#and ESPECIALLY of it happening to alphinaud

[haunted-xander]

Best cure for nightmares is knowing your loved ones are safe

[icewitcher]

Just realized it's been a week I didn't play FFXIV and that after I reach that Heavensward part.

The " A smile... better suits a hero." part in english.

And in french "But you... You have such a beautiful smile... Try to not forget mine...."

Definitively in my top 5/top 10 lines that hurt my soul deeply.

And Alphi and the others doesn't make things easier when they say "I didn't know you were so close/had such a relationship.". Like bitch... Are you trying to make me cry ? Like I don't need to know. I know that Haurchefant was flirty with the WoL but not sure I would be able to handle it if they were in a romantic relationship or a queerplatonic relation so deep that it hurts bc WoL reaction was already hurting me by dropping to the knees and holding so gently his hand with their own so adding this and make it canon ?

It's the killing blow.

Well done Yoshi-P, well fucking done. But also you goddamn bastard. How dare you hurt my feelings like this. Do you want to take away what's left of my tears that Honkai Impact 3rd chapter 25 of main story, "Everlasting Flames" animation, the end of the Kolosten arc, "Thus Spoke Apocalypse" animation and the whole Elysian realm arc hasn't take from me ?

[lunadivino]

Putting Alphinaud and Giorno or perhaps Fugo in the same room would be funny as hell

What I would give to put Alisaie and Trish in a room together

[anneapocalypse]

As I've been putting together a timeline for fic purposes I have been going back over dialogue and cutscenes for a LOT of old quests--all of ARR especially kind of blurs together in my head so I've needed a refresher to remember the order things happened in, and something jumps out at me

and that's that Urianger getting drawn in by Elidibus and deciding to act alone without telling any of the Scions what he's doing, in addition to coming not long after Moenbryda's death, also corresponds pretty directly to Minfilia not being around to check in with him anymore.

I think it's evident in ARR how much Urianger looks to Minfilia, how much he respects her and how much trust he places in her as a leader. As the Antecedent she is in many ways Louisoix's successor; she's the glue that's holding together these two groups with aligned goals but pretty different reasons for being there, Louisoix's archon book club and Minfilia's echo support group. After the Scions move to the Rising Stones and Urianger stays at the Waking Sands as its caretaker, more than ever it's probably Minfilia who is keeping him in the loop.

And then one day she's just gone. And Urianger is still in touch with the Warrior of Light and Alphinaud and Tataru as he aids in the search for the missing Scions... but his anchor is missing. The one person he might have turned to is now beyond his reach. And in a way, he still does turn to her; it is Minfilia on whom his plan ultimately hinges, once he knows she has been chosen as Hydaelyn's intermediary. But any chance to consult with her before he undertakes all his shadowy maneuvering is denied him.

I just wonder how differently things would have gone for him, had he not lost her too.

[fisherrprince]

I wonder how much of Alphinaud's ARR attitude not only comes from the teenage "I know better" mindset, but also from him seemingly not having any actual friends growing up. He certainly seemed to *impress* people, but did he ever befriend anyone? No one talks about him having any kind of proper camaraderie back at the Studium...

im like, nearly certain you’re right. almost everything about his upbringing would lead to having no friends, and nothing that we know about vis a vis the twins as kids points to them having friends that aren’t adults? alisaie mentions shes happy hes hanging out with arenvald bc that Never happened before and ALSO she mentions not bringing anyone over to hang out. n despite alphy having people over they were all like... this 13 year old invites you a college student to his estate how are you. like look the twins are rich and go to private schools around their house. setup one. everyone mentioned to come over and hang out in the short stories or their memory is like, krile. urianger. grandpa's friends. theyre close with much older people. theyre INCREDIBLY smart as kids, and jump at least four grades. also, kids aren't often that fond of their-age kids who are way smarter, especially if they KNOW they're smarter than everyone. they absolutely thought they were better bc of it. they know better because they're smarter. 11 year olds in college are very cute, very impressive, but their brains literally haven't grown in yet so they cant be like, friends. they can be cool and rich and smart (whoa a 14 year old with a subversive understanding of politics!) but not friends. YKNOW? they were totally friendless kids who thought they were above most people if not just their age group. and they did not care at the time at ALL ghsdk

[xenodile]

On the one hand, I definitely get the perspective some people take of "the actual adults involved let Alphinaud down" in regards to the Crystal Braves, but I don't like it because it feels like it's trying to minimize Alphinaud's wrongdoing or absolve him of responsibility, and it's kind of insulting to treat him like he's well, a stupid kid that was in over his head.

Like don't get me wrong, he was up to his ears in the politics of Ul'dah and that's definitely a lot to put on anyone, especially someone as young and inexperienced as him, but the reason he was able to get into that situation at all is because, for the purposes of the story, Alphinaud is an adult. Like I see all the time the sentiment "why is this teenager allowed to do all this" and the answer is that in the setting, that's old enough to have independence and make important decisions! As far as everyone else in the setting is concerned, Alphinaud's a grown man that is just as qualified as anyone else to be doing the things he does! If he was just a loud mouthed kid, he wouldn't have the ear of Eorzea's military leaders or the Scions.

Whether you agree or not with the narrative decision to have 16 be the age of adulthood aside, the point is that Alphinaud should have known better. He is genuinely very smart, he knows politics and strategy, he SHOULD have anticipated his enemies trying to sabotage his plans. The Crystal Braves happened not because Alphinaud was ignorant, but because Alphinaud was arrogant. There WERE people telling him something was fishy, Riol was looking into it, the Monetarists' investments were brought to his attention, but Alphinaud didn't do anything about it because he was convinced he was invincible. He believed that if anyone tried anything, his troops were fanatically loyal to him and his enemies couldn't touch him. He had it in his head that he had solved the Primal Problem and created the weapon that would enforce Eorzea's peace forever, and he convinced himself that the Warrior of Light was his personal attack dog that would be there to kill anyone that got in his way. And worst of all is that no one could dispute this! His agents found a Garlean spy in the Immortal Flames, his personal action found Cid, saved the Scions, and turned the tide against the XIVth Legion. It would not have mattered if everyone around him was warning him about the coup, he wouldn't have believed it. The reason it hits him so hard is that he was so deep in his own ego as the savior of Eorzea that he started ignoring the corruption around him, and forgetting that his decisions affected the lives of dozens if not hundreds of people.

Taking that responsibility away from him to blame Thancred or Y'shtola or Minfilia or whoever just because they're older than him does a disservice to his character and the story of XIV as a whole.

[galactickohipot]

Hmm so I've seen a lot of ppl say there's no stakes in FFXIV anymore because the WoL is too strong anyway. Like sure, making the WoL a godslayer isn't making things easy, but that's not truly where the issue is imo. Spoilers for DT's msq!!!

