#exploring the great gubal library

[diamondangelkitten]

Junelezen Day 9: Deviation

You’ll never know what you may find when you deviate from the well-worn path!

Alinea was going to have to bring Master Matoya back to the Great Gubal Library and get more information on all the tomes and vials stored here. It wasn't unusual for her, or any of the girls, to come and pick up a tome once in a while, but Alinea wanted to make a proper girls' night of it sometime. They'd have to bring Y'shtola and Nidhana, as well as Master Matoya, but oh what fun they'd have.

[mimble-sparklepudding]

How important is it that your OCs relationship is "realistic" for the setting in terms of the characters values and attitudes? Or are you happy to explore psychological or sexual issues that might more reflect contemporary concerns?

I think, if I were to explore a relationship, that it would be a bit of a mixture of the two to be honest. I mean, canonically the setting already has newspapers, romantic fiction, pornography (if you count the illustrated book of Goddesses in The Great Gubal Library), escorts and nightclubs - so I think there's room enough for some creative licence when it comes to exploring issues of sex and romance.

I suppose I would be a bit wary of FFXIV characters talking in the language of contemporary pop psychology, but then, to be honest, I'm wary of talking in the language of pop psychology generally. Humble has the echo and is very motivated to understand people, but he is unlikely to start talking about codependency or trauma (unless it's in the context of applying blunt trauma weapons in combat, in which case he is quite the expert).

[scionshtola]

14. Do you have any headcanons for what happened post-Ultima Thule? What kind of injuries did they suffer, or did they walk it off like a boss? Did they take a lengthy vacation, did you shove a time skip in there before 6.1 hit? Or was it quickly off to the next adventure? (x)

After Ultima Thule, Corisande had a multitude of cuts and fractures that required a weeks-long stay in the infirmary in Old Sharlayan, where her friends made sure someone was always by her bedside. After being cleared to leave and returning to Mor Dhona for the last meeting of the Scions, they went with Y'shtola to stay in Matoya's cave while she worked on her book. They stayed there a few weeks, exploring the Relict and the Great Gubal Library together while Matoya pretended she was unhappy they were there. Soon though, Tataru brought Corisande word of the private island in the Cieldalaes, and after talking it over with Y'shtola, decided to spend some time there on their own for some extra peace and quiet.

[beholderfromthenorth]

Day 19: Taken

“Domitien!”

The sudden bang of the door to Domitien’s office being flung open had him recoiling in surprise before he could even lift his eye from the tome on his desk to see who was barging in. Loetthota – true to her name – had damn near shouldered the oak door off its hinges in her hurry to get inside, but the affronted scowl Domitien greeted her with softened a touch at the sight of the desperate dismay on her own face.

“Y-you have to help, it-it’s Rickart, he’s… he’s-“

“Slow down.” Domitien’s voice rumbled with commanding intent, and Loetthota stopped and drew a deep breath to steady herself. He watched her purse her lips, steel herself to deliver ill tidings.

“In the Library.” The Great Gubal Library, she meant – its dark reaches were still being explored. “They got Rickart. I came straight back!”

They could only be the remnant voidsent.

Domitien drew himself up and rose from his chair. Keenly did he feel the fire of resolve lighting itself inside him. He could almost feel a tingling in his crystalline false eye as the aether that was gathered there shifted. Then the tingling spread to his fingers, a jolt of lively stirring, as he grasped his staff.

These were his people. He would ever be the first to come to their defence.

[kannedia]

WOL profile: Asel Kha

Name: Asel Kha

Possible Azem names: Pandora or Charon

Age: 28

Gender: Female [She/Her]

Race: Xaela Aura

Class: Scholar [Main], Summoner, Ninja [Post ARR Patches, at Yugiri's suggestion. Figures it a good backup to her magic], Bard [Post SB. Influenced by time at the Azim Steppe.] and Warrior [Post ShB, In memorial of Ardbert.]/ Omni Crafter and Omni Gatherer. [Hates fishing, but she'll do it.]

Height: 5'2"

Orientation: Disaster Bi-romantic Asexual, leaning towards women. [open to queer-platonic pairings.]

