#azem summoning circle

[nekohooch]

Otakon was amazing. Finally getting to wear my Azem summoning circle gown in person was so much fun. I had multiple people stopping me to gush over my costume and people from HERE telling me they saw it online and were so excited to see it in person. I haven’t been to a con since right before the pandemic and it was so nice to come back to a space I love so much. My goal of someone knowing what I was without me explaining was reached (thanks to the ffxiv photoshoot)! And I can’t wait to see the pictures of the group photo shoot. I added more details to the costume and (minus the stars which were my nemesis falling off the whole day) everything was perfect.

The gown itself took about 100 hours total. 85 originally and 15 to add finishing touches. The top is gold lamé and the chiffon overlay was ripping so I removed it. I have a whole costume breakdown under the tag for the original dress creation.

The necklace has an Azem summoning stone that my fantastic friends brought me from Fanfest which I repurposed. The most added details are the stars. I felt the black spots between the p design and the beams was a bit too big and wanted something to bridge the gap. I also considered adding my statics job symbols in the circles but they keep changing jobs XD

I added some more filigree details to the main Azem design in the front of the gown and individual rhinestones to each of the right angle v filigree and each of the small mirrored circles that make up the big circles because I’m extra along with a gold ribbon for the hem

Then I decided to add lights

Again because I’m extra

I don’t have skill with LEDs so I used individual 6ft fairy lights with tiny battery packs. I painted each battery pack black because the white shows through the skirt especially when lit up. There are about 75-90 battery packs I lost count at 2 am on Wednesday honestly ahaha. I looped them twice up and down so the effect would be less spaced out but I might edit that in the future if I figure LEDs and how to get more powerful ones because they weren’t really strong enough for 10 hours (you can faintly see them in the pictures above) and I kept turning them off when I sat. I used the same petticoat but added a hoop skirt because I was wearing tennis shoes (sadly sensible instead of fashionable) instead of my platform boots.

When people complimented me I would ask if they wanted to see my favorite part (which is spinning) and the laughs and gasps of delight were fantastic. Overall I’m so fucking proud of this costume. Thank you to all of you fab people from the FFXIV coordination who said such kind things I’m so flattered and lovingly overwhelmed. It was an amazing return to cosplay.

[rowanclair]

I made Azem stickers.

It's hard to take accurate pictures of shiny things but it's metallic brushed gold!

[origamihoshi]

| Day 4 | Duty |

Azem made the duty/party finder and I love that

[relentless-endurance]

also obligatory (claps and cheers)

[graha-stan-account]

I know people say the Scion Traveler’s Attire headpiece looks like it might suggest Azem’s Convocation mask design and maybe even suggest their glyph when compared against the summoning circle we see in 5.3 but I haven’t seen anyone point out this little nugget, traced in orange…

[tialinffxiv]

FFXIV Writing Challenge 2024

Prompt #18: Hackneyed

“BOW DOWN BEFORE ME, PITIFUL CREATURES DARING TO CALL THEMSELVES THE HEROES OF MANKIND! FOR I SHALL BECOME THE MIGHTIEST OVERLORD TO EVER STEER THE PEOPLE OF THIS LAND- AND CONQUER THE LANDS, ONE BY ONE!” “I feel like I’ve heard this one already… and not once.” Tia glared unamused over the intruder whom he got called to take care of. “Are you aware that so many have tried this already and how did they end up–...” “SILENCE, INFERIOR BEING! HOW DARE YOU SPEAK LIKE THAT IN PRESENCE OF A GOD!!” “Oh noes… not the godhood complex again…” Tia exhaled heavily, rubbing the bridge of nose. “Ya know- you could at least try to be some more original, I donno… with an outfit at least. But noooo.. you come here dressed in an armor that looks like it was stolen from some random knight-in-training passing by.” 

Intruder inhaled sharply, rage making his face all red and veins popping on his temples. When he finally managed to speak again he was even louder. “YOU… YOU MISERABLE WORM SHALL PERISH, CRUSHED UNDER MY FOOT!! WITH MY OVERWHELMING POWERS–...” “Listen, can we really skip to the part where I beat your ass? I’m kinda in a hurry today- got a date at 6, ya see.” “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE???!!!!”

“I’m a stunningly handsome bunny with a really busy schedule, so if you don’t mind~” Tia poked the Azem’s crystal and the summoning circle spread across the floor under his feet. “VERY WELL, PATHETIC MORTAL!! I WILL SHOW YOU WHAT IT MEANS TO WIELD THE TRUE POWER!! BEHOLD!!” Tia rolled eyes on him. “Ye, ye… but go on- surprise me… please.”