The main problem to me, is that the writers now consider that a victory through fighiting is a victory in the story. It kinda boggles my mind that there aren't negative repercutions for using violence anymore... It's especially true in DT: when you fight it's always the right thing to do and all fights have a positive influence on the story. It's pretty much "right is might and might is right" all around. The characters never doubts their fight is a righteous one for a second, and we are never given an ambiguous win either. Wuk Lamat is only able to influence the story because she becomes strong and she becomes strong because she is right and good. It is ironic for a character that is so focused on peace and love. Yet the story will still consistantly reward the characters for crushing their opponents. Storywise it doesn't make sense. It only cheapens your victories, so of course you would need to amp up the stakes. (also please note: these issues were already present when Ishikawa was at the helm, but there were other things to balance it out in ShB though.)

In contrast, in ARR and HW, there usually was a downside to the WoL's victory. It wasn't the entire story!

For example, a part I particularly like in 3.0 is the first time you slay Nidhogg. Not only is this done by Estinien after you've weakened the dragon; but it actually feels like a defeat. The entire game up to this point had your group try to mend the relationship between ishgardians and dragons. Estinien warms up to your group and Ysayle, and you can feel he is slowly begining to hope for lasting peace. However, with Hraesvelgr's revelations, Ysayle's dellusions are exposed and all the progress made towards reconcilliation is reduced to nothing. Worse, Estinien's violent and vengeful ways are proven to be the only solution. Truly, a terrible setback for the characters, and it results in an empty victory over Nidhogg. Sure you beat the baddie, but it's devastating for Alphinaud and Ysayle. It even comes back to bite Estinien in the butt when he gets possessed. There was more to the story than just finally beating a very strong foe, and it is made apparent at that moment. Even though the wol won every fight, it didn't mean that the main characters would be victorious. It could either be a diplomatic defeat, your beliefs could be challenged, or one of your allies could die. Unforeseen consequences were right around the corner. Plus, your character is only one person. Things could still happen outside of their reach, like at the end of ARR. Regardless of your WoL's strength, there are many ways you can create tension for a story!

In earlier expacs, there used to be a feeling that your battles wouldn't necessarily win the war. No need for a world ending threat then, to have stakes.

[lilbittymonster]

rubs my hands together mischievously — 3, 6, 8, 10, 13, 14

3 - screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on tumblr

Oh, Amaurotine fashion death squads....

This has become a running joke in my fc and it will never not boggle my mind how you can take "this side quest NPC says that you're dressed funny like a child would and here, take these robes so you'll look more mature" and "Hades compares individual transformations to stripping naked in public" and get "Amaurot has death squads that will hunt you down in the street for being non conformist". Like. What the entire fuck. I am aware that this is the piss on the poor website but this is some other shit lmao.

6 - which ship fans are the most annoying?

Y'know, honestly, the call is coming from inside the house on this one bc I have to say that it's other Estinien fans. Every time I go through the wolstinien tag on ao3 I get hit with "he would not fucking say that" "he would not fucking do that" almost every fic I open. It's dire. Usually I answer with G'raha stans but it's worse when it's about a character you actually give a fuck about. I think I have more wolstinien accounts with bad takes blocked than I do accounts who post untagged Zenos tits.

8 - common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

"Aymeric throwing the eyes off the bridge was a stupid move." No, it was the best decision he had with the information that he had at the time.

Veterans of this blog will know I have picked a bone with this for a long fucking time but for those of y'all who're new here, the naysayers who decry Aymeric's order to the WoL and Alphinaud to discard the eyes of Nidhogg into the Sea of Clouds as an idiot decision simply don't understand how limited perspective in storytelling works. I have yet to hear an actual answer to "well what would you have done?" that isn't Ha Ha Funnie Joaks "weLl My wOl woUld hAve JuSt eaTen tHem".

The scenario is; the finale of the Dragonsong War. Everyone is hyped up on adrenaline. The Sea of Clouds is well known to be nigh inhospitable to any life except the extremely specialised fish who have made their home there. No one has plumbed the depths and we Just Don't Know how deep the Sea really goes.

We also know that the Vault where the Eye (single) had been kept wasn't enough to keep Estinien (a single, albeit extremely strong, mortal) out of it. So what's going to stop a Warrior of Darkness or an Ascian from breaking into it if the Eyes were kept in Ishgard? Not only would keeping the Eyes simply continue to perpetuate the cycle of violence that this finale is supposed to fucking end because this is the entire plot of the fucking expansion we just played through, the Ascians would have still just yoinked the Eyes to give to Ilberd and we still would have had the whole Baelsar's Wall battle just with slightly different steps to get there.

We also know that both Eyes in proximity to anyone, and at that moment especially dangerous to Estinien, and the best solution is to get them as far away from him as possible. This is also very textually canonically Aymeric's closest friend! He has a very personal vested interest in keeping him safe! There is emotional distress on top of the adrenaline and if you think "well this is obviously the time for logic" you're someone who clearly has never actually been in a high stress situation and also you're just plain wrong.

So throwing the Eyes of Nidhogg over the edge of the Steps of Faith into the depths of the Sea of Clouds where no one has any reason to expect they'd be retrieved by ghosts, basically, is the most sound decision to everyone present.

"But we saw the Warrior of Darkness-" shut up. You've missed the point. Just because we, the player, know something has happened in a cutscene, this does not mean that all the other characters will have the same information. The characters are not omniscient and if your criticism rests on them not acting on information that they do not have then you have nothing of import to say.

10 - worst part of fanon

I have another ask with this one so I can break the tie and say "Estinien is stupid". Is it because of the hair tie thing? Is it because he's surrounded by graduate students now? I don't know. But one, buying an overly inflated hair tie from merchants who are clearly struggling does not make him "stupid" because he goes on to do the same thing in the patches by paying way too much gil for that map just to make sure that child eats. And two, wisdom and intelligence are two separate scores for a reason. He may not be book smart the way the rest of the nerds with the tattoos are, but he's probably the most emotionally intelligent one of the bunch, and that's just as valuable as getting a good Sharlayan SAT score.

13 - worst blorboficiation

This one goes to G'raha. The guy is cunning and sharp and tactical and honestly it's a good thing that he just wants to be a storybook hero bc he can be dangerous when he wants to but you wouldn't think it from a surface glance through the wolgraha tag. I don't particularly like the guy but I still get annoyed on his behalf when he's reduced to "lol wolsimp" constantly. I know of exactly 3 people who have an interpretation of him that actually compels me and they are all my beloved mutuals. And maybe it's because they're also poly/multishippers that they have a better grasp on his character depth? It's a phenomenon I've seen across fandoms and across character types.