Crushes: Minfilia, Y'shtola, Lyse, Sanson [briefly] and, Mide [also briefly].

Potential Pairings: Y'shtola or Lyse

Potential QPR: Estinien, Y'shtola, and/or G'raha

Idolizes: Y'shtola [Since she first met her in Limsa Lominsa], Cid, and Baderon Tenfingers [She once accidentally called him dad].

Personality: Tends to struggle with reading people, situations, and moods; Asel has a habit of withdrawing into herself if she cannot find what she feels is an appropriate response to a situation. This is rarely helped by her tendency to overthink things. She slowly gets better during her time in Eorzea and The First. In fact, there are points in the later expansion packs where she is too honest. Usually when she's angry.

Adaptable [by necessity] and excitable [despite herself]; Asel will speak more if she's comfortable in either her location or company. This can seem inconsistent as she has memory problems when it comes to names and faces. Has a considerable amount of patience and tries to present a friendly face to those she helps despite her nerves. Asel is easily flustered and doesn't like being the center of attention. Her fame makes her jittery and anxious.

Hobbies: Loves to learn new things. Is usually drawn to folklore, mythology and fairy tales which is probably what influenced her to take up the mantle of bard. She takes to practicing the flute by some point in the SB patches, though only in private. She has stage fright and tends to freeze up.

Asel also loves to travel and explore new places. That being said, she wasn't exactly blessed by the Navigator. The aether compass Haurchefaunt gave her sees a lot of use because of this as it has a compass. Actually enjoys helping others and is unbothered by all the fetch quests she gets sent on. Prefers crafting to fighting, and wishes to make things for her friends. So far shes only gotten to make a hammer for Cid back when she first met him.

Unique animations: Rubs her eyes against her sleeve to prevent people from seeing her crying. Tends to default to crossing her arms across her chest.

Commonly found: The Great Gubal library, as soon as she learns of it. Asel starts making journeys to the Ziggurat when she learns of it's connection to red mage history from her research. She hopes to find more on the history of their weapons.  She spends her spare time in The First either in the Cabinet of Curiosities or volunteering in the Spagyrics, putting her experience from working at her parent's apothecary to good work.

History:

Left home to see the world and continue her studies.

Daughter of two retired adventurers, her parents met when her father treated her mother for an injury that took the sight in one of her eyes. They opened an apothecary sometime between their marriage and the birth of their child. Asel worked there from twelve to when she left home at twenty-eight.

Has wanted to be an adventurer since she was a child. Her parents, determined to make sure she survived should she follow through with this goal, trained her to the best of their abilities in medicine, survival, and magic. She does know how to swim and is one hundred percent willing to help Alphinaud and Urianger should they ever ask. They probably won't

She started studying advanced aetherology around the beginning of Heavensward. At first it was in order to help in finding her fellow Scions. Asel decides to continue said studies once they are found in an attempt to keep up with them. Or at the very least understand what is being said.

Didn't have any real friends growing up, due to her job at the parent's store taking up a lot of her time, and her focus on her studies to become an adventurer. Her parents tried to help with this by having her do delivery work. Which gave her experience with communication and developing a good poker face but did not address the key issue. She now sees the scions as her family and can be a tad overprotective of those she gets close to.

[voidsentprinces]

Freedom and the unabashed being of oneself. Every one memes on Guy Fieri but dude is all about the food he sells, the wild image he projects, and being out in the world trying new things, new sauces, new combinations and enjoying it. An entire show about driving around America and enjoying its various cuisines and how people can shake up the same formula in the expression of his exploration of the landscape.

