points states his desire to “banish the darkness” or see the “sun rise again”. Whilst they do pertain to his goals, Golbez seemingly holds a strong disdain for the darkness in particular, hinting that he hides a holy nature, and that he perhaps is more associated with the Umbral / Light. “Golbez’s” secret desire is to return to his past as a heroic Warrior of Light; which is why Rubicante believe’s we may hold the key to drawing that desire out of him.

I believe that, come patch 6.4, we’ll either get a dramatic reveal of Golbez’s true name being Cecil, or perhaps a dramatic unmask that reveals a face resembling Final Fantasy IV’s main character beneath his helm.

Cecil, prior to the flood, may have been a heroic memoriate, much like Zero was. Or perhaps he fell to darkness; and it was his fall that tipped the 13th over the edge and triggered the flood of darkness. Furthermore, Cecil may have recieved the power of the memoriate directly from the Ascians themselves, much like how Cecil recieved the power of a Paladin from someone tied to the moon in the original Final Fantasy IV.

Either way, it’s hard to say for certain just what Cecil’s potential role may be; only that I think it’s possible he has a very large part to play.

However, whilst this theory does tie back to most of the collected evidence I’ve presented, there’s one point that I haven’t been able to tie to Golbez’s secret; that being the source of his seemingly “overwhelming” strength. But I think there may be another possible theory around Golbez’s identity that could answer that.

Or, Golbez is both Theodore and Cecil

I’m taking a mildly Doylist perspective here; a small but noticeable part of Patch 6.2′s plot emphasises the nature of the impacts of voidsent devouring the essence of other voidsent; with Ciriatto demonstrating how voidsent can take on the personality and memories of their pray after he devours Farfarello.

I believe this could be foreshadowing for an upcoming reveal. Goblez, rather than just being either Theodore or Cecil, could instead have been born from one devouring the soul of the other, resulting in a fusion of their abilities, memories, and personalities. Whilst “Golbez” seemingly has a lot of Cecil’s abilties (using healer magic, a 1-handed sword, and being right-handed), he also demonstrates many of the original Golbez’s mannerisms as well as borrows his appearance.

Be that as it may, Rubicante’s comments may not neccesarily be just about a secret desire of “Golbez”, but rather a hint that we could draw out Cecil’s more heroic personality from that of the harsher Theodore; with one side more hopeful of restoring light to the 13th, and the other resigned to invading the Source in search of salvation. In fact, end to Golbez’s “suffering” that he may seek is a final death to split the souls of Theodore and Cecil apart; perhaps one has been dealing with the guilt of devouring the soul of the other.

Thus, explaining why Scarmiglione found Golbez’s aether so “overwhelming”; Golbez is not just a single void-corrupted soul, but the fusion of a mighty Paladin and (armored-and-sword-wielding) Dark Mage.

Conclusion

I’ll lead my conclusion with a disclaimer; whilst I believe I’ve collected plenty of solid evidence, these theories are by no means guaranteed to be true; and I would not be surprised if Patch 6.4′s MSQ or even the upcoming Patch trailer presents a very different outcome to what I have put together.

However, with the evidence that I’ve gathered up to this point, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that “Golbez” in Final Fantasy XIV seemingly draws a notable amount of inspiration from Cecil instead of his namesake; and I believe that ties into the hinting given to us by Rubicante following the latter’s defeat.

In conclusion, I believe, based o nthe presneted evidence, that “Golbez” in FFXIV is actually either Cecil Harvey and not named Theodore at all, or perhaps is a fusion of the two brothers that owes inspiration to both of them.

[alannah-corvaine]

Patch 6.45 is here and I've been on 6.2 since idk probably January bc I have to do Storm's Crown to continue the MSQ and I just straight up don't want to, lol.

[eemamminy-art]

I think the only spoiler stuff I post from the patch will be stormblood duty support yelling lol if that even counts as a spoiler??

Otherwise I will keep stuff to DMs! If I draw any spoilers it will be tagged appropriately with a spoiler warning tag so check your blacklist terms!

