#the girl from gridania

[irisopranta]

The Girl from Gridania Chapter 7: The Scions

Part 7 of Iris’s origin story. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Or Ao3 Word Count: 2,295

A sharp gasp escaped her lips. Her eyes shot opened. It took a moment for her vision to adjust to where she is now. Last she remembered she was in the middle of nowhere being attacked by a primal. Now, however, she found herself in a bed in a room. The stone facing of the walls around her were unfamiliar to her. She looked over her body, seeing a few bandages around her arm. She notices that she was in a white robe, confused to what happened to her dress.

As she looked around, the door to the room swung open. In came in a lalafellin woman with a tray of various items. A cloth, a vessel of water, and soap. She seemed cheerful enough humming a song and hadn’t noticed that Iris was up and about. She set the tray on the end table that was next to the bed. The humming continued as she dipped the cloth in the water before applying the soap to the cloth. Turning to Iris, she opened her eyes and noticed that she was awake.

“Oh sorry.” The Lalafellin shocked and panicked, dropped everything she had in hand. She turned away to head out of the door.

“Wait!” Iris yelped. This seemed to make her stop from going completely out for the room. She turned back to Iris. “What’s going on? What happened? Where am I?” She barraged the lalafell. She continues “And who are you?”

The lalafell sighed. “I guess it would be natural for you to be confused, but let’s take it slow. My name is Tataru Taru.” She gave Iris a bit of a bow with her introduction. “As for everything else I feel that I must bring my boss here to answer your other questions.” She started to head out of the door once again shouting “I’ll be back.”

Iris, now alone in the room that she was resting for however long now. The silence was starting to drive her mad. A moment later, Tataru came back with a woman just as pink as her.

A highlander? She thought as she looked over the new face before her. Her blond hair was all tied up with braids. Her skin was dark, most likely from being from all sun exposal. Maybe she is an Ala Mhigan?

“Hello there!” She greeted. “I am Minfillia. The leader for my fair group, The Scions of the Seventh Dawn. A group of adventurers looking to bring the next Astral age upon us.” Her voice was calming. Much to Iris amazement that she could be a leader of any sort of organization. Minfillia continued on “You might be wondering why you might be here. You see, We believe you might possibly have the echo.”

“The…Echo?” Iris’ face twisted for a moment. Never have she heard of this echo and to hear that might have it. What is she even going on about.

As her mind wondered off, The Antecedent nodded “Aye the echo, a gift blessed to those from the Mother Crystal.” She let Iris process what she had said before continuing “A gift that protect anyone from any tempering from the Eikons. The fact that you went up against Ifrit without getting tempered tells me that you hold such a power. Tell me, have you had any visions?”

“Visions? Yes actually. Very recently in fact. I have been seeing on top of my normal headaches and dizziness.” The Antecedent nodded, though she seemed unsurprised. It was as though she expected her response. “Wait, is this all related somehow?” She asked her.

“Aye, and I have a very important question for you. Would you join us? For we have a need for your power.”

Iris was aghast. She was neither a fighter or an adventurer. Why would she be asked to join, to fight. She hummed at the thought knowing that she couldn’t handle the frontlines like her brother.

“If you are unsure, why don’t you go around and ask those who are around?” Minfillia mentioned. “I’ll have Taturu fetch your clothes. We took the liberty to get them cleaned whiled you rested.” Iris looked at the lalafell that greeted her earlier. Without saying a word she gave Iris a bow as she left to fetch her clothes.

After getting her clothes back on she left the room that she was in. Exploring the space that she now found herself in. At least it seemed like she was still in Thanalan. The stone faced halls lead her to what seemed like a mess hall. She scanned through the room to see who to talk to her. She spotted a red headed man in the corner, looking over a bow. His left eye was covered with an eye patch, which confused her as to why he would have a bow.

“Hey!” she approached him. He looked up from his bow to spot the elezen. He grunted then placed his bow beside him, leaning against the wall. His magenta eye were focused on her, waiting for Iris to continue. “Hey, yeah, well.” She stuttered out as she tries to find the words she whats to say to him. He just continue to stare at her with his arms now crossed over his chest. Iris cleared her throat a bit “Yeah, Sorry to bother you but I need to ask you a few things.”