[karoiseka]

10) Stable

((So, This week was a CHORE to get through with work, and I barely had time to write, much less get the screenshots I wanted, especially for this one, so I decided to just submit all of them on time, and have been taking screenshots today while I have a bit of time.

This is for end of 6.0 Endwalker, so major spoilers for that! [and a scene I've wanted to screenshot for a long time now, and will do a bigger version of later]))

Grey stone beneath her feet, grey cracked stone her head, and surrounded by the most brilliant diamond speckled magenta-purple sky, Karo stood. She has made it this far–had forged on despite everything–and still her destination lay so close–yet unreachable. 

The amber stone nearly burned in her hand, clutching it tightly as she stared at Meteion, fire burning in her heart as Ardbert repeated the mantra. 

You must forge on. Never give up hope. We are still here, and will be heard. You are not alone. 

The Echo washed over her, even here in this place depleted of aether, as Y’shtoa’s words reminded her that she could not summon them back to her side. Not–

Yet.  Voice after voice came to her, memories skipping over, searching for the phrase that she needed.  Clarity as Hydaeyn’s voice next whispered in the ear of memory, and Karo's eyes snapped open–laughing desperately as Azem’s summoning circle appeared around her, Emet-Selch’s voice ringing in her internal ear.  Only two of the seven circles glowed in the darkness, before pillars of brilliant light lit the smug face of her enemy. 

The light faded–and two forms towered before her in this time and place so far removed from where she had seen them before. Turning to glance at her, one with enthusiastic joy and echoing her laughter, the other with a deep ever suffering fondness, Karo could feel her heart starting to race.  A melody teasing her senses, just beyond reach for the moment, humming, buzzing in her mind.

As Emet and Hythlodaeus introduced themselves to Meteion, Karo’s laughter continued to bubble up.  Surely she seemed mad, but the joy and hope was slowly bringing color back to her face.  Was this the friendship that Ikarus had treasured so much reflecting down the shards of their soul?  Emet’s theatrics seared into her soul; she would never forget him–or Hythlodaeus–in any of the forms or places that she had met them both.  Hades, the Dark to her Light, she somehow still looked to him with the same fondness, preferring to remember the man she met in Elpis versus the tortured soul of her present day, and the one that had caused her so much pain.

Hythlodaeus called her out of her thoughts as Emet-Selch finished his ultimatum to the bringer of the Final Days.  They were there, called by her, to help.  And they would, in the way they knew best how–bidding her to form the path that they would set their magic to create.  His eyes met hers–topaz to sapphire–and Karo prayed, the song’s melody in her mind starting to clear.

“Ours is the wisdom to weave the fabric of reality!” Hythlodaeus’ melodic voice called out, breaking her reverie.

“Ours is the power to create!” two hands raised and with a snap! the barren stone erupted into a riot of color as Elpis flowers covered the entire pinnacle of where they stood.  Karo swayed as the magic washed over her, and watched as Meteion fell to her knees, cradling a perfect bloom.  Somehow she kept to her feet as Emet-Selch spoke once more, voice proud as he walked to the side of the platform.

“These Elpis blooms serve as proof that this realm is not utterly devoid of hope.  No more can you deny its power.  No more is yours the dominion of despair,” he was gentle as he got with the avatar of despair even as he cracked her ultimate power over their surroundings like a child’s toy, before turning to Karo.

“In case the practical implications were lost on you, you comrades no longer need fight their fight,” Karo had been keeping up somehow with the metaphysical reasons, and tears were already streaming down her face.

“So, go on.  Call them back to your side,” without another thought, and almost without even asking, the summoning circle opened once more around her, seven bright pillars burning in the darkness as bright as her soul.  Seven beams of light that faded into seven heartbreakingly familiar faces, whole, healthy, and alive.  The song in her mind broke into full clarity as Hope became a melody for her to sing.

As the Scion’s voices reached her, each with their own quip or comment, Karo fell to her knees, a mirror of Meteion, clutching the Azem crystal to her chest.  Thank you thank you thank you her soul sang to Azem. To Hydaelyn.  To Hades and Hythlodaeus.  To Ardbert.  To her companions that were blessedly still with her, who had believed in her this entire journey, even when she didn’t believe in herself.  All was right in the universe once more, her heart stabilizing.