Matoya stayed behind from the Exodus because she didn't care for the stuffy, self-righteous and uptight Sharlayan Forum and keeping her well in the dark about being contacted by Hydaelyn. But also how they so non-chalantly abandoned their first contact with the aetherial sea with the Anti-Tower and an entire library of forbidden tomes with the Great Gubal Library. At the slightest inclination that Garlemald would come over them there mountains. Cause at the end of the day their precious mission of flying to the moon and noping the fuck out of the Final Days, as far as they were aware since Venat had to play it close to the chest. Paints them as being only surface level in their actual care of the world. In turn, Master Matoya cares deeply about Y'shtola and the fate the world at large. Expressing her own freedom in leaving the pack to watch over the important places they were just up and turning a blind eye to. And teaching Y'shtola to take pride in her own freedom and discovering the world at large. Though Matoya is bound to one spot it is her freedom and responsibility to her thirst for knowledge that she stays there. As prickly as she may appear to new comers she is also plenty happy to see Alphinaud, Krile, Alisaie and the crew when they visit because we're all not just standing about letting shit happen but facing it dead on. Granting us access to the Libarary and the Anti-Tower to clear out any malcontents that had nested there and opening a future path for any scholars who might actually be interested in the contents and allow for her own twist on the Ironwork's Slogan but "Freedom through knowledge" instead of "Freedom through technology".

Both Guy and Matoya prize freedom and the exploration of a landscape and shining a light on new interesting things like having an ancient crystal of light from eras past and sending her minions out to keep tabs on certain things. While being unabashedly themselves. Both are more than happy to try new things. Guy with food and Matoya with porxies and the curing of tempering. And express it as far as they can. While Guy is open and forthcoming, Matoya is more reserved but mischevious in the way she goes about things. Almost playful in her nature. Something they prickles both Alisaie and Y'shtola the wrong way but causes her endless delight in their passion for what they choose to follow.

[battlecrazed-axe-mage]

Merlwyb and her WHAT

[theimperialnuisance]

MiqoMarch Day 12-Favorite Dungeon

“Out of all the places I’ve explored, The Great Gubal Library is one of my favorite places—I had never been to a huge library before and didn’t know what to expect—it was a place beyond my wildest expectations! Never have I seen so many books in one place before and even though some were uh, more hostile, than others, it was still a very fascinating place filled with so much history and untold stories!

I also have to give an honorary mention to The Twinning in the Crystarium...exploring the Crystal Tower back in the Source all those years ago was something I will never forget and it felt like it was just the beginning of everything I could have ever hoped for when I first began my adventure. The chance to run through the tower once again while I was in the First was as exhilarating as it was before and I will always cherish it!”

(And going ooc here cause I’ve got my absolute favorites as well cause it was hard to pick just one for today’s prompt cause I’m indecisive as hell ^^;; so I gave two for IC and two for ooc x3 Haukke manor is always my favorite when I’m running roulettes (I get silly excited when it pops up) and the newest one Matoya’s relic is a another favorite! Instantly fell in love with the music for that one and Haukke Manor is just fun to run through! I will also give a shout-out to the Crystal Tower Raids <3

[ffxivtribehydrae]

#4 Clinch

For FFxivWrite2020

Characters: Khu

Warnings: None

Note: This piece relates to a previous work written for  Wondrous Tails of FFXIV 2020, Brotherly Feud 

A few suns had passed since their return to the tribe Hydrae, their home.

The festivities to welcome them back had been pleasant even if Dubus had not been there with them, preferred to lurk around in the forest surrounding the iloh. Auro’usk was at least happy to see so many familiar faces again and meet their nieces. Khu would have enjoyed most of the time back home as well if it wasn’t for the conversations he had with Childé.

Their one brother still living at home, who met every ideal their tribe has, happily married, achieved the role of Khan and a rapidly growing personal family. And he expected his brothers to be the same.

Khu had of course met with his old teacher, the priestess of the tribe and upon doing so he had started to think that perhaps there was something in all those harsh words his brother had to say to him. Seeing how old and crippled the prominent woman gotten and hearing of her reluctance to as much as consider a back-up heir to her knowledge was concerning to say the least.

Now he sat in a quiet part of the forest, he wasn’t interested to discuss this dilemma he faced with anyone, it was his lone decision. One hand stroked the cover of his journal and flipped it open with care, going through one page at a time of all his unfinished studies from the vast land of Eorzea.

A number of ruins he yet had to finish exploring. A mysterious material supposedly hidden within the depths of Dravania. A list of book titles skimmed from the shelves of the Great Gubal Library he never had another opportunity to visit. A variety of plants and alchemical theories he for reasons couldn’t get a hold of or test.