The nervousness was definitely coming out of her voice as his stone cold look he was giving her wasn’t making it better. “So this whole scions business. What exactly do you do as an adventurer here?”

The adventurer scuffed at her question as though he was annoyed at her. “’Aye, why would you want to ‘now lass? Looking at ye, I can tell you wouldn’t last a day as a Scion.” He looked beyond her. “Oy, Liavinne, I got your bow fixed.” He called out to signal to another elezen woman. She came over, ignoring Iris in the process. The two continued to walk away from Iris.

The dejection hurt Iris. He wasn’t wrong, she knows she shouldn’t be here. She found a seat from the pillar that she was standing next too. She closed her eyes, thinking what now.

Should I even bother? It doesn’t seem like I would fit in and what use would they have for a seamstress.

“A gil for your thoughts?” A deep bass voice called breaking her thoughts. She had turned to the man that just spoke up. He seemed quite young considering that this is an adventuring hall. His bronzed skin was only broken up with a white tattoo X that ran across his face. His blonde hair covered most of his forehead. More noticeably, The man was quite built. Another highlander she thought. Then again, being in Thanalan, she isn’t too shocked based on the information from any of her Thanalanian customers.

“Oh, I’m not quite sure. I just don’t think I really shouldn’t be here. I really should tell Minfilla that I don’t belong here.” She throw her hands in the air before getting up.

“I wouldn’t think that.” He blurted out before she walked away. Iris stopped in her tracks. He continued “Take me for example. I just joined myself. Only been her for two weeks so far. I’m sure if you join you can learn to become one.”

She’d turned back to him. “But you at least had some skilled before coming here right? I’m nothing like that. I’m no adventurer to begin with. I only know a bit of conjury and that is only to help my father out with healing those in need.”

“Oh Conjury, I don’t know a lick of that myself. Come sit, let’s talk a bit more.” He pointed at the chair that was next to him. She sat down “My name is Arenvald. With the mention conjury and being new here, I take it you’re Iris that Thancred had spoke of?” Iris nodded as he continues “I had a feeling. The man that you were talking with was Clive. He can be a bit rough around the edges but a good man.” Arenvald then pointed to the woman that Clive had called over. “And that is Liavinne. I don’t know too much about her, she just joined a day or two now.”

A loud cheer erupted near the entrance of the mess hall. The two turn their attention to there. Seeing both an elezen done in mage clothing and a roedangyn in full on knight’s armor. The crowd that was around them exclaimed “They done it again, Coultenet and Hoary did it again.”

“Ah those two. Hoary Bolder and Coultenet Dailebaure. They have been here for a long time. Probably the longest anyone here outside the founding members. Good folk they are, and definitely someone to have your back when in a fight. One day I hope to be like that.” Arenvald waxed on. Iris can see the appeal that he may have, after all she would figure that an adventurer would love to have the heroics attached to them.

“Say Arenvald, why did you become an adventurer?” She inquired.

He looked on to Iris and gave her a smile. “That’s quite easy, I want to save people. I want to make sure no one would have the life I had growing up.” Arenvald sighs “To find out that I have a gift that help me do that and a group that aligns with my goals and wanting my gift in return is pretty great.”

“I guess that would be wonderful.” Arenvald is a young man but he seems like he knows what he wants in life. “Wait, you mention a gift?”

Arenvald nodded “Aye, the Echo. I heard you also have it. It’s quite useful.” He chuckled.

“So what exactly is it?” She figured he would be able to tell her how he lives with the echo at least.

Arenvald hummed. “Well It’s not too bad. It helps me feel how other’s feel. And talk to animals. I will say though, I heard it’s different for each person.”

“Different?”

Arenvald shrugged. “I don’t know too much on the details, that seems to be Minfillia’s deal. You could possible ask her.”

Iris nodded. “Thank you for the time Arenvald. You have been truly been helpful.” She got up from her seat. “I think I need to talk the Antecedent.” She left the mess hall and started to look for the lalafell that was taking care of her. If she recalled, she was the receptionist of the organization so she figured to check the front desk where ever that may be.