MSQ hasn't really hit for me for a long while and I don't want to be negative so I don't really want to bring those vibes when I know others are having a good time! I hope the patch will be enjoyable but even if it isn't I'll keep that to myself or again, just in DMs

There's one thing I'm really invested in but I think it can go a number of ways so depending on how it goes it might turn things around for me! I really liked 6.1 and some of 6.2 so I hope this patch will click like those did :3

[bananarose]

FFXIV Write - #13 "Check"

Noun

Also called check mark . a mark, often indicated by (✓), as on a list, to indicate that something has been considered, acted upon, or approved.

---

⚠️Endwalker Spoilers⚠️Patch 6.2 Spoilers⚠️ Set at some undetermined point of the patch quests, I recommend just being caught up on msq for this one

Banana, the warrior of light, invites some companions to visit her private island. Shenanigans ensue - this piece is not serious, at all.

Masterlist

“Where in the seven hells did they go?” the warrior of light cried out, entrapped in her worst trial yet. Packing. “I had my favorite pair of shorts here just a moment ago!” Banana sighed, slumping her small body against the bed of her room in the Meghaduta, sliding to the floor with a soft thunk.

“Perhaps you put them into the bag already.” Estinien supplied unhelpfully, leaning against the wall in one of his usual tough-guy stances. Banana stuck her tongue out at him, earning an unimpressed stare in return. 

Quiet footsteps sounded from the hallway, the soft clicking of boots on tile. 

“Our hero is rather irritable, you might want to get out while you can.” Estinien spoke without moving a muscle, other than whatever muscles were working to form that irritating grin on his face. 

“I am not irritable… I’m annoyed. That’s different.” she huffed, crossing her arms and glaring at Estinien from her spot on the floor as Zero tentatively stepped into the room, wary of the dragoon’s warning. The voidsent took stock of the situation in front of her: clothes, weapons, and other personal effects were strewn across most of the furniture in the room, there was a travel bag on the bed, sat open and nearly empty, and on the floor beside it was the vaunted warrior of light - small body curled in on itself as she pouted. 

Zero had trouble understanding a lot of things about life here on the source - it was so different from the void she had come from - but this… She was almost afraid to ask.

“She’s lost some clothing, and we’re set to leave in just under a bell.” Banana glared harder, if such a thing is possible. 

“I did not lose it, it was right here.” she laid onto the floor, looking up at her companions “It’s just so hot on the island… and I know when we’re meant to leave, you needn’t remind me!” she rolled over, dramatic, easily rolling her small body under the bed without a thought. Her hand landed on a lump of familiar fabric. “OH!” she rolled back out from under the bed, triumphantly standing up, holding the pair of shorts in the air. “Here they are! They must’ve fallen!” she stuffed the lost and now found article of clothing into her bag with a smile.

“I will not pretend to understand what just happened… but it seems it was… a good thing?” Zero mutters, glancing at Estinien. He nodded, pushing off the wall.

“Seems we may leave on time after all.” he silently padded out of the room, presumably to see how Varshahn was doing with his packing.

“Clothing suited to warm climes.”

“Check!”

“Extravagant gifts for Tataru… who wrote that?”

“Check!”

“Weapons.”

“Check, but don’t attack the animals on the island please!”

“Swim clothes, towels, and sun protectant.”

“Check, check, and we need to pick that last one up from the alchemists on the way out.”

divider credit - @cafekitsune

[la-scree]

6.1 MSQ Differences: Mira

So here's some Mira Lore that I'll finally talk about, mainly as I replay the patches on her.

For starters, there is a longer period of time between the end of 6.0 and 6.1 around two years. It's enough time that rebuilding can start and the Scions can really be seen as disbanded and give them time to be known for their things as themselves. Mira spends her time between Ishgard and Thavnair during this time helping both her homeland and her second home. During this time, she and Vrtra are officially a couple, married even, and have a newborn daughter.