Was this relevant? Was this necessary? He pondered as he stopped on a new page. What did these projects provide to his goal? They were nothing but personal interests and projects. Realizing this he let out a deep sigh and leaned back, plotting for the all too close future. Losing the faith of his tribe weighed heavier than the loss of some personal curiosities.

‘I’m returning.’

His decision wasn’t even revealed to the rustling wind. Though a hint of a smile tugged at his lips, there was a sorrow in his eyes, he’d worked for this decision for over 10 summers, to start realizing his dream and goal, but so much had to be left behind, not just private interests.

Dilemma settled, he turned back to the journal and proceeded to rip out certain pages. Perhaps someone else could aid him in these little projects while he was gone, but even he would bother to hide some secrets.

[bloodbornblue]

Field Guide: Golems

Description: "Creatures” born of rock and Aether, standing several full fulms above even the mightiest of Roegadyn, glowing with an inner light reminiscent of a warm hearth only glimpsed from outside a cold, unforgiving stone edifice. Golems are typically top-heavy creatures, their Aether-born status allow them a moderately nonsensical structure, a good portion of their bulk being placed in the upper torso and arms, more appropriate for disposable, supposedly short-lived early Warmachina.

Save for this author’s drawing, other forms of Golems are known to exist. Some that take on a more, for want of a better term, natural formation, are commonly known as Marolith, and are seen as creations not of Man or Beastman, but of highly-aspected earth aether, waxing astral. Dullahan, great suits of metal armour (be they headless or no) are also considered a form of Golem, and both deserve their own entries, as the Codex Raimdelle provides them. Truly, almost any creature crafted from stone or metal, or even ice, and infused with a facsimile of life can be considered a Golem.

Locale: Somewhat oddly common, Golems can be found typically amidst ruined structures from ages past, where they were employed as disposable guardians. My personal studies on these creatures are focused around Qarn, an ancient temple in Thanalan, constructed by the Belah’dians, though there records of them across the entire star, and are frequently employed in devastating new forms by predominantly Kobolds, but also other Spoken who are still knowledgeable in their summoning.

Temprament: Though as unpredictable as their creators, Golems typically serve as brutish, single-minded grunts or guardians of ancient ruins, and are thus typically best avoided due to them erring on the side of hostility towards either those they have been ordered to target, or those who encroach on territory they have been ordered to protect.

Notes: The foci of Golems are objects called “Soulstones” (not to be confused with Soul Crystals), crystals ranging in size, up to that of a small Lalafell. Soulstones themselves are formed of enchantments, woven into rare Ores (typically, the rarer the ore, the more powerful the Golem), arguably making Golems closer in relativity to Carbuncles, due to both being a “shell” created around an enchanted stone. These enchantments can be dispelled with relative swiftness via an application of amber, which will draw said enchantment away.

Golems, as creatures of rock, are also severely weak to dissolvants, the acidic chemicals causing their stony exteriors to melt away, though the results of applying acid to Golems not comprised of stone is somewhat more questionable.

Some theorize that rogue Golems are cannibalistic in nature. Drawn to the corpses of their kind to salvage for rocks of higher mineral or metallic content, presumably with the intent to further increase their size, it is likely that the rocks with higher mineral or metallic content conduct their aetheric cores with greater efficiency, allowing them to ultimately add more to their form, and become better at their duties, in their simple, proverbial minds.

Final arguments: Throughout this subjectively brief summary, I have alluded to the idea that Golems are Soulkin. They are, after all, given a form of intelligence through magic, and are powered by a Soulstone. However, this is a hotly debated topic within the Naturalist communities, as the very classification of Soulkin seems to be mired in outdated folklore, and superstition prevalent when Raimdelle was originally penning his codex. Therefore, this author would like to provide two alternatives.

One, that, as alluded to earlier, Golems are Transcendent in nature, due to their similarity to Carbuncles. Both are being made of Aether, given a semblance of life thanks to an outside force providing a greater concentration of Aether, and are focused around a variety of Aether-conducting stone.

