#i do believe that ffxiv's story is something i wish for those i love to try out :'O hehe it made me genuinely overjoyed when my irls started

[illegiblewords]

Almost current in Dawntrail, I make some references to plot stuff under the cut but this post isn't mainly about Dawntrail. This is an analytical rant. There are people who disagree with me that I adore/respect to bits who have done brilliant stuff from angles I wouldn't take. People shouldn’t stop doing what they’re inspired to do according to whether I like or dislike something. This post qualifies less with 'I think' and 'I believe' statements/is a little harsher because I'm venting though. Proceed at your discretion.

Features critical/darker discussions of Venat and Hermes with brief mentions of Zenos.

I really, genuinely think a lot of people are only getting pieces of what's going on in FFXIV.

The story still isn't black and white. Characters very, very often are not what they advertise themselves to be. Neither the cast nor fans are immune to misjudging.

Hermes is not as compassionate as he presents himself. There is an enormous discrepancy between what he professes and the choices he consistently makes, both with regard to other ancients and creations. I do believe he was genuinely miserable but he is basically Satan from Paradise Lost, who wonders why he alone was made unsatisfied with obedience and perfection. Who recognizes there is difference in himself compared to others but is conflicted about whether this is a defect or higher calling. Satan sees himself as inherently 'other' above all else and Hermes is just the same. The shared snake imagery isn't a coincidence either.

Everything I've seen points to Hermes being a narcissist who does not have instinctive empathy in a society where empathy is the most valuable quality a person can have. He strives to have more empathy than all other people without truly understanding what that means. It's why he projects his anger and hatred onto the wolf creation as it dies instead of offering it any kind of comfort. It's why he sends Meteion into space to suffer pain, death, and despair as a high empathy being who challenges all concepts of what it means to be alive… instead of presenting her to the Bureau of the Architect, where her very existence might instigate star-wide reform for how all other creations are handled. For his ego, he needed to be the only one with extensive knowledge of dynamis. He needed to be the only one with answers from on high regarding the nature of life. That was far more important than Meteion's wishes or well-being, and the creations he claims to love are expendable for this purpose. He frequently oscillates between seeing himself as beneath all other ancients and the sole, divinely powerful judge/jury/executioner of all living things. Like Satan from Paradise Lost he can't be grouped with those around him. He can't be just one of many ancients dealing with fears, doubts, despairs. He MUST be exceptional above all else. I'd argue the main reason he accepts the Warrior of Light at all is because we do not appear as a fellow ancient to him--he sees us as a familiar, and therefore inherently without equal authority and agency compared to him. When we are useful to his worldview he uses us and when we aren't we're disposable.

I've seen people claim that Hermes is just anxious and that's why he didn't submit Meteion. You don't opt for genocide and decree all of humanity as immoral and unworthy of mercy without even allowing your targets a voice to answer out of anxiety. You certainly don't do that while having specifically gone out of your way to avoid any steps that might have given room for more charitable judgments. Hermes opted to destroy everyone because it was what he wanted to do, but it didn't fit his self-image as a benevolent and empathetic person to do so. That's why he made a loophole via memory erasure.

Venat, further, is not a hero. She's gray at best and in all likelihood a pretty dark shade of it. Light motifs and crystal mommy themes do not change this. She not only decided, independently, that Hermes' genocide was an appropriate course without allowing anyone else room to discuss or address the issue--she actively denied everyone else knowledge of what happened or even basic information about dynamis (LET ALONE METEION'S LOCATION) so they could deal with the issue effectively. She passed judgment on the entire Convocation because of Hermes' appointment without once judging herself for withholding information on his true character. There is a reason Emet-Selch called her out for being immediately ready to see herself as a morally correct messiah of the star. He wasn't wrong to do so. And especially after Endwalker I think Venat grossly misunderstood not only what led to worlds self-destructing on a philosophical level (never mind Meteion's emotion amplification powers), I think she misread her own star and its people. Pursuit of purity and certainty was what led to the destruction of worlds. The total absence of pain is just one form that can take, but it isn't necessary for a world to be in perpetual agony to avoid that. Venat dismissed the despairs and struggles of her own fellow ancients because there was no room for them in the view she had of herself and her world. If she didn't see them they didn't exist, but even when she did see them they didn't count enough to sway her judgment. Venat had to be the most correct person and she didn't allow even as Hydaelyn the possibility of making mistakes or unwarranted cruelty to others. She is 1000% guilty of 'ancient hubris'.

Venat might be a more middling gray, in my view, depending on whether she'd been trying to shield as many people as possible from tempering with the traveler's ward only for most of the star to become tempered by Zodiark post-summoning. There are a lot of repeating phrases between Elidibus, post-Final Days ancients, and the lunar shades that I think point to mass tempering. Venat would have grounds for assuming people had homogenized views, prayers, and voices if the star was largely tempered. If they weren't, I think she becomes pretty sinister for how she deals with people's post-Final Days trauma. Her injustice toward the ancients in that case would just happen to be in a way that benefits the shards.

The Zodiark plan prevented life from going extinct. It was necessary. Zodiark's tempering and the subsequent sacrifice spiral were not deliberate I suspect, seeing as Zodirk was the first primal EVER. People have been consistently misreading the loporrit quote on this to try and argue that Zodiark didn't temper the Unsundered.

The line states that Venat used a different summoning technique to the one utilized by Ascians. Venat's technique specifically does not temper people. The Ascian method does. If Venat's technique was used to summon an entity of Zodiark's magnitude (whose power could not be resisted according to Emet-Selch) there might be a slight tug toward tempering despite the technique being much safer.

This is not saying Zodiark didn't temper anyone. It's specifically saying that despite Venat having a safe technique, Zodiark's summoning was on such a monumental scale that even Venat's technique would carry some risk.

Meanwhile, Lahabrea has been getting set up for years as someone who has been dehumanized, judged, isolated, and misunderstood. This has continued to increasing degrees through Dawntrail. It has been going on since A Realm Reborn. The sheer consistency of it is insane at this point. There is a HUGE gap between how Lahabrea emotes and what he's actually feeling. His choices reflect this and it is demonstrated firsthand in Pandaemonium.

No one seemed to think it was weird that Lahabrea was ready to commit a pseudo-suicide by killing Hephaistos. No one seemed to catch that the 'pseudo-suicide' in the lyrics to Scream referenced Lahabrea, as did the 'shadow left far behind' line. People contorted themselves into pretzels trying to say that Scream was not about him. Nevermind that Pandaemonium is the Lahabrea raid, in which all other characters were supporting cast to flesh out Lahabrea. It must be mainly about Hegemone and Agdistis! If not them, it must be mainly about Erichthonios!

The man's entire story is about being dehumanized, dismissed, invalidated, and excluded while suffering severe mental illness. It's kind of horrendous that fans are continuing to do this to him on a meta level.

Lahabrea has a long history of Abrahamic imagery. If the Warring Triad mirror the Unsundered, Sephirot as the Tree of Life maps to the Kabbalistic process of creation. The game explicitly and correctly references this in the attacks used. The lyrics to Fiend track for Lahabrea as does the association with Id issues, and there's symbolically significant overlap between muscular/multi-armed Sephirot (where multiple arms reference the boddisatva Guanyin, who uses those many arms to help those in need) to muscular/multi-armed Zodiark as Lahabrea's creation. And Zodiark being Lahabrea's creation is indicated in Akademia Anyder. People have been trying to attribute Zodiark to Hermes because Hermes hijacked him in EW and it drives me nuts.

Meanhwile, what did Pandaemonium do?

Paired the Tree of Life to The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. There's a ton of snake, fruit, and mouth imagery in Pandaemonium. Athena is Eve offering Lahabrea as Adam knowledge of good and evil via the soul bonding. Lahabrea has been afraid of himself as an extremely powerful ancient (which I've analyzed before, tying to Emet-Selch too), particularly given he's in a position of power. He reflects the societal idea that someone with his aetherial strength and authority cannot afford to be selfish or he risks causing immeasurable harm to others. Result is that Lahabrea is absolutely terrified of being selfish in any capacity, even on a basic healthy level. Athena meanwhile is a purely selfish being. Like I believe is the case with Hermes (and am positive is the case with Zenos)--she does not have instinctive empathy. Athena deliberately psychologically violated her husband by forcing him to acknowledge understanding selfish desire through her perspective, then compounded it by exploiting his lack of self-confidence to say he was bound to be just like her for understanding such selfishness. She's not an authority on that, but Lahabrea sees himself as personally less than Athena and is not at that point equipped to argue on his own behalf.

Anyway. Abrahamic connections, Hegemone has the snake imagery. Agdistis has the tree and the fruit. Athena is Eve. The soul bonding is the fruit of knowledge of good and evil. Hephaistos uses a ton of snake imagery too. Lahabrea is covered in symbolism both on a personal psychological level and tied to traditional symbolism via the hand of god acting upon the world, the eye of god watching the world. For savage, one arm is covered in eyes. This is his role as Lahabrea employing power for his people. The other arm, his personal desires/needs, is long and thin and malformed/not really functional. He covers his heart with a pair of wings for protection and reduces himself, weeping, to DNA because that's the only value he sees in himself. He'd rather be that than himself as a person because at least as DNA he's wanted for something. Lahabrea doesn't think anyone would ever give a shit about him on a personal level.

When Hephaistos is defeated, there's a reason Lahabrea is shaken when he states that Hephaistos' goal was never to raise himself high. That was what Athena wanted and what she told him he'd want. All Hephaistos wanted was his family back and to be loved. That was the moment Lahabrea had to introspect and realized Athena wasn't correct about his motives. Her declaring something about him didn't make it true.

Erichthonios is convinced he has a cruel and indifferent father for much of the raid. We see him twist neutral-to-kind gestures as malicious in front of us, as with Lahabrea allowing him to go to Pandaemonium as a child but insisting he know spells to protect himself. Erichthonios takes Lahabrea's insistence as believing he's not good enough instead of wanting him to be safe. We also see Erichthonios construe something that actually points to Lahabrea being depressed (giving himself no credit for completing the phoenix and advertising nothing only to be surprised by coworkers throwing him a celebration anyway) as him scorning Pandaemonium for not sharing the achievement with them. Erichthonios was taught to do this by Athena, and Athena likewise twists Lahabrea's self-image as a form of psychological abuse from the moment he approaches her in the soul bonding scene. She cites his status and accuses Lahabrea of thinking himself morally above others for descending to Pandaemonium and judging her. It never occurs to Athena that Lahabrea would try to stop her because he loves and wants to protect his son.

People are projecting their own personal beef with parents behaving poorly to assume Lahabrea is an uncaring father. He's not. He's extremely mentally ill and Erichthonios was groomed by an abusive mother while having no concept of what Lahabrea's mental illness would even look like... let alone how to deal with it.

Lahabrea explicitly thinks Erichthonios is better off with the false memory of a mother who abused him than having him present as a father because he considers himself so personally worthless. He can only see his presence as a detriment in his son's life. He is a short step from the kind of suicide people commit when they think other people would be happier and less burdened if they were dead. 'They might be sad for a while, but ultimately they'll be better off.'