So everything is peaceful and good mostly. Also as a note, the trade agreement from 6.4 was made during this time between Radz-at-Han and Garlemald but minus the access to the Tower of Babil until that time since not needed. (Because that part is pretty iffy but anyway) It's during this time that Mira hears rumors about a vault that is under the Bounty and remembering what Emet said back in Ultima Thule, that proves that she somehow carried the shared braincell from the Scion group: she asks Vrtra about it since it involves a satrap of old. He is a bit hesitant to talk about it but Mira brings up that there are places here that still are recovering from the Final Days even after the period of time. (Look, if they said that they're still rebuilding and cleaning up five years after the Calamity, it works here too). Both of them are compassionate to people and it convinces him to use the treasure.

Buuuuut it's also around this time that he senses someone broke into the vault and both of them go out to see what's going on. And then...

"What are you all doing here?!"

Things Mira did not expect to see: Scions going treasure hunting. Of course, G'raha is the jumpy one. Here instead of in the original story, Estinien takes the lead to go treasure hunting and asking the trust Scions because he's been in Thavnair too and knew Mira just became a mama and thought 'maybe she wants to spend time with her daughter' hence why he didn't ask. Mira just gets on them all since minus Estinien, they all got fancy PhDs and no one thought to ask the satrap they all KNOW about it?!

Yes, Mira drags them. It's amusing. But from there, the canon story and Mira's version is mostly the same. Also, Vrtra never uses small Varshann after the adamantite search and the body we see in 6.2 is his 'default'.

[lily-of-rabanastre]

Ascilia, Scion of Light—Chapter 17(Final)

Whew! At long last, I've finished the final chapter of Ascilia, Scion of Light. The whole fic took me a little over a year now, and has been a rather enjoyable experience for me. I hope that all who read it enjoyed my rewrite of FFXIV Patch 6.1's MSQ, Newfound Adventure—and I hope they look forward to me doing the same for 6.2.

Without further ado:

[squirrelwrangler]

And time for my patch-annual glamor post where I update on the coordinated looks for each job type. I wasn't sure which vibe to go with for combat, and I knew I'd have a second dye channel to play with but not for which gear. But graphics update (which is 99% lightning engine overhaul and higher resolution textures so the differences are subtle and better seen side-by-side in game) and having the ability to haves eyewear and headgear equipped at the same time means Deni looks more like herself.

So, tropical vacation. Embraced the tourist look and kept the weapons to Susanno and Seiryuu aka mostly water effects (I have a weakness for the Four Lords weapons). In Deni's signature colors. Once I reached Xak Tural, I swapped the pants on my Bard to be longer capris to fit the desert scrub land, but the other Phys Rng use my favorite shorts. Summoner with her book and cutoffs. Tanks I have three different looks- the old swimsuit, a more armored look that is a red/blue version of the pink glam I used for patch 6.2 - but the main one for Warrior is the other main glam that I'm playing the MSQ on aside from BRD so I wanted it to look almost the same but slightly nicer. The in-town visits the palace look instead of trudging through the jungles. And Ruby Weapon glowy axe. Healers and (Striking) Melee DPS as more causal beachwear looking similar but not quite like the Magical DPS, and for Dragoon and Reaper I recolored the old standby white and blue. Same with Crafters - changed the light green to blue but nothing else. And for Gathers, those I knew I would keep the same, only changing subtly by finally fixing what accent colors that I could.

Also- Chihuahua minion and the beautiful new inn room.

[bi-disastersoup]

Into the Void - Part 2

Spoilers for the end of 6.2 Patch MSQ. Something untoward is occurring...

Part 1

(Part 3)

[ofthewhitewind]

i miss... them....

[autumnslance]

*6.2 spoilers*

I'm honestly a little disappointed that they didn't expand on RPR WoL's covenant with their voidsent given the whole storyline with the new character. It's handwaved away as "it's different, it's actually equitable" and never brought up again. I get why they did that, but I wish they would give a side quest that would give that dynamic the complexity it deserves

That’s probably the main fault of the RPR quests, which is where it should be explored. Unless Reaper as a job gets more quests, as the new jobs only get 5 or 6 compared to the 11-16 the others have. It’s not likely to come up in depth in MSQ as not everyone’s going to have Reaper unlocked—Dark Autumn doesn’t, and even in 6.1, Aeryn wasn’t on Reaper so didn’t get that optional dialogue line about being a Reaper at all. Side quests would be nice but then they’d have to give at least Sage a follow up sidequest as well (there’s also some threads and details left hanging there IMO). If we do get anything in MSQ, it will only be about Zenos and his avatar’s relationship being Not Great, or more In General how it works.