Alternatively, and, a conclusion I will personally be researching further, is that Golems are Voidsent. And here, I must present a handful of facts not yet stated. Firstly, though this may be part of the superstitious folklore that Soulkin are mired in, Golems can only be formed when the “laws of nature” are weakened by the “chaotic influence of an Umbral Calamity,” akin to how Voidsent are more easily summoned when an Umbral Calamity causes the barrier between the Void and our plane to weaken.

The Voidsent summoning theory can also be reinforced by the idea that said Voidsent would be possessing an enchanted vessel, a feat not uncommonly used to trap Voidsent, with more powerful enchantments and rarer stones weaving a more robust prison for Voidsent creatures trapped in Golems, and that it is not unknown for Voidsent to posses inanimate objects, akin to the Voidsent oddly named “Page 64.”

Lastly on the Voidsent theory, though this is more situational evidence one can use to draw conclusions, and is, once again, mired in the story-based recordings of information on Soulkin, legend states that the Twelve Archons commanded such warriors of stone during the Sixth Umbral Era. While this by its self is not odd, I would draw your attention to one in particular, Nyunkrepf  Nyunkrepfsyn, founder of the Dravanian Sharlayan, builder of the Great Gubal library and, thanks to explorers, we know employed (perhaps not directly, but his subordinates definitely produced) creatures known as Bibliotaphs. Creatures of Stone, made to guard lost knowledge, and powered by Voidsent bound within, whom had been entreated to serve as guardians as payment for their summoning. A familiar enough concept.

Regardless of this, Golems are a fascinating subject, as they are a broad topic, containing a number of sub-species, and are mired in an issue based on a strange classification, which its self appears to be a remnant of a bygone era, but one we still look upon today, due to reasons beyond this author’s understanding.

[voidiots]

🙌 - shove my muse out of the way. [[ Local dergin potentially saves a catte who loves getting into much trouble >.> Look... my brain saw this and immediately went to Jac shoving Una'to out of the way and taking a blow or something

They had been exploring Tamtara Deepcroft. A small place to start looking before trekking up north to the Great Gubal Library. Something of a test for Una’to who was using his rapier to set an imp alight. With a sigh he goes back to the room they were exploring before the gaggle of imps had found them, looking over water logged tomes. Nothing to give them an idea on breaking Una’to’s curse, but plenty of grisly notes on raising the dead. It seemed he was lucky to have been a corpse when Nyr made his deal with Ghys. Scratching at his neck bandage he feels a shove and a sickening wet sound over him. An Imp in hiding quickly be cutting down by an injured Jacaques, a larger than average icicle in his shoulder.

Shakily Una’to get’s up moving steadily to remove the ice, biting his tongue, and attempting to plug his nose with his muscles. He would have to leave the room after treating Jacques. He knows he heals quickly, he would be fine. He should be fine. Una’to on the other hand knew his curse would start bubbling to the surface soon. He had to work faster before looking at the man before him became blinding. More problems would follow after that.

Thank you for the prompt @thedarkestdragonknight! Sorry for the delay, finally got an idea though!

[ishgard]

Top 5 Dungeons!

OHHHH let’s see. Again, not in a particular, but still approximate? order. I’m also going to put Praetorium over here to the side because I just... in general group it differently? It’s a dungeon, but it’s Special [8man, unskippable cutscenes, five hours later...] But it IS one of my very top faves and I ADORE it any time I get it tbh. But as for regular dungeons that don’t require a lifelong commitment.

The Burn - Reasons for this are probably pretty obvious. The new take on the Prae music is some of my fav in a game full of fav music, the wide open vistas are amazing and it’s just a fun dungeon that always has such a great adventurous feel running through it; slipping and sliding down cliffs, finding the allagan ruins, coming over THAT hill overlooking the worms carcass and then MIST DRAGON. Augh it was just. So. Good.

Ghimlyt Dark - The top two here honestly are pretty close to neck-in-neck. GD is such a unique experience that really feels like war on the scale of Carteneau (and really, bigger - if you take away the giant falling moon, just on account of Garlemald officially dedicating her forces to the fight, and the full might of the Alliance rallying against it.) The story, fighting alongside your friends, the music and the sounds of battle all around you culminating in a pretty fun final boss just... :ok_hand: good stuff.