14 - that one thing you see in fics all the time

Estinien being cruel to Aymeric's cat. Oh my fucking god why do people make Estinien be cruel to Aymeric's cat. Why. What are you doing. The son of a shepherd who likely would have had barn cats to keep rodents out would not be cruel to a small animal! What the entire fuck!

This is a guy who would have been in Aymeric's life for years who would have been around said cat for years as well! Even if the cat didn't like him he wouldn't be mean about it! And I am a very firm believer that if someone, fictional or otherwise, is mean-spirited towards small animals (or big animals or medium animals) then they aren't someone who's safe. And if that's the version of Estinien that you're writing then I have zero interest in anything else you have to say.

Thanks for the asks @nidstiniens I hope you enjoy the essays

Choose Violence

[aotopmha]

Oh hey, the second good scene with Zenos in Endwalker.

Exaggerations aside, I was so grateful for this scene because I'm one of those of the opinion that he should've stayed dead in Stormblood and all we've gotten out of Zenos within Endwalker up to this point is him wanting to fight you.

*Technically* that's all he is in Stormblood, too, but at this point he's been dragged along with the story for almost another 2 expansions.

I kind of at least want *something* more out of him.

And, well, at least now his one-mindedness got just a little more depth.

He basically says, well, people are all self-righteous assholes, who want to change the world in their image and call themselves heroes for it, so I'm at least not going to pretend and be honest about what I want, which is a fight with the WoL because fighting is the only thing that makes me feel something.

Loss of life is loss of life and bad regardless of the reason it happens.

The issue with this is that you can say it about every single person ever trying to do any good in the world and even more so for flawed people trying to do good in the world.

So should we just stop trying to do any good because everyone might have a personal or imperfect reason for it?

Yes, self-awareness is absolutely a very good trait to have when you aren't perfect and have made mistakes before and so is self-reflection regarding your actions, especially if it involves doing bad to do good, which can be a slippery slope.

But this is the repeat of the Elidibus scene in terms of morality: despite him giving you a lecture on the morality of your actions, he is also a perpetrator of multiple genocides.

Fact is, sometimes bad things have to be done in the name of good because there is evil in the world that does not listen to reason and needs to be stopped.

A response to this would be the idea of good and evil being relative to someone's flawed perspective, but I like to stay grounded and say, maybe killing millions isn't much of a matter of perspective, especially if they are all equally sentient.

I think therefore I am and all.

I've seen people bring this up in response to the characters forgiving villains and the like, but to me the key here is that Zenos could... y'know choose to just not kill lots of people.

Gaius backs his words with action. Fordola backs her words with action. Nero goes under this, too. Redemption is earned, not given out arbitrarily. This story is incredibly consistent with that at least, but even if it wasn't, people will always be imperfect in some way, so even Alphinaud still qualifies under this considering his mistakes and attitude during A Realm Reborn.

No, a good reason is not "better". Emet, Hermes, Elidibus, all had "good reasons", but not once was what they ended up doing framed as (or said to be) "good, actually".

You can empathize without excusing.

Alisae's response is also really good; Zenos will probably never actually find "true fulfillment" with the principles he laid out, a path of violence is generally also a path of loneliness, and the truth is he, too, seeks some sort of connection via wanting to fight the WoL.

Violence is just the only way he can express this wish to connect with someone.

I also like this scene for Jullus getting to say his piece.

A solid scene before the hell that is 80% of the lvl 88 quests.

(Finished all of the lvl 88 quests today, so more posts are probably coming about them. I'm also probably Endwalking tomorrow, depending on how everything works out.)

[nshi-ao3]

I know it's a sentiment I've shared before but I have to reiterate that I love your fic!

It's single-handedly forced me to look into Persona 5's story, heh. At first I figured I'd just pick up on context clues and the spoilery stuff I generally knew about the game from the internet, but that isn't enough. Especially since I have a feeling that the stuff that happened there with the Phantom Thieves and the Metaverse will eventually catch up to Joker's no good, really awful time in Eorzea. Though it's not all horrible, since Ren's got a second family now.

I wonder if Joker will open up Alphinaud or Alisiae to talk more about his past life on Earth. Though he doesn't sound like the type to talk about physics unless Y'shtola presses him on it, I imagine he'd enjoy talking about how the world he's from works. Cid would definitely enjoy talking about the technology, Alisaie the injustice and the attempts to make the world a better place, Alphinaud the politics (maybe more contemporary stuff), and G'raha the history (or really, all of the above). I get that all that slice of life stuff will likely take a back seat until Ren's Heavensward trauma express stops and allows him respite. And his reunion with G'raha's will be a while yet.

Another silly thought just came to mind, btw. Imagine if he comes back to Tokyo with the Scions but with time having accelerated relative to the Source/Etheirys. Left in 2016 or 2017, came back in 2025 (oh no).

"What's a Jonkler?" -- Joker, 2025

In all seriousness, I doubt he'd want to get himself and the Scions entangled in Earth's myriad problems and injustices. He will, though, because that's what the Scions do. A whole hypothetical expansion, also involving Ascians and time travelers (of course). No aetherytes, though, so they'll just have to book flights and fabricate passports lol

Anyway, with my rambling done with I hope your week goes well! :)

Thank you very much!! <3

I imagine the fic's a tougher read without Persona 5 knowledge since it's from the perspective of the MC from that game and set after it + a spin off and all... At least you seem to have caught up alright, given the rest of the ask! :P

Joker has talked a little about home at this point! He went over quite a lot of stuff with G'raha (those boys were yappin'!) and spoke with Cid about the basics of Earth technology. And then went a little mad trying to figure out how Allagan Tomestones work haha! He's... reticent to bring anything up right now given the circumstances, but he'll have more opportunities later. :> In fact, at one point in the future Alphinaud will make a very nice gift for him. But at the moment the HW main story's being a big downer. :< Sorry Joker!

Imagining Joker, in some scenario where he has the tote the Scions around Japan: ...Okay, I think we're going to need a second camper...

Someday I will sit down and write up a bunch of scenarios for the Scions individually reacting to Earth stuff... Estinien would be in hell in Shibuya lol

(Joker missing multiple years of memes on Earth?! How awful!! Say it isn't so!)

[hazelkjt]

Lily of the Valley

"This is the poison of giving too much. You feel yourself emptying out, dizzying, discoloring-- until you fear you will fade entirely and wither away. You have always had to give. You never had a choice before. They pluck your flowers for their beauty, they trample your leaves carelessly, they pull out your roots by the fistful and berate you for daring to grow. And now that you have a grove to spread out in, your rhizomes tangle and curl in on themselves. When cruelty is all you've ever known, thriving seems impossible. But the answer is not to make yourself small and offer every lovely thing you are to the world in the hopes it will have mercy on you. The answer is to let yourself dare to thrive for thriving's sake, to grow in the wild ways you wish to-- and to do that for yourself for once."

tagged by: @selnyam and @cindernet-explorer, tyty!!!

gonna be tagging: @hinganskies, @sparrowsong-7, @ahollowgrave, @this-is-ris, and anyone I didn't tag but is reading this!