Tataru was at the front desk, as she is normally, organizing the books that were scattered about. Iris approached from the stairs leading up to her. “Tataru, was it?” Iris spoke out. The lalafell jumped, not realizing that their guest had come to visit her. The book that was in her hand had fallen to the floor.

Tataru, sighed and picked up the book. “Yes, I am. I take it you need me?”

Iris nodded. “I think I have sorted out my thoughts. Though I do have a question for you.”

“For me?”

“Why did you join the Scions?”

Tataru paused for a moment. “Why would you want to know that info? I’m just a simple receptionist.”

“That’s exactly why I want to know. I’m not quite the adventurer like the others. I’m just a seamstress after all.”

The lalafell hummed a bit more. “Well.” She paused for a moment. “My family lost a lot of gil back in the day. So much so that I had to take up being Lapidary’s apprentice. It just so happened that I got to meet a certain miner. Minfillia was her name. Became good friends with her. And then one day she told me that she had plans. Plans to make a better Eorzea. And she wanted me to join her to help make it happen.”

“So you been here since the beginning?” Tataru nodded to the Elezen. Iris continued on. “And Minfillia wasn’t an adventurer at all either?”

“If you want you could hear more from Minfillia.”

Iris couldn’t help but think that the scions weren’t all adventurers and most likely they would have the answers see seeks with her echo. “I guess I should.” Tataru nodded and led Iris to the Antecedent.

“Minfilla, our guest wants to speak with you.” Minifilla turn to the two that are in her door way, giving them a nod to enter. Upon entering the Antecedent’s office, Iris had noted that a broken staff was on her wall. She stared onwards curious as to what it’s purpose was.

“I would like to welcome you again, Iris was it?” Minifilla words snapping Iris out of her trance.

“Yes.” Iris cleared her throat to regain control of her thoughts.

Minifilla nodded before she continued on. “Had you the chance to talk to the other adventurers then?”

“I have and to be honest I not sure if I would be the greatest adventurer in your ranks. Though hearing about what the echo can do I may do something and possibly get an answer for it.” Iris looked on to Minfillia, hoping to get a cue as to what she is thinking. She continued. “I'm neither a fighter nor adventurer, just your run-of-the mill seamstress. However, if I can aid those we can yet save then I will.” Again, looking to Minfillia to see what she had say only to be greeted with a smile.

“Of course, we need someone like you in our ranks. The echo is truly a gift that only a few have.” Minfilia moved around her desk. “Let me call everyone in to introduce you’ll work with.”

[idalenn]

To reach The unreachable star

[lem-argentum]

when the next patch comes out if any of the aether worlds become uncongested i'm going to make another alt character <) (<-EY SHOULD NOT BE DOING THAT)

[alicesadventuresinffxiv]

While I'm in a gposing mood, I wanted to do some Fordolyse! Also it's @eemamminy-art's birthday today, and I figured you might like something Stardew Valley-inspired? So here's Lyse taking Fordola to an autumn harvest fair in Gridania!

(Does Gridania have agricultural festivals? Well it does now ^^;)

Fufucha: And one for you as well, of course! Our newest cultivar from the Greatloam Growery.

Beatin: Long time no see, Yda - or rather, Lyse! Aren't you going to introduce your girl?

Fordola: …It was fun. We should go again next year.

[haellen-o]

so haellen never actually met her biological parents. they were killed while travelling through gridania. haellen was found by two unlikely people who would come together to take care of her and fall in love through that. but that's not the time for that lore bit

haellens relationship with her adoptive parents is fantastic and (when she remembers) she constantly stays in touch. prior to shb she made sure to send them letters at every major event, noting that she was okay. what was happening. and general Q/A about her life and how her parents were doing

What is your WoL's relationship like with their parents, if any, if they remember them?

[dragons-bones]

FFXIV Write Entry #14: Skin-Deep

Prompt: telling || Master Post || On AO3

---

Alakhai does not initially understand just how Synnove and Dancing Heron remain friends with one Rereha Reha.

Oh, sure, the girl is nice enough (‘girl’ as if she isn’t just a few years younger than Alakhai herself), especially for someone that filthy stinking rich. (Who needs that many purses?) But she’s loud and rambunctious and bawdy, a bit too fond of parties, ostentatious in the extreme, the exact opposite of the far more reserved Synnove and Heron.