G’raha and Thancred reached her first skidding in the flowers kicking up blooms around the trio, pulling her into their joint embrace as they had noticed her fall.  G’raha had seen how she had barely been keeping together on the long journey to this point–and Thancred could obviously see the strain that had been put upon her.  There they stayed, conscious of what was around them, but uncaring and reveling in the fact that they were together once more. 

The rest of the Scions gathered close, and embraced Karo as she stood, wiping away the tears of joy.  Heart beating strong–and finally sure of her path–she squeezed her lover's hands tight as she finally released them and  turned to face Meteion, reaching out a hand.  It would end–had to end.  

Now.

[voidsentprinces]

Wish we could still access special areas. Like the empty Aetherchemical Core before Thordan, the Seat of Sacrifice and Dying Gasp waiting areas, the cave where the soldiers are held prisoner before Ifrit, mounting on top of Zenos and Azem's summoning circle. I am super happy you're still able to just wander around Troia Fel Court and the Royal Menagerie. But I'd like to be able to like...go back to the Imperil Throne room where Estinien and Gaius escaped and the little landing before the Tsukuyomi fight, you know? Definitely to the edge of the universe where Zenos's body is.

[ishgard]

a gentle breeze

My small, still WIP of a headcanon is that Azem's summoning magic works partially through an aetherically linked conduit, gifted to the summon-ee. So in Emet's case it's his earring, in Deryk's its his lil leafy-do, etc. etc.

The magic can work without it but it's a lot less precise, so she might get some randos she crossed paths with (df, lol). Though the closer she is with a person, the more familiar she is with their aetheric signature, the more precise it gets. The item just makes it a lot easier/less likely to fudge up, especially on the fly. But it's also just as much a significant token of Azem's trust + "inner circle" (static lol).

[asleepinawell]

my background story for my himbo lizard boy wol has always been fairly vague and mostly along the lines of: he grew up in thavnair, his family were fishers who made him learn to fish even though he preferred fighting things, he attempted to fish by just jumping in the water and wrestling fish, and then a giant fish kicked his ass so hard he left home on a journey to grow into a better fighter so he could come back and get revenge (he never did. he got thancred to beat up the fish for him and now it lives in an aquarium in his house)

but I was thinking of elpis and the wol being told to relate the whole story from the beginning to the elpis squad and like...this boy cannot stay focused on a long story like that, he doesn't have a single braincell, if you tell him to relate the story from the beginning he's gonna go way too far back and spend half an hour complaining about the fish that beat him up back home

and there's hythlodaeus in the corner quietly making notes about this fascinating fish. notes he will find in his pocket after he returns home and turn into a concept leading to the creation of the fish ancestor of the wol's nemesis. the circle of stupidity is complete

other things that probably happened in elpis:

1) the wol almost definitely made some vague comment to hermes that hermes then recalled later as he looked down at meteion and inspired his decision to destroy the world. the comment would have been something you'd expect to find on one of those awful motivational posters that has some trite phrase over a stock photo of the ocean

2) the wol asked venat "have you ever wondered what the ancients really are?" (he probably read a conspiracy theory on tumblr) but he had a brain slip (without the brain part) and said "have you ever sundered what the ancients really are?" and venat was like hmmm while taking notes

3) wol told emet he looked "out of shape" and "not at 110%" in the future and offered to teach him his exercise routine. this would have happened in the middle of him relating how emet was going to have everyone he knew die and then murder millions of people. hyth prevented another murder from taking place but also took notes on the exercise routine and later built a home gym based on them. azem used it regularly. emet threatened to divorce both of them. soon after, emet unmade azem's favorite barbell in a fit of pettiness leading to them squabbling, a fight which started out serious and then drifted into more mundane topics like should we summon zodiark. azem took his gym and left

4) grani bit the wol. this didn't have any far-reaching consequences but it made him sad and he wants you to know

the legend himself:

[wildstar25]

[Dawntrail lv 100 MSQ and Expert Dungeon spoilers] [read at your own risk]

Im literally going insane about the lalafell lore. I need arsay to be busting down Emrara's door to tell her all of this. I cant believe aloalo content came up and was paid off . Im biting down on this lore like its a piece of tough meat. The fucking sun motif in that quiz room looking like the azem summoning circle. the way the gate key had the azem circle show up over it when arsay activated the stone. the way ive head canoned that Lethe was a lalafell on the south seas before she became arsay. its just all so much !!!

and then the fucking Ronkans stuff showing up in tural. the nightworld pieces we get as quest rewards. the similar architecture. the enemy types. the fucking great serpent ??? ? im screaming. if they dont get into the weeds of this in the patches im going to go feral. im literally not going to shut up about this. its insane. its the lore drops of the century since the hydalyne is a primal reveal imo.