I'm not even bringing out my citations right now. This isn't an Archon Thesis because I want my evidence properly assembled for that. But I recently saw someone try to frame the Convocation and Zodiark plan as uniformly awful, when the reality is doing nothing would have resulted in life going extinct. And if we're talking about zodiac signs mapping to Convocation members, there are more layers to it than 'Ascians = bad versions of the zodiac'.

Ex. The duality (two fish) and creativity associated with Pisces both apply to Lahabrea, but the emotionality does too. It isn't obvious at first but when you look it's there. Lahabrea has hidden strong emotions consistently through a variety of methods across the game. Sometimes it's reserve, sometimes it's aggression, sometimes it's hysteria. But when you look at the surrounding circumstances from his perspective, it makes perfect sense how and why he'd emote that way. It has never been safe for him to be emotionally vulnerable.

One of the earliest moments of 'villain laughter' from him we see is at Carteneau. His assistant waits quietly for him to finish. At that point Bahamut had been unleashed in yet another action that goes directly against Lahabrea's own morals, but is necessary to the Ardor. The sundered respond by invoking Lahabrea's phoenix as protection for humanity against a primal Lahabrea helped orchestrate. On some level people instinctively believe Lahabrea can and will protect them despite his failures, their own reincarnations, and thousands of years passing. It's ironic and horrible but this kind of irony has been happening to Lahabrea over and over again. If he doesn't laugh the dude's going to cry and (again) it isn't safe for him to do that.

(Also as the only Ascian to ever refer to Zodiark as 'master', Lahabrea is A) very tempered B) continuing a pattern of thought/behavior/worldbuilding where he puts his people first and himself dead last C) not talking about Athena. Lahabrea says in-game he had no earthly idea Athena was in the Heart of Sabik. I do think Heart of Sabik effected him by magnifying his desire to save his people and redeem himself in the face of survivor's guilt. It might have influenced his phrasing too. I have theories about what Lahabrea did at Praetorium but blowing it up was not 'the ultimate magic' by any means. I'm pretty sure he used it as a Themis and/or Zodiark backup drive, which Athena's presence at Anabaseios proves is possible anyway. He doesn't need to know about her to figure it out.

People have tried to say Athena is Lahabrea's god instead of Zodiark. Especially given the history of abuse and Lahabrea's own repeatedly shown priorities/actions, that take is pretty appalling imo. Completely dismisses how devoted he has always been to his people to destroy his will and identity altogether on a meta level.)

Even if we strip shit down to the most bare bones narrative form and ignore evidence--where motives and arcs are concerned 'oh Lahabrea has always been evil/uncaring/sociopathic/self-absorbed and stayed that way forever after' is bad storytelling. That would require a 'failure to change' arc as literal or spiritual death. That arc form ties to death because life requires accounting for/adapting to new experiences. If a character fails to do that (for better or worse) that character is stagnant and effectively not living. Such arcs require meticulously showing the process of rejecting experiences though. Zoraal Ja actually approaches the form a bit when we see him repeatedly taking nothing from the trials he undergoes, but his trajectory becomes 'change for the worse' after losing to his father's shade. None of the Unsundered are set up with that arc form, Lahabrea included. It wouldn't offer any insight, fit with what we know of the ancients and their values/society, or carry any emotional impact. Trying to go that route without setup is just bad storytelling and makes characters less believable. But yeah. Tl;dr I really, really wish people paid more attention and examined words vs actions vs surrounding circumstances vs motives.

[koorinokujira]

The Warrior of Light's Burden (FFXIV)

He seemed to appear out of nowhere. Just another bright, wide-eyed adventurer among countless others. Perhaps he went into it for wealth or fame. Maybe out of selflesness and a kind heart that wished to help others. Whatever it may have been, he never refused to help, from the very beginning, whether it was delivering letters between lovers or slaying wild beasts.

Dependable, that's what he was. So much so that they started calling him what they used to call them.

The brave souls that were lost during the Calamity. Silhouettes lost to the blinding light that covers our memories in a haze. The Warriors of Light.

But this one... this one wasn't like them.

It started out slowly, inconspicuously. His enemies seemed to get stronger, but his victories were still believable. A few Garleans here and there, some bandits and wrong-doers, and all that coupled with some particularly dangerous creatures. An adventurer of great skill, one worthy of a mention, to be sure.

And then he slew a Primal.

The people celebrated, showered him with praise and flattering words that seemed to never cease. After all, it was a miracle that he survived, much less defeated his adversary. And all this time, he simply watched with a polite smile on his face.

"I am but a humble adventurer," he insisted to those who praised the Warrior of Light, "surely you would have done the same things if you were in my shoes. I'm just a man. I just tried to help, to survive, like you."

Most believed him, and were willing to leave it at that.

But a miraculous victory turned into something terrifyingly ordinary. Primal fell after Primal, enemy after enemy, there were even rumors of him fighting beings that could not die by usual means. Blood flowed across the trail of destruction left behind by the one who yearned for peace and tranquility.

No, he was nothing like us.

Tales and songs of his deeds became reverent whispers. No longer was he greeted as a friend, but something much greater. Excitement was replaced by elation, wariness by terror. Only the ones closest to him dared to speak to him as casually as they did, though he insisted the common man should do so as well. Those that tried to use him for their own goals could only do so by playing on his worry for the people he sacrificed so much for already.

And oh, would he sacrifice more.

Everyone loves him and fears him in equal measure. They adore seeing him yet avert their gaze. They listen to his voice but not his words. Every single day, he bleeds for them and they say it's right. Every single night, he howls in agony out of his restless sleep and they call it holy.

And the others, they call him a monster. They fear his wrath, and it makes sense- who says he won't decide to slay them too, in the name of righteousness? Who can stand against their caring, horrifying shield made of flesh and bones? Who will save them from their savior?

Who will save him?

"I'm just a man. With feelings like you. Let me rest," he says over and over, but no one hears him anymore. "I beg you."

"I beg you. Forget the Warrior of Light. Remember me."

---✧

I know I haven't posted anything about FFXIV on this blog yet, despite playing it and adoring it for a few years now. But this has been on my mind for a while, and I've also been seeing some very tasty posts about the dehumanization of the WoL lately. So I decided to write this little story thingy from the POV of an unknown observer, also focusing a bit more on how some could actually be pretty terrified of him!

Also, big thanks to @shinkimarbles who rambled on and on about this concept with me and inspired me to write this!

[starlit-seadragon]

Day 9 - lend an ear

Yume visits an old friend.

Spoilers for up to mid-Dawntrail.

My FFXIV Write Masterpost here.

"Hello, Haurchefant."

Yume laid a fresh bouquet of Nymeian lilies in the snow.

"'Tis good to see you again, my friend. Pray forgive the length of my absence. I've been... well, I've been quite a few places recently."

She reached into her bag and pulled out a cloth and a stoppered glass bottle containing an amber liquid.

"Where to start..." she said, reaching for the shield leaned against the grey headstone. "Do you recall my stories about the First, a shard of a star entwined with ours? Recently, I have been to another."

With deliberate care, she began to polish the shield.

"The Thirteenth. Though doubtless you know it by another name: the Void. Yes... all those sinister creatures wreaking havoc in our midst were people, once... " She paused a moment, gazing into the distance, before renewing her efforts with vigor. "I hope never to forget that. That those we view as monstrous often began much the same as we did. That our world can change us against our will into something unrecognizable. That even the most twisted are just trying to survive."

She smiled ruefully.

"But on to less grim tidings, perhaps. I fought the gods," she said lightly, running her fingers over the jagged, gaping hole in the shield. "I know you'd say I fight gods on a regular basis, which is perhaps not untrue, but... I mean *the* gods. The Twelve. I fought the Twelve."

The wind blew through the petals of the lilies. Yume set the shield carefully back against the headstone.

"I wonder... Aymeric told me it took a half dozen men to restrain you when you heard I was to fight Shiva." The memory brought a true smile to her lips. "How many might it have taken if you'd known I was to fight against Halone? You would have loved her, Haurchefant. She was as fierce and beautiful as a storm. A proud and powerful warrior, with equal love for battle and her people. She was... everything you've ever heard her to be."

She stilled, looking out again, worrying her lip. Suddenly, she gasped.

"Pray do not mistake my meaning -- she was no primal. None of them were. The Twelve are... well... were... it's a long story. But I was hoping for less grim tidings, as I said. I brought you a gift."

Yume reached into her bag once more and drew out a small stone carving. She held it up in her palm before the grave and then set it down in the flowers, nestling it into the snow.

"It's a unicorn. At least, it's supposed to be. I have been across the Indigo Deep, to Tural. There is a people there, a race of giant-like beings, the Yok Huy, and they believe that those we lose are still living so long as we remember them. They build elaborate monuments and carve them with the deeds of a person's life, so that they may always be remembered, and so live forever. I spoke with them at length and told them there was someone I wished to honor. So I made this. The first of your great deeds, immortalized in stone. I hope to add more soon."

A light snow began. When the flakes hit her cheeks, they melted, dripping like tears. For a moment, Yume tilted her head towards the sky, eyes closed, and let the snow touch her as it willed.

"I miss you, too, my friend," she whispered.

"Shirayume?" a familiar voice called aloud.

Yume started, turning -- and then smiled. "Artoirel."

He stood, flowers in hand. His smile was bittersweet.

"It is good to see you again, sister."

Yume rose to her feet. "Likewise, brother."

"I came to place fresh flowers on Haurchefant's grave and to tidy the site. I see you have already attended to it."

"'Twas the least I could do."

Artoirel shifted. He stepped forward, placed the flowers next to Yume's, and smiled.

"I see you've been in good company, brother. I shan't waste your time with inane tidings of home when you have such tales as Shirayume's to fascinate you."

He rose and took Yume's hand in his. "Are you here long, Shirayume?"

"I am," she said, placing her hand atop his. "I just arrived."

"Then might I welcome you home for dinner tonight?"

Yume smiled.

"I would be glad to join you."