Quiz can be found here and a LONG write-up on this answer is under the read more

For both iterations of Hazel this is pretty spot on, minus the bits about cruelty and being "forced" to give. They both start out believing the value of their lives are determined by those around them, be it friends and especially any mentor or teaching figures. Her life is spent trying to appease and "make proud" the people in her life to fuel her sense of pride in herself. This is also the biggest source of WoL!Hazel's pressure and bottled up resentment of the Warrior of Light title, because each failure weighs heavily on her sense of self worth. Both eventually learn to let go of this behavior, to take value in their own life as something individually beautiful rather than always seeking the approval of others, though at completely different points in their lives. For Reg!Hazel, it was when she and her allies in Eorzea encounter and attempt to slay a Blasphemy following the events of the Final Days. It proved too much for the party and she was told to retreat. In her mind, doing so would be turning her back on all the people who praised her skills and the people who helped instill those skills in her. She tries to continue the fight and has her blade, a physical symbol of someone's trust in her, shattered into irreparable pieces. She felt lost and shattered herself after barely escaping with her life, and she never got closure on what happened to the monster that did this. Through much self reflection and a visit back home she eventually came to not rely on the approval of others and focused her idea of self worth coming from within, not others.

For WoL!Hazel...it was a long road. The title of Warrior of Light being thrust upon her took a long, long time to get over. Not until everything was all said and done, when the song at the end of existence changed from mourning to one of joy did she finally shed her paralyzing sense of burden regarding her role. But the cracks began to form way back after the Bloody Banquet when she first went off in a rage at Alphinaud, putting blame of everything that went wrong entirely on his shoulders. It was the first time she flat out said she never wanted to be a hero. From then on she fought with herself internally over continuing to be this hero for the world or to follow what Esteem had said: she doesn't owe anyone anything.

She bottled it all up until meeting Zenos, and coming to understand his sole desire was his own satisfaction. Everything he did, he did for himself. From then on Hazel contemplated on what she TRULY wanted in life, which eventually led her back to the same conclusion as to why she left the Azim Steppe in the first place. She wanted to see the world, its people, its lands. She wanted excitement, thrills, adventure, and saving people was icing on the cake. She's still good hearted and willing to help others, but now it's for her own personal satisfaction as much as it is to be the hero she is known to be. Ironically, despite hating Zenos for his actions he was the one to finally help Hazel first come to terms with herself, only to have this view strengthened by Zero later on.

[avirael]

FFxivWrite 2024

Day 21 - Shade

Traveling so close to Ul’dah for the first again felt dangerous. While the city in reality was still quite far off and Highbridge was in fact closer to Gridanian territory than Ul’dah, A’viloh couldn’t help but feel a little worried.

Rael had told him to keep the hood of his cloak up at all times, to hide his hair and ears, but he thought that made them look even more suspicious.

Fortunately Merlwyb had informed them that her and Kan-E-Senna had pressured the Syndicate into not making the allegations against them public for now but if any soldiers or even members of the Crystal Braves would recognise them, there would likely be trouble…

Higiri and Doware had waited for them at Highbridge after having scouted the area for Ilberd’s men. A’viloh found it strange to see them in their shinobi garbs, he had known that they were trained that way, but so far had only seen them working regular tasks in regular clothes at Revenant’s Toll.

Apparently they had seen some of the Crystal Braves headed for Halatali, the old training grounds of the Coliseum. They suspected that Ilberd planned to have Raubahn executed there, away from the publics eyes, and that now that the Flame General had been moved there, they would need to hurry to prevent his death.

Almost at Halati, they encountered Hozan, who had kept an eye on the entrance and informed them that Ilberd had arrived already. While him and Rael agreed that they should immediately enter Halatali and free Raubahn from his captors before something happened to him, A’viloh felt like something - or rather someone - was missing.

“But where is Yugiri?”, he asked and looked from one shinobi to the other.

“I am here.”, a voice echoed from a dark corner and, so far invisible to his eyes, the form of a familiar Au Ra woman stepped out of the shade.

“Yugiri!”, A’viloh exclaimed. He was so glad to see her well that he couldn’t stop himself from embracing her. Lightly she chuckled and waited for A’viloh to let go off her before she spoke again, “Excuse me for staying hidden so long. I was curious if you would notice my presence.”

In fact he hadn’t at all. For a while when they had stayed together at Camp Dragonhead Yugiri had tried to teach him a few of her tricks. He had picked up a few skills regarding how to fight with daggers but her ninjutsu or her abilities to almost make herself invisible had still been a mystery to A’viloh. He was still greatly impressed by the fact that she was able to hide in most environments without much trouble and could vanish and appear as she saw fit, almost like she became one with the shadows around her.

“My fellow shinobi and I have shadowed the Crystal Braves’ every step in hopes in hopes of learning the Scions’ whereabouts.”, Yugiri explained. “Regrettably, our investigation has yet to yield any useful information. Pray forgive us.”

While this was not the news any of them had hoped for, neither did it surprise A’viloh. He had tried to accept that maybe he would never learn what had happened to them, especially if they really were dead. However there also still was that tiny voice of hope in his mind that told him that no news about them could ultimately still be good news.

Before A’viloh could speak, Alphinaud answered for them all, finding exactly the right words.

“You need not apologize, my lady - we are grateful for all that you have done on our behalf. Besides, Raubahn is no less a friend, and we cannot well abandon him to his fate.”

Alphinaud really had a talent for words and A’viloh couldn’t agree more. Raubahn had believed in him since they had met at the first banquet of the sultana he had been invited to. He also had been the one freeing him and Rael when the Crystal Braves had arrested them for the alleged assassination of sultana Nanamo.

Yes, A’viloh considered Raubahn a friend. And this time he planned to be the one saving one of his friends instead of being the one who needs saving.

[faelune-home]

FFXIVWrite 2024 #3: Tempest

(A/n: Another entry into the mini role quest rewrite series I'll be trying to do this month. This time its Alisaie in Ishgard for the magic quest! Cos she didn't really get a proper experience in Ishgard when she rejoined the story, so it'd be neat to give her the chance to see it here while dealing with the blasphemy. Especially since the magic storyline is focused heavily on the Chruch and old zealotry in the nation and how cast aside it all is in the wake of it all.