The Lost City of Amdapor - I’m gonna mention music under most of these tbh but anyone who has suffered playing with me knows I’m constantly crying about how much I love all the music in this game, and this dungeons music is no different. I just really love exploring these ruins, delving deep inside, and DIABOLOS [a top tier fav series summon]. I have some IC connections to the city also, so that plays a big part of it too. 

Baelsar’s Wall - There are obvious personal reasons here that I’ll quietly refrain from cuz ya’ll know me. But even beyond that, the story build-up leading into this and everything that followed were great, and the final boss was... Too Long Coming. Again I have a lot of IC feels fueling this too, and just how epic it all was... love it!

Ala Mhigo - I’m sensing a bit of a trend with most of these... :|a Again, the story surrounding this dungeon factors in a lot; seeing your allies on the periphery, “Ishgard remembers, Warrior of Light!” [like if u cry every tiem] and then the final fight against Zenos in that beautiful throne room.

Honorable mentions: Snowcloak, Aery, Wanderer’s Palace, Keeper of the Lake, The Great Gubal Library

[scionshtola]

3, 13, 14 from the wol questions? 🖤

thank you dani!! <3

3. How good are they at saying “no”? Has it gotten better or worse with time?

they are not great at saying no most of the time, because they genuinely want to help people when they need it from them. they have gotten a little better, partly because they have people to interject on their behalf now and partly because they are very tired, so they've become better at discerning who truly needs them I think.

13. Of all the dungeons they explored and the trials they faced, which one left the best memories?

oohh the best memories? that's a bit hard 😂i think the great gubal library could be one--the first one after they get shtola back, in a library that they think is really cool despite the biting books etc and they were only there to retrieve matoya's research as opposed to something more disastrous. it was also right after the vault when they really needed something not so bad to be happening lol

14. Is there any NPC from the game they would consider as a mentor?

i think she def considers x'rhun tia a mentor! she's learned a lot from him and once she gets around to being able to see company again after enw i think he is one of the first people she consults re: whatever is going on with her aether that is making it so she can't cast. (after shtola, who also consults with y'mhitra, who can't be a mentor figure bc she's younger than cori and also like. her sister-in-law 😂)

[felurianrelar]

Subtly winks at Fel from across the room.

The dimmed lighting of the Great Gubal Library made it particularly difficult to see– and even harder to read. Fel sat cross-legged in front of the many dusty shelves, for the Library itself had been abandoned long ago. Curiosity had driven her and Alphinaud to explore the dungeon (making sure they were free of any other living inhabitants of the library), and settled in one of the rooms closer to the entrance. As Fel closed the book on her lap and grabbed her lantern in search of a new one, she happened to look up to her right to find Alphinaud… winking at her?At first she squinted, unsure of whether the current image in front of her was a hallucination from the dust or… what she was seeing was what she was  actually seeing. She pointedly look back towards the shelf in front of her, lifting a finger from the hand that held the lantern, extinguishing the flame from Alphinaud’s lantern. Hopefully he got the message. 

[ever-searching]

⌘ : Where do you get some of your inspirations for plots/head canons? Offer an example, if possible.

A bit here and there, to be honest. Sometimes roleplay itself can give an idea for a new plot or a head canon (e.g. when I go spontaneously with an idea that seems funny and then end up developing it). An example of spur-of-the-moment head canons could be Cain’s fondness of cute critters, which started by him interacting with someone’s pet dodo in Stellazio Pizzeria.

Songs, anime and other games can also give me inspiration, as can exploring in-game locations or new tidbits of lore. I came up with a short plot featuring a voidsent book after I had run the Great Gubal Library in levelling roulette and took additional inspiration from an alt’s levelling session, which took me to the Golden Bazaar in Thanalan. Songs tend to inspire me through mental associations rather than direct interpretations of their (possible) lyrics, though.

[fonzeworth]

exploration: the great gubal library

admittedly, one of elias' favorite places to go with literally endless tomes to look over ( after making sure he isn't going to be attacked by hungry books, of course ).