[absyyynth]

⚠️ !! word vomit incoming! be warned !! ⚠️

okay time to follow up on my dt thoughts now that it's not midnight and ive slept on it. i didn't get into the details before bc i didn't have the energy but now i wanna. let's start with my biggest problem- sphene.

sphene! (or rather, "the queen eternal") where to start with sphene? by all accounts i should love her; she's cute, she's creepy, she's kinda sinister, and she wants to kill me. she's got all the ingredients for a top tier villainess! but despite it all she fell flat. let's break it down

so first off. her status as a construct born from the memories of the living sphene and imbued with the unquenchable desire to protect her people. that's interesting! it puts me in mind of glados from portal (construct imbued with the essence of caroline and given a compulsion to endlessly 'test') and i love glados! what sets them apart and what makes glados work and sphene not for me is that without caroline glados is still a fun character, but the queen eternal is just nothing without sphene. there is no character there beyond the desire to "protect her people." and like, okay, that's clearly intentional. the choice of making the queen eternal nothing but a hollow wish of those who created her is very much an intentional one. but it's a choice that makes it very difficult for me to care and connect with her actions at the end of the game. deleting the memories of sphene so she can better perform her duty and not get bogged down by sentiment? makes perfect sense. i just don't care. there's nothing left for me to connect to.

which leaves me with only the resolution to the queen eternal/sphene's story, which uhh also did not land for me. wuk lamat breaking in during the trial (which is it's own thing that honestly i'm fine with for the most part) and connecting with the vestigial memories of sphene could have worked if we'd gotten to learn more of who sphene was as a person, but in the end all wuk lamat could do was appeal to sphene's sentiment for the alexandrians with wuk lamat's own sentiment for the turali. it ultimately doesn't work for me because sphene and the queen eternal are too closely aligned in desire; if there had been more tension between what sphene's memories wanted and what she was compelled to do as the queen eternal, with wuk lamat pushing and straining that tension to a breaking point, i think i would feel very differently about the ending. it can be argued that that is what happened, but sentiment alone cannot carry a story dealing in themes as heavy as the themes of the final two zones. there needed to be just a little something more.

speaking of the final two zones, i'd also like to dive into those for a little bit, because i have some complaints there as well

so. heritage found. there's a lot to like here honestly. the interdimensionally fused setting is cool. the way souls are treated as a commodity is cool, especially in the context of how souls and reincarnation has already been established in the world of ffxiv. it's unsettling on a very fundamental level both for me and the characters which i like! that being said, i wish there was more tension there. for as horrifying as it should be to the characters (and they are horrified) it's also undercut by the constant refrain of "oh we must learn and respect their culture even if it is gross". which is a genuinely good message that i agree with! but it comes too easily! the struggle to accept what is going on should have been given more weight; it's certainly not ignored but it also does not go far enough to satisfy me. and then. there is the Big Issue. the one i have a much harder time ignoring. which is: why the fuck is solution nine there in the first place?

here's what we know (and perhaps i missed a crucial detail but i don't believe i did): the world alexandria is from was ravaged by a calamity of lightning. embroiled in a war over electrope during said calamity, they erected the everkeep to preserve the memories of those they had lost and recycle their souls to keep the living alive longer. they also at some point sealed themselves inside a dome of lightning (unclear to me where the energy for said lightning was coming from but whatever) to protect themselves from the calamity and the war. what's unclear to me is exactly when the everkeep was interdimensionally fused with other realities. we know it got fused with the source for 30 years but it seems to me that it must have been somewhere else before then, because otherwise the 'top floor' actually being on alexandria's reflection of origin doesn't make sense- memories were being sent across the rift directly into living memory for a LONG time, or at least that's how it seems? if the everkeep was on the "unlost world" as the game calls it, where on that reflection was it?? surely it could not have been too far from living memory, right? my first thought is that it was just chilling on the reflected version of the northern continent but that's SO far away from the gate in the skydeep cenote. anyways after zoraal ja travels through the gate he must have spent a little time on the unlost world before convincing sphene to fuse the everkeep with tural, and from that point on things make a bit more sense to me. bleghh. sorry this line of thought got away from me.

which leaves. the unlost world, living memory. i found this zone to be so tonally strange. i personally really don't like the ideas being presented and i felt pretty uncomfortable the entire time, which i do think was intentional. the desire to see departed loved ones again is one i can very much understand but the actually doing so? no fucking thank you. i don't want to bring anyone back. i would much rather she had kept living. taking a dead soul's memories and storing them in a server forever and occasionally letting them wander around a holographic paradise disgusts me on a fundamental level, i guess. the only real emotions the zone evoked were lots of disquietude, some sadness, and frustration. frustration because it seemed like none of the characters you were there with were on the same page as me. i wanted to shut down those terminals as fast as i could and each one was a relief. yes i felt sad for evenville and krile but not sad enough, i was more angry that this was a situation those characters had to deal with at all. i understand what the developers were trying to achieve with living memory and far many it seems to have worked but it really really didn't for me. one of my favorite things about ffxiv is exploring new zones and i think living memory might be the only one where i actively wanted to spend as little time there as possible. it ended up being a very upsetting zone and not in a good way like ultima thule (my by far and away favorite zone in the game) was.

i'm also a little confused about the state of the rest of the reflection that living memory resides upon. where is everyone? surely the entire world wasn't destroyed in the calamity because that doesn't line up with what we know about calamities, and like. living memory is a giant glowing cityscape that's been just sitting there for multiple centuries. did none of the native inhabitants of the unlost world ever wonder what the hell is going on there? i guess sphene could've kept them out with robots but now that she's gone and the cityscape is barren are they just gonna leave it be? in fairness i expect this stuff to be elaborated upon in the future so it's not as big an issue for me as everything else but it does bother me at the moment.

ending this post here bc i don't wanna keep rambling but uh yeah. the entire alexandria plotline fell flat for me and as a result the latter half of dawntrail ended up being pretty lackluster. i know i'm gonna be in the minority with this opinion but i vastly preferred the rite of succession and exploring tural and kind of wish the entire expansion had just been that. perhaps alexandria could've been the post-dawntrail msq or something and it would've worked better for me. i dunno. i'm hopeful for the future because there's some interesting stuff they can do with the key and all but i'm not nearly as hopeful as i was before dawntrail released. really wish i could have liked it more :(

[astrxealis]

it has been a while since i have advertised any of my favorite games and so hello ... !! i implore you to play final fantasy xiv (fourteen) it is my favorite game and it is so good for so many reasons i love it so much (unlimited free trial btw)

[sidorlss]

A really under-appreciated character in ffxiv is Wilred Glasse. If you remember him, he’s the ringleader of the young folks in Little Ala Mhigo. He learns how to turns crystal into a primal from an Ascian; in a desperate attempt to summon Rhalgr and save the homeland he’d never seen, many of his companions died. However, he learns from the experience and finds himself moving forward to do better by both his homeland and his community. He eventually becomes a Crystal Brave, and is killed for trying to speak up about what he sees there.

I think he’s one of the first in a line of characters that speaks to a general theme of the msq - you might never go home, you might never reach your goal, you might do something misguided in the name of reaching it - but sacrifice will not be forgotten. It will not be in vain.

After finishing Stormblood, you can unlock a quest called Dreaming of Home. As part of the questline, you accompany people from Little Ala Mhigo as they make their way to Ala Mhigo - some returning after many years, others coming for the first time. The leader of the band, however, is a woman named Bertliana; she had been Wilred’s best friend. She has one wish: to bring Wilred’s short sword to the Tomb of the Errant Sword - a place for those who died outside of Ala Mhigo to rest within its borders.

In the last quest, For Those we Hold Dear, she says this:

“Wilred, can you see this view as well? It is truly stunning.

Crimson mountains, a sea of clouds, and a mighty fortress. It is just as Gundobald said. I just can't believe you're not here to see it too...

I promise you I will do everything I can to make sure future generations are able to live here in peace. Just like you wanted to.

So please wait for me, wherever you are, just a bit longer. I cannot wait to tell you all about our wonderful homeland.

Thank you. I will not take my new life in Ala Mhigo for granted. It is a gift that Wilred never got to receive. Do take care and I hope to see you here again someday.”

Despite dying at the hands of those less scrupulous than he, despite never getting to see a free Ala Mhigo with his own eyes, Wilred (at least in the spiritual sense) is brought to rest here. He’s talked about as if he’s alive, alongside the others who have finally made it to the home they’ve always heard about. And though he has little significance to the overall story, his tale of sacrifice and the love he so clearly held for around him (and they held in return) is something worth noting.

[noxtivagus]

"but even if this is our end, it won't change what we had; i love you more than you'll ever know. be well."

i really should replay the ffxiv drk quests again

[cerastes]

Hello, these are for the "FFXIV WoL questions"

2. Does your WoL have a recurring nightmare (or more)? What is it?

3. Who do they worry about the most?

5. What is the first impression most people have of them? Is it different when they get to know them?

13. What are their speech patterns like? more formal or informal?

I hope you are having a good day btw!

Heeey hope you're having a great day too! Also thanks for copying the questions for me @zero-intoner

2. Does your WoL have a recurring nightmare (or more)? What is it?

Alkelda is not particularly afraid of anything as her innate curiosity tends to overpower any sense of dread, and as an avid archivist and treasure hunter both, the prospect of dangerous places translates to her as "interesting data AND possibly profit!".

What does concern her, however, and it is not a far fetched concern, is that she'll start to forget the weight of life. As a scholar and researcher who dabbles in history and aether, as well as someone bound for a long life due to her little accident more or less freezing time for her, Alkelda is afraid of just becoming desensitized to the loss of life as something "natural" and to Interesting Times as "things that are bound to happen". Someone with her outlook on life, plus the events she's gone through, let's say they've not twisted or traumatized her necessarily, but they have given her an askew view of life that tends to prioritize the long term rather than the short term. In addition, since she loves a good story, both telling them and being told them, she's concerned she'll act towards making a potential future story more interesting rather than try to find a solution to any given problem. In the worst of scenarios, Alkelda would be, thus, someone that can't really be defined as "good" or "bad" and sides with whatever makes for a more intense and interesting story for the future instead, regardless of whether that means finding a swift, epic solution to something, or make it ten times worse.

3. Who do they worry about the most?

Miyu for being too cringe.

L'zumi for being a sour sour dark knight and cringe.

Humu for falling for crypto.

Alkelda tends to worry to some degree for the Steppes in general in the way someone worries about their homeland, but not to a terrible degree. She tends, however, to be a worrywart for her beast companions, namely her mounts and chocobo.

5. What is the first impression most people have of them? Is it different when they get to know them?

Most people's first impression of Alkelda is likely "wow that is an arrogant woman" due to her jovial, rough manners of endearment. She's blunt in her assessment of others, but not out of rudeness or arrogance, rather, Alkelda simply has high standards for herself, and tends to expect as much from others, particularly when it comes pointing out mistakes. If people don't like that, then they have but two options: Improve, or leave her presence. What most people definitely don't expect from Alkelda, jovial and rough as she is, is likely her passion for research and academia, let alone the fact that she's a scholar herself. She'll likely be mistaken for someone standoffish, since she likes to operate solo for the most part, but that's merely a personal preference, choosing to share her time with trusted, closer associates frequently enough.

Once you get to know her, you likely realize Alkelda's brusque demeanor is reserved, in fact, for those she likes, and it's a way she expresses appreciation, taking care not to cross the line and keeping it simply fun and boisterous, never actually intending to insult (if she wishes to insult, she'll do so directly and with no ambiguity). Although her treasure hunting and field work attires, such as when exploring ruins or working as a bodyguard, tend to be practical and ragged from use, her taste in 'civilian' garments is high class dresses and expensive clothing. Alkelda does in fact believe that beauty is a pursuit that must not be taken for granted, and has an active interest in beauty and fashion. She favors the Ishgardian flavor of clothing. One last thing that might be surprising is that she loves losing herself in books and the stories of others, but doesn't particularly care for small talk and other liminal interactions, when people tend to think she's the other way around. She doesn't showcase it directly most of the time, but she does harbor love for her friends, she merely believes it goes without saying.

Something you'll never get wrong about Alkelda, however, is her love for gil and a good scientific breakthrough.