I'm also taking advantage of this being a light rewrite, cos I'm so used to the regular quests sending you directly to Aymeric's office to talk to him so much, I forgot how the role quest actually started and automatically wrote it at the congregation rather than the on the spot aetheryte meeting with Artoirel it actually was. And I didn't feel like re-rewriting to fit the quest layout. Welp.

It doesn't have to be 100% matching in dialogue and actions, just enough to be recognisable as the storyline with a new character involved. That's my feeling on rewrites and POV changes at least.

Word count: 1490)

Alisaie shivered as the frigid wind picked up, blowing snow into her face. While Ishgard certainly wasn’t as cold as Garlemald, to the point that she didn’t need as many heavy layers to handle Coerthan snowfall, it was still bitterly cold, especially coming from the humid Thavnair.

Her old coat was definitely better suited for this than her current attire, but she didn’t think to sidetrack back home to grab it when Fhara had asked her to come along and answer the Ishgardian delegate’s request for aid. And they were already outside the Congregation to meet Ser Aymeric for more information.

“I can’t imagine how Alphinaud managed here when you three fled from the Crystal Braves. He’s awful with the cold,” she huffed, already appreciating the warmth as they stepped over the threshold into the main hall.

“I think he tried to stay indoors as much as possible before Tataru made him the travelling gear that was better for the weather. Lord Fortemps gave him a little office in the manor to work in while he took on paperwork favours for folk,” Fhara said, a fond smile on her face as she recalled.

“Of course he did all the paperwork. I remember our Studium days, he was always working on papers and reports and all sorts. At least when he wasn’t engaging in some debate or flattery with his peers.” Alisaie rolled her eyes to the memory, already imagining him sitting surrounded by towers of books and papers. Perhaps it was unkind to him as he was now, long since grown from the experience, but if she had to imagine him at the time…

“I think he mainly wanted a distraction from everything that happened back then,” Fhara replied, no defensiveness in her tone, but it made Alisaie frown all the same, opting not to respond.

At that time, the nearby guarded door opened, a knight slipping out and trotting along to an officer by the large desk central to the room. The guard beckoned them over, saying, “Ser Aymeric will be free to see you now. Lord Artoirel is still engaged but should be joining you in due time.” Both ladies offered polite nods of thanks as they entered into the hallway and along to the meeting room.

As assumed, he was already waiting for them, and upon their arrival, he looked up from the paper he was reading and immediately broke out into a broad, warm grin at the sight of Fhara. Alisaie couldn’t help but feel overlooked as his gaze didn’t even seem to glance over her.

“Fhara, tis good to see you again,” he greeted, stepping round the table to meet with her. He stopped just short, a little bit close but made no move to touch or offer his hand. Just a polite bow, eyes never slipping.

“And you, though of course the circumstances aren’t…well,” Fhara coughed in an awkward greeting, ears lying low upon her head and eyes looking away from the man, shuffling back a step. Alisaie couldn’t help but tilt her head, confused at the response. Fhara then perked up again to continue, gesturing at Alisaie, “But I’ve brought Alisaie with me- you remember her? I figured she’d be a better help with any arcane skills since it isn't really my forte.”

Alisaie nodded, keeping steady eye contact now that she was finally being acknowledged by Aymeric. His welcoming smile was no less warm, but definitely more tempered compared to how he’d approached Fhara.

“Lady Alisaie, a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Properly, I might add, given the circumstances you first arrived here all that time ago.”

Alisaie flushed and fought the urge to pout like a child over the reminder.

“Aye. I’ll be glad to show my appreciation for the treatment, and make a better show of myself in general.”

“I don’t doubt it, based on your brother’s tales,” Aymeric nodded. 

“Knowing my brother, I’m sure he’s only painted me in the finest light,” Alisaie frowned, ignoring the twinge of concern buzzing at the back of her mind. All the more reason to try and leave a good impression while she was here then.

Aymeric couldn’t help the bemusement that curled his lip ever so slightly, but before he could respond to it, the door behind them creaked open once more, to which he instead replied, “I’m sure Lord Artoirel could reassure you of what he’s heard from Master Alphinaud’s time here. Good to have you here at last.” Artoirel wasted no time on introductions save a brief bow of acknowledgement to both ladies.

“Indeed, forgive me for the delay. The reports on the Blasphemy’s appearances are more numerous every time we investigate, and despite the fact that it never attacks, the panic left in its wake causes more and more people to turn,” he said.

“Tis passing strange indeed, but no less dangerous for the impact it leaves on the people here,” Aymeric mumbled, “Ishgard is still recovering from the wounds of the Dragonsong War, both physical and mental. It will take many years and most likely many generations before people are truly comfortable with dragons, but to have a beast in the form of a dragon lingering and causing havoc with but a single appearance, even without taking action, it could risk tensions rising once more, even if people weren’t turning due to the fear.” He cast another glance at Alisaie, a curious look in his eye that she immediately knew how to read.

“You needn’t worry about catching me up on matters here. I was aware of the broad facts of your long war from books at the Studium, and Alphinaud updated me on the tale once I rejoined the Scions. I’m aware that in the wake of drawing the war to a close, there was much unrest - not only people lacking trust in their draconic enemies truly ending the war, but also much internal distrust and concern, such as between the high- and lowborn, and toward the Church.”

“He certainly did well to apprise you, my lady,” Artoirel said, sounding somewhat impressed, “But indeed, Ishgard is still internally shaken. We have much debate over how to move forward and where best to allocate resources, and our class divisions cause much difficulty and moving forward, especially where dragons are concerned. But faith in the Church is still at its lowest. Understandably so given the power it held with the Archbishop in charge and the many thousand years promoting misinformation and zealotry.”

“I could see members of the Church being particularly vulnerable to this blasphemy’s influence with the current atmosphere,” Aymeric said, “To which end, I would speak with a clergyman to gain insight into the beast. He supposedly witnessed the man that transformed into our now wandering dragon.”

“A witness that didn’t then transform himself?” Fhara gaped, sharing a glance of equal surprise with Alisaie.

“Miraculous as it may be, we shan’t overlook the opportunity it gives us to find out who this beast may have originally been. If we can learn that much, we can maybe find out why they may have turned in the first place.”

The group nodded at Artoirel’s declaration, and Fhara proceeded to follow him out of the room, Alisaie being halted by Aymeric for a brief moment.

“I should hope that if your brother told you much about the war, he’s also warned you of our people’s tendencies. I would be the first to admit that we are a pious city to the point of blind zealotry, and it can make many here…difficult to contend with. And the attitudes toward outsiders still haven't truly been lost, even with all Fhara has done for us.”

Alisaie regarded him carefully, turning the warning over in her head. Then she finally crossed her arms and tried to look confident.