I haven’t taken Aeryn through 6.2 MSQ yet—the plan is to do that tonight—so I’ll have to add Drusilla to the list of NPCs to talk to afterwards, to see if she DOES have any new dialogues and insights for us (If one’s finished the ShB role and void quests, 2 specific characters there have more to say about our new friend’s abilities and the situation of the Thirteenth).

Otherwise, it can be up to each player to determine, with what we know so far, that “equitable arrangement” with our avatars. The beauty of headcanons and fanfiction.

[meowww-ffxiv]

Ummm. You guys are really cute...

As always, Meowdred and Theodore disagreed on what they think is cute.

[tarounoden]

Void Theorizing; On the Nature and History of Memoria, Auracite, and the Lucavi

Wow! What an MSQ patch, am I right? Talk about a veritable lore bomb; One could argue we learned more about the 13th in this one patch than arguably the entire history of the game (which is impressive, considering we had an entire alliance raid series on it and Mhach...) Of course, this lore bomb hasn’t been without it’s own minor retcons; though none of them are particularly egregious. The most notable of them, of course, is the introduction of “memoria” as the cause of the 13th’s previously mentioned great war (which we now know as the “contramemoria”) and eventual fall into darkness. Previously, the cause was noted to be due to use of Auracite; but this was lore from Encyclopedia Eorzea, and hence from the perspective of Eorzean scholars. As Y’shtola points out, memoria is very similar to auracite in-and-of-itself; so one can easily say that this was due to scholars just conflating the two.

Of course, whilst this patch does answer some interesting questions about the void, there is still one question lingering in the back of my head in particular; namely, why does one of the Lucavi share a name with the above Void Ark boss (and I’m talking about from an in-lore perspective, by the by. I already know the irl reason)? Oh, and I suppose this question can also be extended to Famfrit; whom is somewhat based on the Cloud of Darkness (even if it’s mostly in terms of moniker).

So, in light of this question, I’d like to propose a little theory- that the Auracite created by Ultima and the Memoria created by the Memoriates may be more connected than we previously thought.

So, to start, let’s take another look at Encyclopedia Eorzea. There, we learn that a certain Ascian we’ve already dealt with was primarily responsible for bringing about the flood of darkness; Igeyorhm.

Except, based on the account we have been given, to the residents of the 13th, the Ascians primary involvement in the 13th wasn’t directly in the Contramemoria itself, but rather, through teaching the people of the 13th how to summon “Eidolons” (primals), and then letting the memoriates screw things up as things went along. Igeyorhm... has historically not been an Ascian that involves herself very much with the art of teaching people how to conduct summonings. Instead, that role, at least during the events of ARR, was something carried out by her bff / brother from another mother / lover (?); our good ol’ emotionally-stunted friend Lahabrea. Indeed, the connection between Igeyorhm and Lahabrea has been an ongoing trend ever since Heavensward; with the two both making a short cameo in Elidibus’ memories together, and her being the sole member of the convocation to be able to pick up on Lahabrea’s... change in demeanor due to events we learned about in the Pandaemonium story for this patch. So it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Lahabrea may also have been involved in what happened on the 13th. But if Lahabrea was the one who taught the people of the 13th how to summon, what role did Igeyorhm play? And what was the nature of her conflict with the “Bringer of Light” (of which has been retconned to be multiple individuals chosen by Hydaelyn, including the likes of Cyella and Unukalhai)? Well, for one... where exactly did the power of Memoria come from, exactly? Surely not from Hydaelyn; she granted her own blessing to the likes of Cyella and Unukalhai; and whilst the former wielded both blessing once upon a time, the latter seems to lack the power of Memoria... Well, considering how well it played into their plans, who’s to say it wasn’t the Ascians, Igeyorhm in particular, whom granted this power to the people of the 13th? After all, as I’m sure the followers of a certain Ascian-lover on the bird app would have seen, the Memoria crystals bear the same patterns as the concept crystals used by the ancients.