13. What are their speech patterns like? more formal or informal?

I've answered this before, she normally employs a flowery, even cheeky, informal. What I wish to add, however, is that she uses the same tone when writing. Her theses tend to be, perhaps, not as formal as a Sharlayan scholar would like. The contents are rock solid nonetheless, however.

[vin-thepacifier-diesel]

PLEASE DO A READ MORE W ALL OF THE FFXIV WOL QUESTIONS I WANNA KNOW !!

hehehe thank u for indulging me. the server is down at work so i finally had time to answer these >:)

Some pictures of the WoL in question, Meuloix!

Why did they pick their first class/job? What about the job they main now? Meuloix was NOT adept with the kinds of fighting that were available for teaching in Gridania. After the Calamity, he wanted to strengthen himself and took up boxing on his own in the forest until he heard word from passersby about the pugilists' guild in Ul'dah. It didn't take long for him to decide to up and leave! (I picked pugilist to start out because I liked the idea of defeating everything with my fists)

Does your WoL have a recurring nightmare? What is it? Large creatures in the depths overpowering him, pulling him under, and drowning him

Who do they worry about the most? Alphinaud and Alisaie! They are just like little siblings to him

What’s their alcohol tolerance? (if they drink) He can drink quite a bit, but it hits him all at once rather than him get progressively drunker. It's hard for him to determine what his stopping point is because of that, so he does not drink

What is the first impression most people have of them? Is it different when they get to know them? I think he initially comes across as kinda severe if he doesn't say anything, but once he opens his mouth it's pretty clear he's a goofball

Is that their natural hair color? YES, because he is a WARRIOR OF LIGHT, okay

How have they dealt with losing people? He shuts down. He needs to process it on his own away from others so he can react however he needs without worrying about what impression he's giving off to those around him

How do they feel about the fame/infamy that comes with being a Warrior of Light/Darkness? Does NOT enjoy it! It's actually quite embarrassing to him

What does the way they’ve decorated their home say about them as a person? His apartment is full of wooden furniture and plants! He loves nature!

Do they misuse any of their abilities? Not really, he's pretty honest for the most part

What location do they dislike most? THE RUBY SEA

Does anyone call them by a nickname? What do they think about it? Mew! He doesn't mind it! (I named him Meuloix specifically because my friend who got me to start playing calls me Mew, so I wanted her to be able to call me that in-game LOL)

What are their speech patterns like? formal or informal? Informal

If they were not an adventurer, what would they be doing? Running his mom's flower shop

Which NPC are they the most similar to? Lyse! She can be a bit silly, but she tries very hard to do what she believes she has to and always rises to the plate when she can. Plus she loves to punch as well (NARNIA, DON'T READ LYSE'S WIKI PAGE IF YOU LOOK HER UP! SPOILERS!)

What kinds of weather do they like and dislike? Do they handle heat or cold better? Definitely handles the heat better, but his favorite weather is kinda muggy. He loves a good summer rain!

Any allergies? Nope, none he's discovered anyway!

What is something they would never tell anyone? As the WoL, he doesn't feel he can tell anyone just how much he questions his role and wishes he WASN'T considered anything special. He's just a silly guy who only recently learned how to throw a decent punch

What level of education do they have? He can read and write, but doesn't really know much about history or anything…

When in the story was their highest point? When were they at their lowest? Gonna be vague about this cause they're all so spoilery, but if you know, you know. Highest point was probably when he and SPOILERS fought 'as one' against SPOILERS in Shadowbringers, I fucking loved that so much. Lowest points have been any time he hasn't been able to save someone, but primarily SPOILERS, of course, because that death was from trying to protect Meuloix. He visits the grave whenever he is in the area (even though this was spoiled for me I still cried LMAO)

[thebmatt]

FFXIV Write Day 2

Aberrant - departing from an accepted standard OR diverging from the normal type.

CONTENT WARNING: asshole parents denigrating their child with sexually charged language

"Master? A letter arrived for you."

Ahldblaet Fyrilberksyn looked up from the stack of documents with an irritated expression at the servant who'd interrupted him, a hyuran male of fair skin and hair.  "Well, boy? Who is it from then? Twelve save you if this isn't worth interrupting my very important work!"

The man went even paler. "I....I don't know, master. The envelope was not signed. The post markings indicate that it originated in Eorzea, but otherwise the only marking is that of a small green axe. I don't know..."

Ahldblaet's eyes, normally perpetually narrowed due to being deep set in his face, widened in shock. "Give that here!" he shouted. "And be gone with you!"

The servant scurried over to Ahldblaet's massive desk and practically dropped the envelope on the nearest corner before fleeing with all haste, as though for his life. Ahldblaet immediately snatched it from the stack of parchment it had fallen on and inspected the markings that the servant had mentioned.

"Husband?" a voice called from the side door that led from his office further into the home.  Said door opened and a shorter Roegadyn woman stepped through, her ash-colored skin in marked contrast to the sea-blue dress she wore. Her dark grey hair framed a face that wore an annoyed expression. "What is all this bellowing about? You are disturbing my guests. It is...unseemly."

Ahldblaet turned his severe gaze upon the new entrant. He was tall and exceptionally broad, a picture of strength in his youth, but his body had taken on a measure of fat in his older age and more sedentary work. Despite this, and his balding head of hair, his steely eyed expression still cowed many of the people he dealt with on a day to day basis. "It would seem, wife, that the enormous investment we have paid into those mercenaries we dispatched to Eorzea may have finally borne fruit. This is a missive their leader sent me. After our last communication I told him, in no uncertain terms, not to contact me until he had something of note to report. Unless he has foolishly ignored my orders, this would mean he has something."

The woman was not cowed, having long becoming immune to her husband's glares. Impatiently she gestured to the envelope. "Well, open it then, you great oaf!  Maybe we will finally learn where our daughter vanished to!"

Ahldblaet tore the envelope and removed the missive inside. He began to read aloud, knowing from prior experience if he did not, his wife would snatch the paper from his hands mid-sentence. She was not a patient one.

"Masters Ahldblaet Fyrilberksyn and Lady Usynwyda Holaszirnwyn,

I am please to report that after much time and hard work on the part of the Emerald Marauders, we have located your wayward daughter. Furthermore, we have determined the reasoning as to why she evaded both us and every previous mercenary company your lordship sent to retrieve her

First, your daughter is no longer using her given name of Syhrwyda Ahldblaetwyn. Asking after that name yielded no results, aside from the merchants who recognized it only as pertaining to you. By sheer luck, we eventually stumbled across a Roegadyn language scholar who knew the translation of her first name and directed us to an adventurer known as 'Fearless Willow', one of the Warriors of Light.

I am hoping the story of the Warriors of Light does not require an explanation for your lordship, but I will remind you that these people are slayers of godlike beings who regularly enslave the minds of mortals around them, have engaged massive numbers of Garlean soldiers and magitek armor, defeated Imperial Legatuses in single combat (including the Crown Prince), and decisively ended a thousand-year war between a dragon horde and the nation of Ishgard.

From there, we set out to determine if this woman and your daughter are one and the same. It is well known that one of the Warriors of Light is in fact a Roegadyn woman, but we needed to be certain. Adventurers are often well traveled and thanks to the Aetheryte network, difficult to track. Your descriptions were also primarily of the physical sort, which did not help, as appearances are easy enough to change.

We caught a break in speaking to one of the mercenary crews you'd previously hired. Many of them had been either entirely wiped or or reduced in numbers to the degree that they'd disbanded. What few remained refused to speak with us once it became clear who we were tracking. One particular mercenary of an Ala Mhigan band (known as the Graybear Den, which if you recall abruptly returned your payment and refused the contract) however, let slip some valuable information after our agents plied him with enough drink. Once he realized who we were speaking of, he grew agitated and swore he would never help us find 'the Warrior o' Light". It would seem the Graybears believe they owed a measure of loyalty to the Warriors of LIght for their instrumental parts in liberating their homeland.

It was, however, enough. Once we determined that your daughter and this Warrior of Light were in fact one and the same, we began looking for ways to isolate her and take her prisoner. Unfortunately this has proven extremely difficult. As they are involved in affairs that affect the entirety of the star, the Warriors of Light are often on the move, moreso than normal adventurers. Furthermore, as I have mentioned, they are peerless warriors, often in each other's company or those of their fellow Scions of the Seventh Dawn. If you don't know the order, suffice to say they are Warriors and Scholars both who labor on behalf of all peoples to defend the world against tyranny and false gods. They are exceptionally successful in this regard. The Scions often meet and collaborate with the leaders of various powers on this continent, who are often accompanied by their own soldiers or bodyguards.

We have remained patient however, and managed to catch a glimpse of her. As I mentioned was likely, she has extensively changed her appearance. Her hair is now of a longer cut and nearly all black, with only highlights of the teal you had mentioned remaining. She has also taken to wearing dark makeup.

We have also determined that unlike her fellow Warriors of Light, she does not dwell in the Scion's headquarters. Instead, she has taken to living in the Hingashi port city of Kugane, where she has a modest home in the district of the city reserved for foreigners.

Finally, and you may wish to brace her ladyship for this part, she does not live there alone. Our spies have reported that her home is occupied by two other women, and their observations of them interacting within the city indicates that the three of them are lovers

We believe that this is our best shot at capturing her, but the price for her return to you has just doubled.

You are doubtless shaking with rage, but you hired us to retrieve a woman that you led us to believe would provide minimal resistance. Even isolated from the other Scions in Kugane, we believe we will face extreme resistance in this job. For starters, your daughter has mastered several forms of combat, including the ways of the Hingashi samurai, the axe-masters of Abalathia's Spine, and the art of thaumaturgy. She is also known to wield the Sharlayan art of Astrology, and has mastered a form of dance from Radz-at-Han that wields circular blades with deadly precision.

Furthermore, Fearless Willow is a known and loved name within the borders of Kugane, despite being a foreigner in a city that remains neutral to all concerns beyond their borders. She was instrumental in aiding their geomancers in repelling an attack from a fox-like beast known as 'Kinko' and she also trained alongside the Sekiseigumi (the samurai order that enforces the laws of the city, brutally so) and helped them put down a rebellion from within their own ranks. One of her lovers is a high ranking member of the Sekiseigumi. The other is a member of her dance troupe who is on an extended tour in the city. She is every bit as deadly in the art as Fearless is.

The point is that, even isolated from the other Scions, many people will rush to her aid. We expect heavy resistance and significant losses. The original reward will not suffice to cover this.

We will not move forward with this operation until we have your confirmation of acceptance of the new price. And we suggest you hurry, as events brewing suggest your daughter will soon be called back to the fight, at which point it is impossible to tell when we will have another opportunity

Cmdr Guji Pokiji Chief Executive, Emerald Marauders  

Ahldblaet set the letter on his desk, shaking with rage as he looked to his wife."How DARE that miniscule INSECT think to extort us?? A Warrior of Light, indeed. As if our useless fool of a daughter has the brains to take on even one sort of combat discipline, much less five! How gullible does he THINK us to be?"

Usynwyda nodded, a disgusted sneer on her face. "The NERVE of her, to merely toss aside the name we chose for her, only to refer to herself in the....ugh...common tongue! Still, the name cannot be a coincidence. Whatever other lies that little gnat undoubtedly told, this is the best lead we have had on Syhrwyda since she ran away."