“My brother has shared some other stories of his time here beyond the journey into dragon territory, so I have some idea of what to expect. But I take it you wouldn’t warn me if you didn’t think it’d be needed. So I appreciate it. And I shall try my best to keep a cool head, though I’ll warn you in turn that I’m not the diplomatic type like Alphinaud is, if you need someone more delicate with their words.”

“Duly noted,” he replied, though he had a dark look in his eye despite the friendly smile he tried to hide it with, “But I can handle the more delicate exchanges, my lady. Perhaps at this time, we may even need someone willing to be blunt enough for people to fully understand what’s happening and where we’re going from here.”

The implication in his words almost sent a shiver through her, before she chased after him back out the building. At least then, she could attribute it to the cold from the building storm as they made their way to the Cathedral on the upper levels.

[dualcastimpact]

dawntrail impressions pt. iv

In which we head to Urqopacha and Kozama'uka for the Feat of Gold and the Feat of Reeds, featuring t-posing Alphinaud!

Spoilers below the cut, as always:

First up: Urqopacha! There was no real reason for choosing to go to Urqopacha over Kozama'uka, I think. There doesn't seem to be any reason for the choice either; there's no advantage over choosing one over the other, and the story doesn't change regardless of which. I thought it was a relatively new addition to the game, the whole choose-your-path thing in the first level of the expansion, but then I realised it's been a thing since Heavensward — it was choosing between accompanying Artoirel or Emmanellain then, and in Stormblood it was choosing between M'naago and Meffrid. Then in Shadowbringers you had to choose between going to Amh Araeng to meet Alisaie or Kholusia to meet Alphinaud first, and in Endwalker it was either going to Labyrinthos in Sharlayan with Y'shtola and the twins or Thavnair with Estinien, Thancred and Urianger.

I'm a bit embarrassed it took me so long to notice, to be honest.

Alphinaud: "That one massive peak in particular has quite the presence. It puts me in mind of Sohm Al."

Alphinaud: "I feel the change in altitude most keenly. While mayhap not to the same degree as the Sea of Clouds, the air is decidedly thin here."

The writing tends to make fun of this but Alphinaud is nothing but genuine whenever he calls back to his past adventures. He especially tends to reminisce about his experiences during Heavensward; it's become sort of a running gag with Alisaie getting exasperated whenever he brings up firewood-gathering, but I think it's more poignant than anything. He brings up his experiences from Heavensward so often because they're important to him. It's in Heavensward that he really grew up and became a better person after the clusterfuck that was post-ARR, and the way he sincerely and somewhat innocently references his experiences in Heavensward every so often just shows how much of an impact they had on him.

———

Krile: "Wuk Lamat is lucky to have Erenville. Everyone—royalty especially—needs a friend unafraid to chide them when the need arises."

Raginmar canonically plays that role for three royals — well, not sure if Aymeric counts as royalty but I digress. He absolutely holds no punches with Aymeric and Hien; he regularly gives Hien shit (especially regarding his feelings about Cirina) whenever he drops by the Doman Enclave, and he's extremely blunt whenever Aymeric asks for his opinion over their dinners together. He wasn't as close with Nanamo, but their adventures together in the Sil'dihn Subterrane changed that a little bit — he's not so blunt with her like he is with Aymeric and Hien, but he does tend to be more open and honest with her.

I like how we're not really playing that role for Wuk Lamat this time. I think post-Endwalker somewhat prepped us for this — the main character for post-Endwalker was Zero, not the Warrior of Light, and it remains the case for Dawntrail as well. We're not the most important chess piece on the board anymore, and I like that.

———

Alphinaud: "Converting to gil, that comes to around a million or so. Mayhap if we all pitch in..."

This is absolutely a reference to his mishap with buying Gosetsu's katana back in Stormblood (laughs). He's become so conscientious about money now!

———

Krile: "You've seen markets and bazaars the world over, and surely have sage advice to share."

This was a bit funny because I took this screenshot back when I'd still planned for Raginmar to be an uninvolved third party who just happened to be in Wachunpelo at the time, doing business buying mezcal and mate leaves and coffee beans and selling furs and heavy fabrics and prize crops and mead, and I thought Krile's comment was incredibly on the nose. "You've seen markets and bazaars the world over" exactly, he's here on business right now!

Of course that idea went out the window eventually but at the time I really had a good laugh at this.

———

Tobli: "Mablu hasn't given up, I see..."

Given up on what, my guy?

———

Ah, turns out Mablu has always wanted to become a merchant, but thought it'd be a betrayal of Tobli since he'd taken care of her like his own. In true shōnen manga hero form, Wuk Lamat inspires her to chase her own dreams, and she proves herself to be a promising aspiring merchant as she helps Wuk Lamat progress through the Feat of Gold.

I spent most of this sequence writing down notes so I could figure out how to fit Raginmar into the Feat — maybe Gobli had sold the premium three-year-old mezcal to him, and Wuk Lamat and Mablu would have to figure out a way to get it from him instead — so I didn't take a lot of screenshots, but it was a pretty fun sequence! The way it introduced the people and culture of Urqopacha to both Wuk Lamat and the audience felt organic; it felt like we were learning alongside Wuk Lamat and I loved that.

From the get-go, it was clear that the Feats were intended to connect the claimants to the peoples of Tuliyollal — to learn their history, their culture, what's important to them and what made them tick; all the things a ruler should know about their people. How the claimants respond to this is key to determining their worthiness to the throne.

It's a classic trope and it's not even remotely subtle, but I think it's fine. Sometimes I wonder if stories like this shouldn't be made even simpler considering how people nowadays find simple media literacy so challenging.

———

Alisaie: "Alphinaud was quick to lend a hand with dismantling the tent. Is this to be his new obsession now that he's mastered collecting firewood?"

I don't know if it's just me feeling maudlin right now, but at times Alisaie making fun of Alphinaud like this feels more aggravating than humourous. Like I said, I get that Alphinaud's earnest enthusiasm is a running gag throughout the game but making fun of something that genuine and sincere feels off-putting to me.

The way he keeps talking about how he's good at firewood-gathering is meant to demonstrate how despite his character growth, he still has moments that shows his naïveté — firewood-gathering isn't a particularly impressive skill, he only thinks that way because of his sheltered upbringing. He opens himself up to ridicule whenever he acts as if this is something incredible he's learned to master, because to him it was. He's genuine about this, and to make matters worse he genuinely wants to be helpful whenever he brings it up. That's how impactful his experiences in Heavensward was for him, and I think the way the game keeps treating it as a running gag feels tasteless sometimes.

He's not even talking about gathering firewood at this point! He's branching out, even! Why are you still giving him shit about it?!

———

Alphinaud: "So this is a Hanuhanu village! One can tell at a glance how very different their culture is to the Vanu's.