[nekohooch]

I promised I would provide some detail costume breakdown of my Azem summoning circle. It took me about 85 hours total over 19 days. The skirt is overlayed over a red petticoat (because it’s the only one I had long enough) I made the skirt about 7 in longer than floor length for me because I’m wearing platform shoes!

The skirt is two layers of black chiffon. The bottom layer is a normal circle skirt, top layer is a seven panel circle skirt. Figuring out the math for this part was hellacious I do not recommend it. The top was gold lamé with black chiffon overlay. The waistband circles are gold upholstery bolts that I used bolt cutters to remove the stabby bits of and the beams from the waistband are from a fringey door cover that I dissected. I then twisted the beams (fringe) and fastened them to the skirt.

The Ps and the filigree things are from bathroom wall decals that I cut into pieces. Then I added rhinestones, these triangle book decorations, and sequins for the designs and the giant summoning circles.

The rest of the designs are various additional pieces of fringe, rhinestones, and hand painted designs with gold calligraphy ink. I almost added my statics job symbols into the summoning circles but I didn’t have time.

There’s still more I want to add to this but I’m ecstatic how it turned out and felt like an absolute goddess.

[tritoch]

suddenly feeling very ready for solar bahamut today. if summons are just in essence aetheric code then SMN should absolutely be customizing its own. of course it should be associated with the sun for both azem and to symbolize our complete journey through night back to dawn and towards a new day. obviously it should have swords swords are cool. absolutely it should kind of draw on hydaelyn and arion.

i love you and your 14(!) sword wings and your arion-shaped head and your hydaelyn blessing of light circle of swords my son. i'm so ready. the morning sun has come to vanquish the horrible night.

[necra-loid]

tattoo posting bc I can't get one rn but I fuckin want one. which should I get first?

hilfe! das Monstrum in mir wird explodieren! from monster (stylised like this)

spider lily tattoo made with red lines (placement would be on my upper left arm)

orpheus and eurydice tattoo (stylised like greek pottery - design would be my own)

mark of the outsider (left hand, ofc)

crystal of azem surrounded by the summoning circle (unsure of location at present but potentially on my L shoulder)

[dysansohmin]

here's a fun list of worldbuilding I'm establishing about the ancient world in orbit of the convocation:

the ancients place absolutely no value on blood family relations. it's extremely improper to even acknowledge parents/siblings/children as such

the usage of masks & robes has functional purpose. while they are culturally symbols of modesty and communal values, they also prevent others from getting a clear image of your face & body. this prevents summonings and also prevents the use of shades/simalacrums/doppelgangers for identity theft or inappropriate use

to that end, wearing form-fitting clothing or removing one's mask is essentially handing someone your calling card, and indicating you trust that they won't misuse your visage

venat's habit of bearing her face to everyone thus is, a little slutty and sometimes (especially early in her career) misconstrued as a power play

spaces where masks are eschewed (like elpis) have reputations. polite society is both repulsed and fascinated by the sort of torrid drama that could blossom in such a place, and there's judgement in some circles about the kind of people which would choose to work there. the importance of these facilities means that this fascination doesn't spiral to outright disdain.

with the ability to conjure living beings at will, most food and textiles are generated directly from ambient aether. some will conjure whole meals, while others conjure ingredients and cook. how one approaches food is often a class signifier. conjuring livestock for slaughter, or crops for harvest, makes no logical sense.

consequently, killing animals is also quite improper, verging on taboo. some ancients develop particular psychoses around death as a result - truly, if no being ever has to die, why would they chose death? how could they inflict suffering? (points at hermes)

the dominant belief of the Convocation's society is that life is shaped by the hands of men as stewards. venat's hypotheses on the nature of life as matter (as seen in tales from the dawn) is an early concept of genetics and natural evolution. as Azem she helped normalize an scientific consensus that life changes over generations.