"It is. And if they are not all lies, then it is all the more imperative we retrieve her before word of any of this gets out among our enemies. The very idea that she would toss aside the husband we painstakingly chose for her after careful selection and delicate negotiation in favor of laying with another woman, much less two! I worried she would do stupid things, but this level of degeneracy, of abberance? It is unconscionable!"

Usynwyda shuddered. "We cannot let this get out. I can never face any of the ladies if they should learn my daughter has become no better than some...common whore. We must marry her off to the Greinmyrgan boy with all haste before she does any further damage to us, to the company."

Ahldblaet scribbled furiously. "I am already writing orders to have our ship made ready and for our elite guards to prepare for a journey. We will find her and we end this nonsense."

Far away, in Kugane, the Warrior of Light known as Fearless Willow shuddered as she prepared to fall asleep. She had no ping from the Echo, no signal from her finely honed danger sense to explain it, but she definitely felt as if trouble was heading her way, and no idea what it might be.

[osakasshitpit]

I love Final Fantasy XIV

So I’ve been playing Final Fantasy XIV, and after playing for around 180 hours, I haven’t even finished A Realm Reborn. Normally, 180 hours is an insane time frame for a game to manage and hold my attention. Persona 5 Royal was 180 hours of game time, and that was slowly outstaying its welcome. FFXIV must be doing something right, because just recently I went to a convention and bought a Y’shtola Keychain in a heartbeat. I haven’t had time to play XIV a lot prior to this, since I was stupidly grinding Praetorium for days and got burned out. I haven’t played much in 2 months, and Y’shtola only really has a minor role during A Realm Reborn’s Storyline. Despite that, I started in Limsa and Y’shtola stuck with me since then. I just had to buy that keychain. My girlfriend asked me about it and despite me staying away from the game after being burned out, I explained to her in great enthusiasm why I loved Y’shtola and why I loved the game so much. I think that’s the first time I really realized how attached I was to this world, these characters, this game.

I came to FFXIV after having played WoW from Vanilla through WotLK, after having barely ever touched a MMO since quitting WoW. Honestly, I was very skeptical of XIV but holy fucking shit did it ever win me over. They are completely different games, mind you, but that is a good thing in my opinion.

So here is the longest tumblr rant post I have written so far, I think.

To be fair, the first 20 levels or so were kinda slow. You get thrown into the deep end and get bombarded with lore and characters, terms and phrases that you don't understand. For fucks sake, the opening cutscene shows Louisoix fighting Bahamut front and center. Its this big, epic moment of sacrifice, but to someone who has not played 1.0 and who doesn't know anything about the lore, this just zips right past you. During the main story of ARR, they keep talking about Louisoix and how important he is, but you haven't even seen the guy because he died before the game even started. I only really realized this today, it took me 180 hours and a look at the wiki to connect the dots. It really is a slow burn, but that slow burn was okay because everything else was so fantastic.

While the world can arguably be more subdued than Azeroth in parts, there is still this distinctive style that I quickly fell in love with. It’s fantastical, but it still feels grounded. Part of that has to do with how the game introduces you to the world, and how the main story quests explain to you the lore bit by bit. I feel like much of the world design of WoW was down to “the rule of cool”. Now, I’m not saying XIV doesn’t have that, but I feel like XIV always goes the extra mile to explain why this cool shit is here. Everything you see out there in the world feels like it has a purpose, a reason to be there and an explanation on how it works. The factions make sense, the political conflicts you get entangled in are believable. I feel like I am kind of biased to be honest. What got me to play FFXIV in the first place was seeing that Viera are a playable race. I’m a sucker for Final Fantasy, not in short part to my memories of Playing Final Fantasy Tactics and XII. XII is still my favorite game in the series, and much of that has to do with the world, Ivalice. Viera were always my favorite race of the ones seen in Ivalice. Seeing as you can play a Viera in XIV, I just had to try. Thinking about it, XII and XIV have a lot in common when it comes to world building.

One of the weirdest things to acclimate for me was how FFXIV handles story. I was used to WoW, where story was basically non-existent and you did what you did to see numbers rise and to unlock now content you could do. You are basically never involved in the story of WoW, you are just kind of there for the ride. In FFXIV, you are the main character. You are involved in what happens at all times, and that is kinda strange coming from WoW. At first I thought I wouldn’t like it, but the game made it work in my opinion. I also didn’t expect there to be so much of story to begin with. Kind of ironically the moment I realized just how much there was to experience was when I went through Ul’dah and saw a blue quest. Now, blue quest markers mean there is some content you can unlock by doing this quest. A lot of these are kinda short, with a bit of dialogue and some bits of lore for you to enjoy and I thought this one would be no difference. After all, the hook is basically just to help this lady mourn for the death of a friend. What I got was a fabulous detective adventure that spanned over the entire continent, where in I had to help the worlds most manly detective uncover the secret behind a mysterious phantom thief. To say the least, this 21 quest long quest line brought be hours upon hours of joy and had me in stitches throughout. And it was completely optional. I don’t think I even remember a single moment from any quest in WoW that made me this excited for it, optional or otherwise.

Ultimately these are very different games that try very different things.

Dungeons and Raids were a different thing. I remember when I rolled a new character for WotLK and wanted to do karazhan because I used to like doing that raid with my guild back in TBC. I could not for the live of me find a group willing to do it, because everyone was way more focused on the new content, so they could get better gear. Regardless, it just wouldn’t have been the same experience anyways I fear, because the new gear from the new Dungeons outclassed the raid gear from TBC, so karazhan would be way easier and a much different experience. In FFXIV, every dungeon is level synced by default, meaning if a higher level character joins, they get basically downgraded to the level the dungeon was designed for. Couple that with the Duty Roulette feature and suddenly, there was always someone to do any given dungeon with. I remember when I had to do the crystal tower raids and thought “why would they tie main story progression to a raid, I will never find a group to do that properly” but low and behold, I found a group within 30 minutes or less and raided through the entire set of raids within a day. Dungeons and Raids are generally a very pick up and play thing in FFXIV. To be fair, dungeons got easier and more pick up and play in WoW too, but Raids were always the endgame thing where you had to gear up and learn to play. In FFXIV, much more lenient. No corpse walking required. I say this, but I have yet to do the Coils of Bahamut or any Savage Raids. I have only heard that there is plenty of hardcore raid content for those who want that.

That’s nothing to say about the actual gameplay. FFXIV is a tab-target MMO, like so many others, but it manages to keep this kind of gameplay fresh by introducing a lot of mechanics that make the game more active than the typical “I stand here and hit my rotation a lot”. For starters, most enemies have special abilities that you can actually dodge by moving out of the way. There will a area marker on the floor and everyone within that area will be hit. It starts out easy, but later dungeons really start kicking your ass with this mechanic. You really need to say on your toes. In addition, every class is extremely different. They all have special mechanics unique to them, special meters and resources they will have to manage during combat and so on. For example, a Red Mage (the class I’m playing currently), has two meters that fill up as you cast spells. They generally have two types of spells, white and black magic. Each type fills its respective bar. Once they are both full enough, you can go in and do a more powerful melee rotation. However, if one bar is fuller than the other, the other bar will fill up slower. Since you need to fill both, you want to balance that out. You get instant casts for spells after performing a damaging spell, and you have some spells with a short cast time and good damage output that you want to cast and then use the instant cast of to cast a more damaging spell that has a long cast time. But these short cast, good damage spells require a you get from casting a spell of the respective type. So, in essence, you want to balance your use of black and white magic, but you also want to use the proc you get from casting your white and black magic, which means you cast more of the type which inherently unbalances your gauges. It becomes this micromanagement game you play with your procs and instant casts, so you can go in and do the big, flashy sword combo. And that’s just the red mage at around 50. Every class has something like this, and it’s all unique to them. Learning a class is not just learning the rotation and spells you have anymore, it’s really learning how to effectively play your class. Also, positioning. Some abilities do more damage from certain positions, so you will have to dance around an enemy to hit all the sweet spots with classes like monks. These complexities get introduced slowly as you level up, so you have plenty of time to learn the mechanics. My favorite feature might be the class system itself, though. In FFXIV, you aren’t limited to one class for the entire duration of your characters career. You can, from a certain point forwards, choose any class you wish and level that up instead. You can freely switch between classes outside of combat, too. If you are dedicated enough, you can level them all up to max, even. This means if you don’t like a class or the direction a class is going in, you can switch. I for my part started as an arcanist, so I unlocked Summoner at 30. I played Summoner up to 50 but I was just not meshing as well with the direction the summorer went in. So, I switched to Red Mage and after some getting used to, Its now my new favorite. Arcanists are special, because you actually unlock two classes at 30, so I also unlocked Scholars. Scholars are healers and that became my main dungeon class, since queue times are way shorter for healers. This would be unthinkable in WoW, and love the fact this is a thing here.

If I had to describe it, WoW is an MMO with RPG Elements, while FFXIV is a JRPG with MMO elements. I didn’t know I needed that, but in retrospect, it makes sense. The thing that really killed my progress in WoW was that I didn’t have anyone to play with anymore. My friends all dropped from the game and while I generally like doing solo content from time to time, I’m pretty introverted, after all... MMORPGs are usually most fun with friends. Final Fantasy XIV is a JRPG first, an MMO second. There is so much to keep your attention as a solo player, its nuts. All my friends who play this game, play on a different data center, so I can’t even visit them. Despite that, I had a lot of fun in my time with the game.

My experience with the game was incredibly positive, and I don’t think it will get worse from here. Everyone keeps telling me how great Heavensward is. I just have to finish 16 more quests and I’ll be able to see for myself what the fuss is about.

Honestly, if I had to say anything negative, it would be how longwinded ARR is. I mean, its not bad by any means, but I can see how someone could be turned off by this huge storyblock. Worst of all is, after you hit 50 and reach the end of ARR’s story line, there are 80 quests before you can even start with Heavensward. Since everyone keeps going on about how great it is, it’s kind of annoying how long you have to work to even get to it. In retrospect, it kinda makes sense though. These quests are meant to be played over months and months throughout a update cycle and bridge the narrative gap between one storyblock and the next, but holy fucking shit why did it have to be THAT long. They even cut like 20 of the quests from this already insanely long quest line. What the fuck. This is supposed to be an epilogue to ARR and it feels like I played a whole fucking JRPG in between ARR and Heavensward. Oh well. Thankfully, they learned from this and made the post-story blocks shorter.

I will just say that I can recommend this game. You should give it a try. Just... try not to drop the game before it gets really, really good.

[the-dragons-knight]

FFXIV Write 2021

Prompt #18 - Perspectives

Devil’s Advocate - ‘a person who advocates an opposing or unpopular cause for the sake of argument’

————————————————————

“Katsum, you must remember. These men have lived far longer in a world where every dragon they crossed tried to kill them and everyone around them,” Aymeric chided, gently setting down the cup of tea on the table in front of her, “I too came from the same outlook though not as long as most of these men have lived, and we simply did not have the same upbringing with the truths and stories as you did.”