Sue me for being sentimental but it genuinely brings a tear to my eye how Alphinaud's so enthusiastic about learning about the world now, compared to the absolute self-absorbed shithead that he was in ARR. He's genuinely so excited about learning new things and having all these new experiences as he travels the world and it's such a great show of character development, even after so many expansions.

———

Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty: "These allies of hers, though... They might be a problem."

One thing I really like is how none of the claimants are so arrogant so as to be foolish when it comes to underestimating their opponents. In fact no one underestimates anybody, not even Bakool Ja Ja. He's arrogant and boastful and supremely full of himself, and he's dismissive of Wuk Lamat because he doesn't like her (and later on we'll see that he actually does respect her, he just feels that he has to act like he's better than everyone), but he knows perfectly well how much of a threat Raginmar is. He's not fool enough to dismiss that.

There's a lot of chatter on the birbsite about how much it sucks that the Warrior of Light is no longer the main character of the story, and how they've been relegated to this sidekick character who's not getting much focus. It's real baffling because sure Wuk Lamat is the main character of the story, but the game's narrative makes it damn clear how important the Warrior of Light is still. Everybody knows how skilled the Warrior of Light is, and how they're not to be underestimated. They're a threat. They're a gamechanger. While the Warrior of Light isn't the most important piece on the board right now, they're still pretty damn significant and it's acknowledged, unlike in previous expansions with characters like Artoirel very clearly looking down on the Warrior of Light. That's way better than being your stock shōnen manga-slash-JRPG protagonist.

———

Linuhanu: "Yes, it hurt to hear, but she was right. Though I must mourn, I cannot let my grief consume me."

Linuhanu: "Her words made me realize that the path to my recover—our recovery—is already laid out before me. And I will walk it. For myself, and for my friend."

Every time the game makes some overt reference to grieving and mourning those gone, I immediately think back to Haurchefant — and not in a good way. I think this is more to set up something later on regarding Wuk Lamat and Gulool Ja Ja (because that man is raising all the death flags) but at the same time, the game's been pushing the whole thing with Haurchefant so often and for so long that you can't really divorce any mention of grief from his death.

Even the PCT job questline had something similar — I think it was in Camp Dragonhead when Kupopo asks the Warrior of Light about their adventures there, and the Warrior answers that they'd lost someone important to them? The exact phrasing eludes me but it's still a reference to Haurchefant. At this point it's honestly doing the game more disservice than anything, I feel.

———

Koana: "A method I could not have devised without the education I received at the Studium and the cooperation of my Archon allies."

For context, the Feat of Reeds required the claimants to revitalise the dying paddy fields that the Hanuhanu rely on, while the Feat of Gold back in Urqopacha required the claimants to catch a wild alpaca. They serve to demonstrate how Zoraal Ja and Koana differ from Wuk Lamat; in the Feat of Gold, Zoraal Ja eschewed any advice and went and caught a rare golden alpaca all by himself, purely by threatening the alpaca into submission. In contrast, Wuk Lamat went through the motions of getting to know the Pelupelu's culture and getting herself a saddle to catch a wild alpaca the Pelupelu way.

Here in Kozama'uka, Koana brought the paddy fields back to life with an alchemical concoction to improve the aether flow in the fields. Wuk Lamat revived Ihih'hana, a traditional harvest festival that also served to amplify the arcane energies from the Hanuhanu's hopes and prayers to revitalise the land. In true shōnen manga-slash-JRPG hero form, Wuk Lamat's revival of Ihih'hana had no logical bearing whatsoever. She didn't know it'd do anything to help revitalise the fields until Alphinaud suggested it could and Wuk Evu confirmed it. The only reason it worked was because it just so happened to be the exact thing the Hanuhanu needed, not just to revive their fields but also to revive the Hanuhanu themselves. The only reason it worked was because the plot mandated it so.

Koana's method, on the other hand, was rooted in reason and science. It was the logical method, it was the reasonable solution, and by all accounts it's a more superior answer because it directly addressed the issue — but it's framed as lesser because it didn't take into account the Hanuhanu's culture and the real reason behind their dispiritedness, even though Wuk Lamat really only got lucky that her idea worked at all. In a way, it's a weaker aesop than the one about Zoraal Ja and Wuk Lamat in Urqopacha — that strength alone is not enough, and that one would not need to resort to brute strength when there's community. It's still an aesop about the value of community and culture, only here it's that technological advancements alone are not enough even though they get the job done, but if you think about it realistically, when the stakes are so high — when your people are actively starving and suffering from natural disasters and poor harvest seasons — is addressing the issue as quickly and efficiently as you can really the wrong way to go about it?

———

Koana: "Employed appropriately, they make light work of what would otherwise be arduous labor. There's no need to lug around heavy floats!"

This whole scene was designed to showcase how Koana is a foil to Wuk Lamat: Koana is rational, analytical and scientific-minded, but he's also dismissive of things he perceives as backwards or uncivilized like customs and traditions that other people would hold dear. Whether he intends it or not, his words come across as mocking; even in the JP dub where his tone is mild and his dialogue ends with a —ね?. We see later in the story how he's extremely fond of Wuk Lamat so he's not maliciously making fun of her, but it makes clear his derision for the Hanuhanu's traditional practices for how outdated and inefficient they are.

———

Erenville: "There is an alternative, but it requires preparation. Until it's ready, you could rest at the cabins or see more of the city. Whatever you prefer."

This is where I'd planned for Raginmar to officially join Wuk Lamat's entourage in that scrapped canon I'd mentioned before (you can read all about that here and why that canon didn't work here) because it'd seemed like the perfect opening, but then...

Fonjeantaine: "Then... you have experience with my predicament? Of being terribly inadequate compared to your undeniably superior peers?"

...Wuk Lamat just so happened to chip her axe and she just so happened to come across a soul in need of aid at the place she's getting her axe fixed and he just so happened to have the same insecurities that she has, that she has to confront within herself in order to both learn a lesson and console him. Of course.

The story is contrived as hell, but at this point you really just have to accept it. Also I KNEW he was going to play a role in the plot when he was the only named character in that talk-to-the-other-passengers sequence at the beginning of the expansion.

———

Fonjeantaine: "But what of you? Have you ever measured your work against that of your colleagues and found yourself wanting...?"

Asking the wrong guy, buddy. That said, Raginmar doesn't waste time comparing himself to others and worrying that he's lacking. He'll be as skilled as he wants to be, and he doesn't need anyone to be his benchmark. If there are other people more skilled than him, it's not his problem.

———

Koana: "I'd heard much of the incomparable Archons during my time at the Studium. As soon as the contest was confirmed, I thought who better to recruit to my cause? I contacted the scholarch, who arranged an introduction to these two gentlemen."

Urianger: "The Second Promise had specific requirements: they who would be his assistants must boast both proven survival skills and mastery of the arcane arts."