that being said, the scientific community has only accepted the notion of selective breeding. the theory that life spontaneously mutates (and does so without conscious outside intervention) is still pretty blasphemous

this society is extremely enlightenment rationalist, and tends to marginalize those that challenge base power structure, or man's place at the top of the great chain. no god here, just Reason

many political dissidents end up functionally chosing exile in artisan communes, which were built up around the first state-funded experiments in genomics. these communes tend to have very loose adherance to polite society's codes of conduct. like elpis, they're exoticized subjects of gossip. living in one of these communes means revoking ones right to creation magic, and breaking this law results in strict, sometimes capital, punishment

products from said communes are imported back to urban areas where they're consumed as luxury items by socialites and other, closeted, political dissidents.

there is tremendous tension between these communes and the convocation - they're collections of workers aligned against the government, held in debt to Amaurot. on the other hand, their labor provides them no real bargaining power. none of their goods are essential and the scientific purpose of the communes has been completely abandoned.

if they were to organize, even in solidarity with the underclasses of amaurot, they'd face swift annihilation. as you would expect from a society whose government is made up of highly gifted super-sorcerors, individuals born with "weak" souls or lacking in magical gifts lack the means to defend themselves. individuals with gifted abilities tend to fall into power, rather than rise against it.

speaking of said government - there is a democratic parliament. but individuals in high societal postition have weighted votes, and voter suppression is rampant. individuals in the communes, unsuprisingly, also have revoked voting rights.

the convocation is still the ultimate seat of power, and the parliament votes to forward issues to their attention. members of the convocation chose their sucessors either collaboratively, sorting through apt candidates, or individually, granting mentorships that bring their favorite candidates to the top of the list

[therisingphoenixden]

Prompt #22: Pierce the Veil to Find the Truth

Prompt:  Veracity

Characters: Emet-Selch, Berude Eijinn, Azem

Content Warnings: Shadowbringers spoilers ahoy!

It shouldn’t have come as a shock to find the Hero lingering by the cave paintings in the Qitana Ravel as her party forged ahead. But it had, to Emet-Selch’s great concern. Had he truly seen what he had hoped for after all these long years…?

She looked so much like Thalia that it was almost painful to be in her presence for long. But if he focused on the things that were different - the things that were wrong - it was almost bearable. 

The dullness of her soul, smothered in so much Light that he had hoped his initial assessment had been wrong, was the easiest one to focus on. Her soul had once been an explosion of colors resembling the sunrise. Now it was dull and faded, like a painting left in the sun far too long.

Eyes that were too dark, too red, and wreathed in rings that could have almost balanced out the oversaturation of color stared up at one of the crude cave paintings. The one of Aumarot on fire, oddly enough.

Wreathed in shadows as he was, he could wander close enough to see her eyes moving under her lids as she closed them, the fine lines that crinkled just under and at the corners of those eyes as she winced in pain. 

Was she remembering?

–

Berude couldn’t leave the Qitana Ravel. Not yet. The strange cave paintings burned into her mind, called to her with a song she could just make out on the fringes of memory. The longer she stared at the painting of a city in flames, she swore she could smell the fires and taste ash on her tongue.

Pain blossomed behind her eyes as she felt a vision overtaking her, and she immediately reached for a nearby boulder to steady herself.

Her sight cleared and the surroundings came into focus. She found herself in a grand chamber, standing in a circle with thirteen other people. All wore dark gray robes and masks, and she fought the urge to recoil in horror.

She recognized the masks. Igeyorhem stood near the far end of the room, a disappointed frown on full lips. To her right was Nabriales with a similar expression. At the head of the room was a mask she was all-too familiar with. The tapered fangs of Lahabrea’s mask only served to make his frown look more like a scowl on his bearded face.

“So that’s it, then?” Beruded blinked. She had never been active in these visions before, always standing off to the side as an unseen voyeur. This…this was no vision from the Echo. “Your grand plan is to summon this…Zodiark to forestall the Final Days, through the sacrifice of our people?” Her gaze swept across the room, to another Convocation member. His mask was crimson like the others, although far more plain. Two rings of white arced up from one cheek, across the brow, and down to the next, framing his pained wince. “Even you?”

A nod.

She sighed, using her rage to mask the feeling of her heart breaking. “I cannot, in good conscience, follow you. There is another way to save our world and I will find it.” She felt her body in the vision shift, standing taller. “As of this day, I step down from the Seat of Azem.” She tore off her own mask, set it carefully on her podium, and walked away.

Reality came crashing back to Berude and she emerged from the…vision…memory? She was panting as if she had outrun a herd of stampeding aurochs and her fingers dug painfully into the boulder as realization set in. One that horrified her.

Emet-Selch had been telling the truth.

About all of it.