So, the connection suddenly becomes much clearer; Lahabrea cursed the people with the knowledge of how to summon primals, whilst Igeyorhm gave them snake oil in the form of Memoria, which would eventually tempt the Memoriates into becoming far deadlier than the Eidolons they fought. But, whilst this can explain the origin of the Memoria, it doesn't explain why the end results of the Memoria created some voidsent that would seem oddly familiar to some of the Lucavi. But, let me raise you this; do the concept crystals we see used by the ancients seem to leak out their aether, or tempt surrounding people with power? No. But, there is another form of crystal- of auracite, that we know does. Ultima’s Auracite. From looking at Mikoto’s lecture on the nature of Ultima’s auracite (the Otius in particular), we learn that it draws in “immaterial aether” from peoples thoughts, feelings and memories- and once enough of this is absorbed, these “fantasies” can be made reality.

You don’t have to be a genius to realize that what’s actually being discussed here is what we now know to be Dynamis (another cheeky little retcon there!). The Ultima’s auracite draws in Dynamis from those that hold it, until it reaches a breaking point, and releases the Dynamis to twist the forms of its wielders. And as we know, sundered folks are particularly easy to twist; and the pre-allag people of Ivalice likely would be even more easy to twist, given that they would have been rejoined even less than we have (and hence less aetherically dense). And well, if that’s the case... imagine how little Dynamis energy may be needed to warp someone from the reflections? And hence, how easily someone’s internal wickedness could be corrupted by something like Ultima’s auracite... or something with similar capabilities. So here’s my second theory; that the power of the Memoria, as given to the people of the 13th by Igeyorhm, wasn’t a direct copy of the technique used to crystalize concepts, but rather was designed to create auracite similar in function to Ultima’s own auracite. Which could then easily take even the smallest desires of the people of the 13th, and then use said desires to drive them mad with power, tipping the balance of the shard further towards darkness. Which then leads me to the Cloud of Darkness and Cuchulainn; I believe that the voidsent incarnations of these foes originate from the origins of the Memoria; with a larger share of Ultima’s own influence likely having made it into the Memoria crystal itself.

To elaborate; whilst it’s said that Ultima’s auracite and the forms granted by it are based on the emotions of its wielders, we also know that Ultima seems to have a connection with the specific Lucavi demons we fight across the raid storyline, being able to summon them to her side. We also see them summoned once again by the Sect of Germonique in Bozja; which doesn’t line up with how the Lucavi are supposebly based on the desires of the individual. An additional theory I put forward is this; Ultima’s auracite is something that she and her followers have absolute control over. Whilst individuals can fill the auracite up with their own individual desires and take on a form that fulfills their wishes, Ultima may also be capable of filling the auracite with her own Dynamis energy; and then those whom become corrupted take a form of Ultima’s choosing instead of their own. The Sect of Germonique, in following Ultima, would learn how to do the same; creating corrupted Auracite which could then be used to create more Hashmal’s, Belias’s, etc... This, of course, could also extend to the Memoria, or rather, perhaps prototypes of the Memoria. The Cloud of Darkness in particular is noted to be extremely old and powerful; so perhaps she was corrupted from one of the first ever Memoria crystals, which may have owed more in design to Ultima’s creations prior to Igeyorhm refining the technique. ...anyhow. That, for the most part, covers most of my lore theorizing I had lurking around in the back of my head, with how 6.2 affected my understanding of the previous lore centered around auracite and the 13th. As I said, this patch has definitely given us a lot to think about, lore wise; and has left the door open for a load of theories around the direction of the future MSQ!

[ehslye]

try hard not to kill me (ramble under da cut)

this was not meant to be the way it turned out cus he wasn't even grinning when i sketched it BUTTTT 

- jelly being partially voidsent means he siphons aether out of his enemies when he fights (re: no avatar)  - the longer he fights, the more he feeds on said aether which sends him into a bloodlust so he grows more off kilter n fights like a starved man (literally) - enshroud is sort of the catalyst to him losing his shit – he says fuck the scythe n lunges w/ his claws :] he fought like this while trapped in pandaemonium its all survival instinct babey