It's a little funny that if Raginmar had agreed to become an Archon — which he absolutely could have, thanks to his skill in arcanima and engineering — he would have fulfilled both those requirements all by himself.

I also think it's kinda funny there's basically a PhD-equivalent for having survival skills. It's like Bear Grylls getting a PhD from Cambridge for being a survival expert.

———

Thancred: "We did our due diligence, of course, and made sure of who were working with before agreeing to this endeavor. He's even more opaque than Urianger at times, but is surprisingly—"

Surprisingly what, Thancred?! Tell us!

———

Wuk Lamat: "I don't have Koana's education or Zoraal Ja's strength. I'm all bluff and bravado, not fit to bear my title..."

Krile: "To hear the voices of others, empathize with how they feel, and think how best to serve... In so doing, you'll come ever closer to being the person you wish to be."

I'm not going to touch on the whole crisis of confidence and Wuk Lamat's character development arc in growing out of her insecurity and all that, because this story is essentially your typical shōnen manga-slash-JRPG tropes condensed into half an expansion, but I do want to point out the whole "hear, feel, think" thing — you'd think they'd retire the reference altogether after Hydaelyn's passing. I know it's been this game's arc words for basically forever, but now I'm wondering if they'll ever retire it or if it'll be another Haurchefant situation.

Because honestly speaking...

Thancred: "I imagine your experiences on this journey—all the things you'll hear, feel, and think—will help you refine that approach."

...was there any real need for the arc words to be repeated in this different-yet-parallel scene with Koana, just to hammer it home?

———

Koana: "But what of you two? Wuk Lamat's allies are your comrades, it must feel strange to be rivals."

Thancred: "Helping you has made us rivals, aye, but we're not about to break into fisticuffs over it."

Thancred: "Unless of course it is a matter of winning or losing the contest. Then I'll have no qualms about putting Alisaie on her rear."

Real interesting you chose to talk about kicking Alisaie's ass instead of someone like, say, Raginmar.

Urianger: "Despite our long history, never have I been given the chance to test myself against our companions. The thought stirreth within a most unexpected sense of competition."

Contemplating this bit because I had a headcanon about a Grand Melee 2.0 after the Final Days have been averted or something. Maybe what's remaining of the Garleans joined, maybe it's just the Grand Company of Eorzea and their allies (including the now-disbanded Scions, who join as independent combatants) having a melee for funsies or something, but essentially it's Raginmar and his old squadron facing off against everyone else after he thoughtlessly made a comment about how not even the combined might of the Grand Company could defeat his former subordinates, and Hien and Pipin took offense.

There's more to the story, obviously, but basically if this is canon to Raginmar's lore, then that negates everything Urianger just said because then he'd absolutely have had the chance to test himself against his companions, and gotten his ass kicked for it (laughs).

———

Koana: "Lamaty'i has surrounded herself with distinguished figures indeed. One of the Studium's finest graduates. The head of the Students of Baldesion..."

Koana: "And then there's Eorzea's vaunted champion. If he's half the hero you say, then the odds are stacked against us."

It's a real pretty way of saying you're screwed and have no chance whatsoever, truth be told.

———

Next up: the Feat of Pots!

[anneapocalypse]

On "friendly competition."

One place I do think Dawntrail fumbled the ball (and I have a few, though I did love it overall) is I still feel like the setup for the Scions working for opposing claimants was too glib. I know a lot of people loved that scene in 6.55 because Thancred and Urianger, and yes, they're great together and have fun chemistry. But once you know what they're actually talking about it does leave a bad taste in my mouth. They (and the other Scions when they find out) are effectively treating the governance of a sovereign nation, something that will have longstanding political ramifications and affect the lives of a lot of people, as a game where they get to spar with their friends.

The Scions have witnessed firsthand the damage and upheaval that power shifts can entail, and none of them really know that much about the situation in Tural before arriving there; they can't know that it's going to be a smooth transition with no unrest or bloodshed. (And guess what! it isn't!) Thancred, Alphinaud, and the Warrior of Light especially know this, as they were all at that banquet, and latter two also got to witness a major power shift in Ishgard and everything that came with that. They all saw Garlemald, and the twins especially have spent a lot of time there. And then there's, you know, (gestures to the entirety of Stormblood). Urianger may not have been present for a lot of these events directly, but he knows what happened and he's seen the impact on his closest friends.

The Scions understand that politics aren't a low-stakes game, is what I'm saying. They have to know that things have the potential to go very wrong here, and that this "friendly competition" could turn anything but. We know now that Koana and Wuk Lamat care too much about one another to turn on each other directly, but there's no way any of the Scions could have been sure of that at the time, and it also doesn't account for the actions of the other two claimants, which the Scions definitely could not have predicted.

So I think this is a place where the "We're all going on a fun vacation" vibe of the lead-up to Dawntrail does take away from the story a bit. I personally enjoyed the tone shift at the midpoint, and had been pretty sure something like that was going to happen, but I think maybe some minor writing adjustments could have made the setup work a little better. The obvious fix is like, just don't have Thancred and Urianger know that others are working for Wuk Lamat. The Scions are officially disbanded, they may not all be sharing their plans, no one expected Estinien to show up in Tural either, so whatever, we can suspend our disbelief. The other option would be to give the Thancred and Urianger scene a more serious tone, while still keeping the details vague, but that might've stepped on the overall tone they were going for with DT's marketing (though I don't know that it would've been any more of a giveaway than showing the cyberpunk areas ahead of time).

It's a small thing; I imagine it probably didn't bother a lot of people at at all, and it certainly didn't ruin the experience for me! But it is one thing that felt off to me and which I'd probably rewrite a little if I ever want to do anything with it.

[warriorofyapping]

Alphinaud's character development over the expansions has been so good. I remember how I used to not like him much, he was a bit snobbish and thought he was always in the right, he refused to accept when he was wrong. Yes, he's young, but 16 is old enough to know when you're wrong and to accept it. It didn't help how sheltered he was and how much the people around him allowed him to stay that way, hiding things from him when he should rightfully know them.

After what happened with the Crystal Braves, you could see how he realized just how his mindset came to bite him in the bud and we get to watch as he slowly begins growing as a person. He has his moments where he still struggles, but then he realizes and he backtracks, he tries again. We see him rely on the people around him more and accept help from them, especially the WoL, Estinien, and Ysayle during Heavensward.

You can't tell me that ARR-STB took place in less than a year, especially with all the traveling via land and sea alike the group had to do during Stormblood. We get to watch him grow over at least a year and then, in Shadowbringers, he grows again, just without us there. You can tell how he has matured a bit more during the near year he was in The First without us and it's nice to see the difference between the arrogant, stuck up kid we met and the boy he is now.

I love my son so much okay.....