Katsum sighed, shaking her head as she lifted her tea cup and looked down with a scowl at the dark drink that had a little heat still steaming off of it, “I know that, I do…or I try to,” She meet Aymeric’s gaze as he sat in the chair beside her, “It’s just after all that’s happened since the end of the war…and even during like Vidolnir saving Maelie and Raihogg threatening Nidhogg’s shade when he attacked the peace conference! Surely they should be able to see. You do!”

Aymeric sighed gently, “You must look at it from their perspective, Kat. To you, you could see their intentions. You could understand their motives. To the others gathered, it was a beast they were taught to fear being far closer than they believed they ever should be.”

“Then why not just hear what I have to say and try and see through my eyes as well?”

“Because they are old men stuck in their ways and incredibly stubborn.”

“I am stubborn as well—”

“Yes, my love, trust me I know,” She frowned at this and he quickly retracted, “I-I mean that in the best way, kat. You know that right?”

“I think so…,” She looked down at her hands again, “Sorry, yes, I’m just…frustrated.”

Her ears perked as she watched his hand move to rest on hers, softly caressing it with his thumb, “If only it were that easy, Kat, yet you yourself have seen how they are. Indeed, those actions helped them see that the dragons were not of the mind to fight, yes, they still needed time to see the full truth within their hearts. While many have come to see it, others still need time to. And while I agree that yes they should just listen to us, especially with your loving heart only hoping for peace and the harmony you’ve heard of all your life, they are just far more headstrong and unwilling to compromise than you could ever be.”

The miqo'te blinked before she huffed and shrugged, “I don’t know about all of that but…I’ll try to not be so quick to snap, ok?” She saw him nod out of the corner of her eye as she took a long sip of her tea. She knew he was right, yet her patience was always tested when one of said stuffy nobles tried to talk down to her about her dragons and the ‘blight it brought their proud history’. How she wished she could freely control and share the echo so that she could show them the real truth, just to silence their petty rambling.

Aymeric’s chuckle broke her from her trance as she looked up at him, blushing slightly at the intensity of his smiling eyes.

“What?”

“Nothing really. Just admiring you,” He lifted his own tea cup to his lips without taking his eyes off of her as he grinned and added, “And whether you believe it or not, your kind and caring heart is beautiful, and a shining ray of hope.”

Her blush darkened as her ears fell again, “T-Thank you, Aymeric.”

“Of course, my Kat.”

She smiled sweetly at him and they took another sip of tea together, soon finishing their first cups. Aymeric moved to pour himself another and filled Katsum’s again as well as she set it on the table.

Katsum chuckled pitifully as she dropped another cube of sugar in her cup, “If only I was better at politics and speaking with them lik you are.”

“By the Fury, do not wish for that,” Aymeric laughed tiredly as he sitrred his tea, “It is utterly draining, always speaking with them about the same matters every few days, and they are hardly ever up lifting their decisions. Oftentimes, we do not settle a matter, but rather postpone it before it comes to blows. It was worse in our first few discussions, but the slight issue of it is still present,” He raised his cup to her, “Thank the heavens I have your loving arms to come home to and rest my soul within.”

The knightess smiled, “Happy to be of service, my lord.” She raised her cup to tae another happy sip of the delicious tea.

“You’ll still accompany me on this last meeting, yes?” He asked softly, an apologetic tone to his voice and a pleading look in his eyes.

Katsum nearly spit out her tea, “Another meeting? I thought we just finished the last one!”

“We did, yes…and there is one more.”

Katsum groaned, “Aymeric, I cannot handle another meeting today…I don’t know how you can stand so many!”

“I can because I give myself something to look forward to after it is over. For example, I often just remind myself I shall be home and spend time with you as soon as it is over. So, I offer this,” He leaned close to her and whispered in her ear, “We will spend the rest of the day laying in bed and cuddling. What say you to that?”

She grinned and looked up at him, “We would have done that anyway, Aymeric.”

“Yes, but now you are looking forward to that more, yes?”

“…Touche.”

“So?”

“Alright, very well, you have convinced,” She leaned her head on his shoulder, “Can’t have my knight suffering alone after all.”

He smiled warmly and leaned in to peck her lips sweetly, “You have my deepest gratitude, my love.”

[daanny2772]

FFXIV Dark Knight Level 35 Job Quest Fan Translation

Due to the differences between Fray Myste portrayed in the Japanese and English versions, I have decided to translate a number of the Dark Knight story quests from Japanese. I am by no means proficient in the language and ask that you forgive me for any incorrect translations. Please do let me know so that I am able to fix the mistakes. That being said, there are liberties I have taken due to the structure of the two languages being significantly different. Thank you for keeping this in mind.

Tumblr user haillenarte has also translated the level 45 and 50 quests along time ago. Go check it out if you haven't yet! https://haillenarte.tumblr.com/tagged/fray

I have recorded and subbed a video of my WOL going through the DRK quests below. I’m sorry that the lvl 35 one had to be split into two, but the future ones I’m working on subbing should not have that problem (hopefully...)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnP6yVSIHpE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG0IBvqNdIg 

I’ve taken the Japanese lines from https://alnoumin.exblog.jp/24252515/ and have left the name of their WOL in the Japanese lines.

Guided by a Shriek 

Fray seems to be waiting in the Brume for the adventurer to visit.

***

Fray: We meet again, Nyxahk.  Well then, I will be teaching you everything within the extent of my memories about the Dark Knight.

...But before that, is there anything you’re still curious regarding what happened before the conflict involving the young lady?

The mystery that remains is …?

I wonder how that grandmother is doing?

...Huh? Ah, um… That’s right… I think she’ll be alright as long as she’s with that Miss.

But-- there should be something more puzzling than that! Jeez, you’re truly-- (*unbelievable) 

Fray’s charges

フレイ：あれ……言いませんでしたっけ、無実の罪だって。えっ？　もっと詳しく？う、ううん……思い出すので、ちょっと待ってくださいね。

Huh… Now that I think about it, I didn’t say that I was falsely accused. Eh? You want more details? Hm… please wait a little as I try to recall the events.

...Right, right. An innocent woman was being chased by the Templar Knights. As I was protecting her, I was charged with a made up crime. Really, it’s all because I trying to be nice...

But more importantly, isn’t there anything about yourself that you’re curious about?

About the Voice I heard at the beginning

Yes, that’s exactly it. When you first touched my Soul Stone, you heard someone’s Voice in anguish, correct?

You were intrigued by what that voice could have been… It’s possible it was the voice of “a certain someone you must protect” somewhere in this world.

The Dark Knights of the past have believed in protecting the weak, in the way that you should be bonded with this certain someone. ...Were you to turn a blind eye to this person, you would be a failure as a Dark Knight.

In order for you to become a Dark Knight for this certain person, lets confirm the true intents of their Voice. If you can come to wield even stronger Darkness, you may be able to hear that voice again.

In order to obtain even stronger Darkness, a special rite (communion) is required. I have yet to choose a location for the rite… but with the conflict from the other day still fresh, we may get interrupted if we were to remain in Ishgard.

 Let’s head out on a trip. I’ll be waiting for you at Little Ala Mhigo in South Thanalan.

***

Fray: Ah, it’s great we were able to meet up. Without further ado, I’ll explain the details of this rite to obtain further powers of Darkness.

As long as you have my power, we may begin this rite at any time. However, to receive the power of Darkness is the same as awakening the repressed negative emotions within you.

Therefore, if someone who is not strong enough took on the rite, they would be overcome with those repressed emotions and be killed by the power.

In order to avoid that, you must show me the extents of your ability as a Dark Knight before the rite is to happen.

The best way for me to see your true strength is for you to defeat a strong enemy… Let’s go ask the leader of the village to see if there is a suitable opponent or not.

***

Gundobald: Oh, it’s the adventurer. Though we were unable to prepare a reception, we welcome your return. What business do you have here today?

...I see. You require a strong enemy to test the bounds of your strength.

There is one thing on my mind. Just the north of here at the Red Labyrinth, there have been appearances of ferocious Crag Bite Peistes. 

Their strike is strong, and have even injured many fellow beasts raised in this dangerous region.

Fray: That does seem to be a suitable opponent. The main point of fighting as a Dark Knight is to endure the enemy’s powerful attacks while continuing to attack. ...How will we be able to meet this enemy?

Gundobald: That thing seems to be attracted to the smell of goat breast meat brought by the merchants from Minotaur Malm. In order to draw it out, here is the meat I spoke of.

Though this land is poor, I would like to repay what you’ve done for us, even if it’s just a little.

But still, I  am glad to see this. You’ve brought a friend along, and you’re even relying on us...Hm… You say you’ve only just met this person?

For some reason, you two give off the impression of partners having travelled together for a long time, or that of friends bond strongly to one another… Was it just my imagination?

Fray: ...Nyxakh, it’s about time we get going.

***

Fray: Please show me the true extents of your power as a Dark Knight here. Please defeat the Crag Bite Peistes lured by the goat breast meat we placed. 

It seems the attacks from your enemies will be strong. While keeping your injuries to the least amount possible, attacking when you see the gaps in their defenses should lead you to your victory.

…Then without further ado, commence the battle!

***

Fray: Well done Nyxakh. It seems you have improved your skills from last time.

Though the duty of a Dark Knight is to protect, it does not mean thoughtlessly taking on attacks, nor that defeat means losing everything you have.

If you truly wish to protect that which is important to you, determining the movements of your enemy and keeping your injuries within limits are both essential. And how to use the powers of Darkness is also a part of it, right?

There should be no problems for us to carry out the ritual like this. For now, let’s return to the outskirts of Little Ala Mhigo. We wouldn’t want to be distrubed by any beasts attracted by the leftover meat. 

***

Fray: Without further ado, for you to obtain further powers of Darkness, I will carry out the ritual.

Even though it’s called a ritual, it’s nothing difficult. Simply hold your hand out to mine and close your eyes to concentrate. Your emotions will naturally overflow, and the power should well up alongside it.

It would be good if you can hear that certain someone’s voice again… Anyway, if your heart is ready, then please go ahead and give it a shot.

 ***

As you are thinking that your chest feels like it’s on fire, the Voice rings through your head...

???: ...It hurts… It’s painful… Everything… is hopeless...

How many more challenges must I go through to see hope? It’s as if I’m fighting a battle without end...

For what reason do I continue to stand up…? For what reason do I continue to fight? It hurts, it hurts, it’s getting harder to breathe.... Ah, someone....

***

Fray: ...How was it, Nyxahk? It seems that the rite was a success… Were you able to hear the Voice?

Though you were able to hear it, you still do not know their identity…?

But at the very least, it seems that my conjecture was correct. Somewhere in the world, there is a weak person you must protect, their voice connected to you by the powers of the Darkness.

I don’t know how much of the power of Darkness we will need in order to find out the identity of that Voice. But even so, there exists someone only you can protect.

If the voice you heard was able to reach your heart even a little, I think that’s the path you should continue down. Am I wrong, Nyxakh Nemophila?

What a relief… As I expected, you’re kind as well as strong. That certain person to be protected by a Dark Knight like you will surely be blessed with happiness.

To be honest, I travelled with someone similar to you a long time ago. Without any reason, we stepped out into the vast world, our hearts trembling at everything and anything… it was that kind of journey, you see.

But… yes, it was around this place, they defeated a terrible threat and became a hero.

...But being a hero isn’t all that great, you know? Being manipulated by all sorts of things, only saving up a pile of injuries, eventually even becoming unable to see yourself...

And like that, they drifted away from me, until not even my voice was able to reach them.

I don’t want you to lose sight of what’s important to you. If you decide to protect that certain someone, listen carefully to their voice, and please don’t ever avert your eyes from them. 

Then, when you become even stronger, you’ll take on the rite of Darkness again. ...We definitely have to meet up again at the place we first met.

***

t/n:

- Crag Bite Peistes - the english only had it listed as peistes, but the crag bite part is so funny to me because I had and still have no idea what the katakana is referring to so I stuck it in Google Translate. That's what came out and it makes me laugh so I've left it in 

- Jeez, you’re truly-- (*unbelievable) - What Fray says would be close to "People like you--", the unbelievable part is implied. He's pretty much just really exasperated at WOL and it's cute. i love him

- Regarding the person that Fray talks about having gone on an adventure with, their pronouns will change depending on the gender of the character. I've used they for my translations as my WOL uses they.

- the rite Fray talks about is called a communion in Eng which works better imo in the overall scheme of things but i left it as rite here

[astrxealis]

it is so weird being a mentor now ... ;O

( tags got really sentimental at the end WHEEZE beware if you check T___T )

[party-of-rpg-muses]

Bringers of Light and Shadow (FFXIV Story)

@loona-cee @chronochronicler

With a grand roar, the beast known as Therion breathed it’s last breath, falling to the purple ground before erupting in a buff of smoke. The party put their weapons away as the rest of the Scions managed to catch up to them. At the same time, Emet-Selch approached the group of heroes, his footsteps breaking through the dense silence.

The Warriors of Light turned Warriors of Darkness kept their gaze fixed on the Ascian before them, but their vision repeatedly faded before they refocused once again; they managed to hold back the Warden’s Light more or less, but each passing moment proved harder and harder.

“Well, well. It seems you have prevailed...” Emet-Selch finally spoke. But rather this a light-hearted tone of congratulations, his words dripped with spite, as if he wasn’t happy S’bera and his team survived. “However...” With a wave of his arm, a powerful blast of darkness spewed forth, knocking the Scions off their feet. S”bera and his team stood firm, but were left winded, kneeling between Emet-Selch and the Scions, hardly any energy to stand from such a blast.

“Your performance was appalling and I remain unconvinced of your worth. Doubtless, you and yours stand leagues above the rabble you surround yourself. But you are very much a beetle amongst a group of ants, standing before a lion. If I had used my full strength, you would be nothing more than dust in the wind.” His words matched his gaze, looking down upon the Warriors and Scions with contempt, offended that they dare to exist within the same plane of existence as him. “Such is the truth between us; incomplete and broken reflections against the true article and your world, nothing compared to what it once was.”

Out of nowhere, Alisaie let out a grunt as she charged forward. “Alisaie, no!” S’bera called out, but it was too late. Alisaie’s blade met with a barrier protecting Emet-Selch. He made no physical reaction, as if a leaf was blowing towards him.

“So what if our worlds are nothing like yours?” Undeterred by the barrier, she struck and slashed at the magical wall protecting her opponent, trying in vain to make some sort of impact. “They are still our homes, still full of life and and beauty! And we’ll be damned if we let someone like you take away all we hold dear, just because you don’t like it!”“

Emet-Selch’s brow furrowed, hearing her talk about their “homes” as if they had any right to compare to his home. He brought a single hand up, firing a weaker blast of darkness, striking the young Elezen girl as her brother came rushing to her side. “You speak of beauty, but we of Amaurot know what true beauty-what true perfection-is. What you of the Source and the other reflections are but crude mockeries of that beauty. And the pathetic excuses of lives you lead are just as crude, lacking in meaning and purpose.”

Alphinaud’s arms wrapped around his sister’s form, holding her head to his chest as if protecting her from future harm. “Say what you will; though our lives are hardly a flicker compared to what you live, we will rise again and again and through our words and actions, we can achieve great things. We are the ones who define our own worth, not you!”

With a snap of his finger, several arrows of darkness appeared from the air and embedded themselves in the ground around the twins before exploding, each one dealing heavy damage. Once the dust had cleared, Alphinaud and Alisaie lay hunched over, no longer moving.

The Warriors of Darkness looked on at the sight before them, the twins left a crumpled mess as they struggled to their feet, their whole bodies shaking as they rose. “You... You lied to us...” S’bera spoke, practically leading his friends as they all slowly marched towards Emet-Selch. As he spoke, there was something different about him; the markings on his face had already turned a blank white.

“You said that... we could fight to... prove our worth...” Ishita spoke up next, the dark purple horns on her face the same pure white.

“But you had... no intention of letting us go... did you...?” Next was Omutu, eyes shined through his helmet of darkness, but rather than the usual green eyes, they were white as well.

Their visions were partially obscured in white; each of them could feel the Lightwarden’s essence slowly eating away at them. They had to hold on... for as long as possible.

“And what if I did? Does it matter? Your time is up anyway. And once I reclaim what is rightfully mine, the first thing I shall do is expunge your very existence from the memory of this star.” The Ascian held his hands out, a concentrated blast shooting out of each of his fingers, only to be blocked by a barrier. Y’shtola and Urianger have regained consciousness, ready to assist their friends.

“While it is true that all we love will one day fade to dust...” Y’shtola raised her staff, concentrating as much of her aether as possible.

“The actions we take shalt remain as a guide for those who wouldst come after, to continue upon our legacy.” Urianger said, as calm as ever as Y’shtola’s finished her preparation, letting go with a powerful Flare spell at their foe.

It didn’t take long for the dust to clear, leaving Emet-Selch with nary a scratch as he fired a pair of beams at the two, taking them out with one fell swoop.

“We’re... not done yet...” Frances spoke next, just barely trying to keep her usual detached exterior together. All the while, white patches started to appear on her light-tanned skin.

“So long... as we draw breath... we’ll continue to fight...” U’tala’s black hair, even the hair on her feline ears, had completely turned white with white spots appearing on her tail.

“Oh, poor wanderers.” Emet-Selch responded, speaking to them in a tone one could swear was openly insulting. “You wish to spend your last moments struggling against the inevitable. You’ve no fight left to fight; no life left to live.”

The group had only managed to take a few more steps before the corrupted aether within them flared up, causing each to groan and hold themselves in pain, once again falling to their knees in agony. Again and again, the light flared, desperately trying to push back against the Warriors’ attempts to contain it.

The Ascian could only look on and grin, seeming to enjoy what was happening before him. “Oh, come now~ You are Hydaelyn’s Chosen, are you not? Her Warriors of Light, correct?” He sounded like he was on the verge of laughing. “No sense trying to deny HER Light! Let the light consume you and purge our land of the vermin that infest it!”

As if on cue, Thancred charged forward, Gunblade at the ready as he brought it down towards Emet-Selch, only for the man to easily block the attack as well. “Now, Ryne! Hurry! They haven’t much time!”

The young girl quickly mustered her strength and ran towards the group, her gaze set on stemming the light within them.

However, the former Garlean Emperor saw what she was trying to do, effortlessly pushing Thancred back before preparing another attack. “No!” Thancred immediately rushed to where Emet-Selch was aiming, diving forward as he turned, hoping to cover as much area as possible to protect Ryne. But it was for naught as the darkness pierced through both him and Ryne at the same time.

Ryne only managed a few more steps before falling to her knees. “Fight it... You must... hang on...” That was all she was able to say before falling over.

The party could only look on, their eyes scanning around them and seeing the bodies of their comrades who tried to protect them. But suddenly, the corrupted light aether swelled up again, pushing back even harder than before. They tried to hold it back, but it was a losing battle as they each coughed up what’s would normally be blood, if it wasn’t completely white.

“This... can’t be... the end...” S’bera was the first to fall, his strength completely gone as he fell, his vision going white.

“I couldn’t... protect... anyone...” Omutu was next, his armor clanging against the ground, his vision going white as well.

“Tala...” Ishita could barely hold her hand out towards her Miqo’te girlfriend. “Ishi...” U’tala could barely do the same. Both had regrets in their eyes, being unable to help each other and that they would die like this. They fell forward, the tips of their fingers mere inches apart as their vsion went white.

“Mother... Father... My friends and home...” Frances’ thoughts were off the people she knew and loved; her parents, the friends of her parents, her home, and the friends she made. She’ll never see them again and even worse; she’ll be somewhat responsible for the deaths of the people from the Source. Those were her last thoughts as she fell over and all she could see was white.

S’bera awoke in a pure white void as he lifted his head up, only being strong enough to prop himself onto his elbow. He looked around, unable to see his friends. Is this... the end? The next world? Or perhaps, this is what awaited those who became corrupted by the essence of the Lightwardens. But he immediately noticed someone standing beside him; Ardbert.

“Is this truly it? The Warrior of Light who traveled to another world only to die. Is this truly how your story ends?” The Hume spoke, not even meeting the weakened Miqo’te eye-to-eye. “If you had the strength, would you continue to fight? Fight until your last breath? To die on your feet, fighting for what you believe in?”

“I would.” S’bera wasted no time in responding; the experiences of his travels having shaped him into someone more willing to fight for those he cares about. To fight to the bitter end in the name of all that is good. But... what can he do? This was the end of his journey, of their journey. A pitiful end to the Champions of Eorzea.

“Hmph.” Ardbert couldn’t help but smirk, seeming to be satisfied by the Dragoon’s response, but also sensing the despair in his soul. He reached onto his back and took a hold of his axe, holding the blade towards S’bera. “Take it. We are Warriors and together, we’ll fight for the fate of our worlds.”

Omutu awoke within an empty void planting his hands on... whatever served as a floor as he surveyed his location, nothing but white for miles. He looked to where he friends last were, but saw nothing.

“You gave it your all, but it still wasn’t enough.” The voice caught the Lalafell’s attention, causing him to turn his head and look up towards Branden, the  Galdjent Paladin standing tall, looking forward with his arms crossed. “I saw how you fight; to protect those you hold dear. If given the chance, would you do all in your power to protect them?”

“I would. With my very life.” His response was stern with no hesitation. Long had he resolved himself to protect others with no regard for his own life. But this time was different; he protects those he cares about because he cares about them, the people who made him feel like he truly belonged.

“Hm.” Branden smiled, reaching onto his waist and took a hold of his Paladin’s sword, holding the hilt towards Omutu. “Full glad am I to hear that. You truly are an honorable man, so allow me to assist you.”

Ishita gasped, immediately looking around the void before looking to her side, where U’tala laid, but no one was there. No one was anywhere. She was left all alone in the nothingness.

“So that’s it, then?” A voice broke the silence, causing Ishita to turn her head towards the source, spotting Nyelbert. “A great mage going down without a fight. I find it rather hard to believe you of all people managed to master black and white magicks.” The Elf couldn’t help but pause for a moment. “Tell me, if given a second chance, would you continue to hone your skills?”

“I will.” Her eyes furrowed. She took pride in her magic and she’s nowhere near done yet. But first... there’s an Ascian to take down and a world to save. Two worlds, rather. She’ll show him just how strong her “imperfect” magic is.

“Very well.” Nyelbert took a hold of his staff, holding the tip towards the Au Ra. “I’ll admit, your skills are rather impressive, even by my standards. I have faith in your growth.”

U’tala awoke amongst the nothingness, first looking to her side, only to find Ishita missing. Her gaze scanned the endless expanse, but there didn’t seem to be a soul around except her. But her sights came to rest on a Dwarven girl clad in white robes.

“How painfully tragic...” Lamitt’s tone was soft, almost sorrowful. “I saw how fiercely you made sure everyone was safe and healthy, especially your beloved. I’m quite touched by your dedication. So I have to ask, if you had more energy, would you continue to assist those you love? Heal them, regardless of injury?”

“I will.” U’tala responded, her eyes burning with determination. Omutu may take the role of protecting the group, it’s U’tala’s job to make sure he’s standing. Not just him, but make sure everyone can continue to fight and even augment their strength if need be.

“I’m glad to hear.” Lamitt smiled as she looked at U’tala, removing her staff and holding the tip towards the Miqo’te. “Take it and we’ll help them together.”

Frances blinked her eyes, looking up before looking around, nothing but white as far as the eyes could see. She couldn’t find any hint of her friends; she was truly and utterly alone. At least, until she sensed someone else standing next to her. Craning her head, she noticed a Mystel girl standing right next to her.

“A shame, isn’t it?” Renda’s gaze fell forward, seeming to look directly into the endless expanse. “The hunter has become the hunted. But you’re not done yet, are you? Your skills are about as good as mine. If given the chance, would you be willing to fire another arrow?”

Frances gave a single nod. “Yes. I’ll hit him in his third eye.” A bold claim. And given how small that third eye is, it’d be nearly impossible to hit... for anyone else but her. While she’s confident in her skills, she’s most confident in her archery. But above all else, she has to help the people she calls her lifelong friends.

“Good.” Renda-Rae reached behind her to grab her bow, holding one of the sides to the Viera. “Take it and together, we’ll become the best hunters in the land, taking down this legendary prey.”

Each of the Warriors from the Source reached out to the weapons held out by the Warriors from the First. There was no fear or hesitation in their movements, ready for what may come. But the moment their fingers made contact with the weapon, they suddenly found themselves no longer along. As though the sheets had been pulled back, the group of friends saw each other.

“Omutu? Tala? Ishi? Frances?” S’bera’s eyes fell upon his friends, who looked back at him and each other with equal surprise.

“Ardbert...?” Lamitt’s eyes welled up with fresh tears as she saw the Hume, overcome with joy.

“My friends...” Ardbert stood stunned for but a moment before shaking his head, S’bera doing the same as they brought themselves to attention. “Now’s not the time. We have more important matters.” The other Warriors for the First nodded in agreement, the look of shock being replaced with one of steeled determination.

“Come now, everyone. We have a battle before us.” Arbdert and S’bera spoke in unison, looking forward, the others also looking forward, ready to stand up and fight once again.

“For the light of the Crystals!” Ardbert commanded, his voice booming, ready to fight.

“For the light of Hydaelyn!” The others responded, their voices ringing together, their tone showing how ready they were.

“For those we have lost...” S’bera started, waiting for his own party to follow up.

“For those we can save!” The others cried out, burning with determination from their rallying cry.

A sudden burst of light erupted, causing Emet-Selch to look away from the blinding light. As the light began to fade, a newly revitalized. Not only that, but their clothes had changed; S’bera with a new dark purple Dragoon armor, Omutu changing from Dark Knight back to Paladin, U’tala’s garb becoming a fancy astronomer robe, Ishita now wore red high-end clothes and a beautiful red hat, and Frances donned the garb of a well-versed traveler complete with a fine scarf.

“Know this...” Even though it was S’bera who was speaking, his voice was noticable different; as though two people were talking at the exact same time.

“This world is not yours to end.” Omutu stepped forward, standing side-by-side with S’bera. And just like the Miqo’te, he spoke with two voices.

“This is our future.” Ishita did the same, standing on the other side of S’bera. But not only did it sound like she also had two voices, one of the two was notably more masculine

“This is our story.” Next was U’tala, standing next to Omutu. But the one of the voices that came from her sounded softer.

“And it will continue on.” Finally, Frances took her place next to Ishita. Again, two distinct voices came from her mouth as she spoke.

Emet-Selch did his best to focus, looking towards the party. But rather than their actual appearace, he saw robed Ancients. But the one that stood in the middle drew most of his attention. “No... That’s impossible!” He glred back at the group, angry at the sight he saw. But with a blink of his eyes, his vision returned, laying eyes on the beings from the Source.

“Bah! A mere trick is what it is. You are both broken reflections, nothing more.” He stance straightened, seeming to calm down somewhat. “You are incomplete. Useless. What hope do you have of standing up to a true living being?”

“The hope of the future.” All five of them spoke, no longer with their dual-voices. “We challenge you, Emet-Selch. For the future of this star and the many others.”

The Ascian gritted his teeth, glaring daggers at them, equal parts enraged and offended that they would dare challenge him. “Very well.” His words seeped with spite. “One final test. I shall see your strength, your resolve, firsthand. The victor shall continue and become the hero of the story, while the other goes down in history as its villain.” Darkness swirled and gathered around him. He raised his hand up, balling it into a fist as he slowly brought it down, seeming to focus the power before looking back up at the party.

As he lifted his head, the red Ascian mask appear over his face. “I am Hades!” His voice was markedly different from before. it was deeper and more commanding. “I am he who shall awaken our brothers and sisters from their slumber and retake our home from these mockeries!” His power swelled outward, consuming all around him. Whenever light remained was snuffed out, leaving naught but a single platform to host the battle to decide the future.

[eldritchsurveys]

1135.

by ausmuh

1. What's one TV episode that makes you laugh out loud every time you watch it? >> There’s an episode of Person of Interest -- “Number Crunch”, I want to say the episode’s name is? -- where an antagonist slips MDMA into Harold Finch’s drink and then pops something explosive in the microwave and leaves him to his fate. And here’s Finch, dopey and smiling, thinking it’s popcorn in the microwave and sway-dancing happily as he waits for it to be finished (meanwhile, one of his companions has broken into the place to rescue him and is just like “are you fkn kiddin me” lmao). He’s just so adorable in his impending doom, haha. Sigh... I love that show so much.

2. Who's one person you'd like to see a biopic made about? >> I don’t care.

3. Is plot an important aspect of books and movies to you, or do you care more about things like character development, themes, etc.? >> I really can’t imagine a plot that doesn’t include extensive and intricate character development. I guess I just don’t read plot-driven books, or something? I don’t know what a “plot-driven” book is. All the stories I enjoy are character-driven and the characters drive the story along... that’s just how it works for me. I guess I’d need an example of a different kind of story to understand.

4. What song hit you so hard that you remember where you were the first time you heard it? >> Awake O Sleeper by The Brothers Bright was like that. I was living with Hallie at the time. I wish I’d awakened to the bullshit I was dealing with, lmao. Regardless, that song hit me like a ton of bricks the first time I heard it sitting on the couch in the office in that house.

5. What's your "brand" of fictional character, the type you always get attached to (ex., "perky girls with deep-seated mental health issues," "guys who you would want as an older brother," etc.)? >> A few of my brands are “grumpy old magic man”, “probably a trickster god”, and “queer-coded villain”.

6. Are there any conspiracy theories that you kind of believe in? >> Nope.

7. What's the best "fake" song (one that exists only in the world of a TV show or movie)? >> I would name Dethklok songs but those songs are pretty real, lol. They used to have concerts and everything. I can’t think of any fake songs.

8. If you use Spotify, share your 2020 Wrapped! What are your overall feelings about it? Is it what you expected? >> Here’s the playlist link. And yeah, it’s what I expected -- the car playlist skewed a lot of the results, which is why there’s far more MCR and FOB and shit on there than seems logical. But You Ain’t Coming Back by Zeal & Ardor being the number one song is absolutely on point, lmao. I put that song on repeat on several occasions, which is novel for me because I don’t usually do that.

9. What's a film you watched recently that you can't stop thinking about? >> Possessor was wild. Fuckin Cronenbergs.

10. If you’ve been in lockdown/quarantine for most of the year, describe the different “phases” of quarantine you’ve gone through (whether defining them by an obsession you had, what you were doing most at the time, how you felt, etc.) >> I didn’t really have phases. Being forced to stay inside all the time was only different from my normal life in that I couldn’t choose to do anything different, which is the main frustration -- I didn’t exactly go out a lot before, but at least I knew I could if I wanted to (and sometimes I did). But in practice my life didn’t really change all that much, so I didn’t feel as disrupted as most people did. I kept doing the same shit I’d already been doing.

11. The last TV show you watched is now getting a crossover with the last video game you played: what is the unholy abomination that has just been created? >> It’d be fairly easy to recreate Bridgerton in The Sims 4, I’d think, particularly if you have some custom content installed.

12. What's an invention you’ve spent a lot of time wondering about the creation of (ex., "how did hourglass makers decide how much sand was needed and how thin the waist had to be???")? >> I think about that kind of thing randomly, but not extensively enough to warrant notice.

13. If you’re a ~gamer~, what are your top 3 all-time favorite games? >> FFXIV, Journey, and Hades are my current faves.

14. If the pandemic had happened just a year earlier, how different would your life be? >> Well, the wedding would have been cancelled. I might not have gotten to see Phantom of the Opera. 2019 was a good year and I’m really glad it wasn’t ruined by a pandemic.

15. Post a screenshot you particularly like from your favorite film without mentioning the film’s title. >> Nah.

16. Name the movie, book, TV show, etc. that you were most out of step with this year (meaning both the reviews and overall discourse was the opposite of how you felt about it). >> Hmm... I’m not sure.

17. What’s the biggest red flag you’ve ever ignored? >> Oof, just... Hallie’s whole fucking thing, lmao. But at that point I was so used to being treated any old way without care or consideration that I guess it must have seemed more normal than abnormal. Which really sucks. Because the stuff I went through with him is definitely abnormal and when I see other people going through similar things with their partners it’s really eye-opening.

18. What are some albums that “molded your brain” during middle and/or high school? >> My Own Prison by Creed, Something Like Human by Fuel, just... mainly those two. And my various mixed CDs recorded from the radio.

19. Without saying your age, post your favorite film that was released the year you turned 18. >> Hmm... The Jacket was good... Walk the Line too.... oh, Constantine! Fuck yeah! That’s the one.

20. What’s something extremely bizarre you believed as a very young child? >> I’m not sure, but I always think of this one story that this kid tried to convince me of when I was in second grade. He was light-skinned and he said that he used to be dark like me, but he started picking at his cuticles one day and peeled a piece of skin back and it kept going until he peeled all of his skin off and his current complexion was what was underneath. Kids, man... lol