Clearly, she’s missing pieces of this puzzle, not helped by her infrequent visits to Ul’dah, and then Rereha running screaming for Gridania of all the cities. But Alakhai is very good at fading into the background to observe, so that’s what she’ll do.

It’s all the little moments that count for the most.

The time she and Synnove arrive at Rereha’s family manse to find Rereha’s room a minor disaster with clothes spilling out of the walk-in closet and Rereha sorting things into various piles.

“Shirts to keep, trousers to keep, dresses to keep,” she had said, “shirts to donate, trousers to donate, dresses to donate. Forgot to do this before I went to Gridania. Oh! Gotta let Ruru and Roro at the donate piles, too, they get first dibs on whatever I’m not wearing anymore, should be a couple of things they like…”

There’s also the cheerful pride Rereha always has when she speaks of her baby sisters. She isn’t particularly close with them, but none of them seem to mind that. Rereha has her own path, and she speaks with naked relief about how much better Ruruha and Roroha will be as castellans for the family businesses. “They actually enjoy goldsmithing and alchemy and all the business management stuff!” But she’s always happy to share a list of her sisters’ latest accomplishments when asked, and at one point, Alakhai is present when the young twins decide they want a song from their elder sister. And Rereha immediately puts down her bow, and picks up her fiddle.

There’s the time they were all out shopping the market stalls, and Alakhai sees Rereha clock a minor jeweler down on their luck. Worn hems, unpolished shoes, a collar very carefully turned to hide a faded stain. Their wares are good, even to Alakhai’s untrained eye, and Rereha quite happily purchases a necklace and two sets of earrings from them. But Rereha doesn’t haggle quite as ferociously as she would with a better-off merchant (and there is, apparently, an entire etiquette about haggling in Ul’dah and greater Thanalan that Alakhai has no hope in hell of grasping), though she manages it in such a way that if you’d never seen her actually put her whole effort into it, you’d never know she’d deliberately gone light.

And then she puts on the necklace as they wander off, and hooks in one pair of earrings into her lobes and the other onto her cartilage just at the points of her ears, and gushes to everyone on Sapphire Avenue who asks about her baubles about where she’d gotten them.

Then there’s Rereha’s about preternatural memory for keeping all of Heron’s numerous relatives straight. Synnove’s dead to the world on the couch in Rereha’s room, recovering from exams, while Heron whisper-shouts in frustration over some family squabble that’s boiled over and Rereha is nodding along. Heron finally wears herself out and presses her forehead against the couch with a low groan.

“It’s so stupid,” she finishes.

Rereha wiggles off the still-sleeping Synnove’s back to smush herself against Heron’s head and pat her shoulder in commiseration. “Your uncle’s a moron,” she says. “Has anyone bothered to write to your Great Aunt Intrepid Star to get her to settle the matter already?”

Heron heaved a sigh. “Trying. She went on holiday in the South Seas, which has turned into her island hopping her way to Thavnair, and the runner keeps just missing her in every damned port.”

“Damn.”

Finally, there’s today. Synnove is making eyes at an enormous topaz she just bought like it’s a Bismarck ice cream sundae and Alakhai has a hand on her elbow to keep her moving through the crowd. Rereha, however, isn’t quite so distracted, and she yanks at Alakhai’s belt to get her attention.

Alakhai looks down and can’t help but blink in surprise at the expression of utter loathing on the lalafell’s face. Then Rereha points, and through the heavy crowds, Alakhai sees a hyur woman of middling years, pale-skinned and black-haired and blue-eyed.

Alakhai has never met Isolde Greywolfe and quite frankly probably shouldn’t (oops there’s a knife in someone’s kidneys, so clumsy, how awful of her), but now she knows for sure what the woman looks like.

Rereha has already moved to Synnove’s other side and is tugging at her friend’s skirts, and Alakhai assists by gently pushing Synnove into the movement. “Come on, babe, you’re gonna get us mugged making buffalo eyes like that,” Rereha drawls.

Synnove merely grunts.

Even with her eyes still glued to that topaz, Rereha and Alakhai manage to get Synnove down one of the less busy side streets, and from there, Rereha guides them through the maze that connects the various major Avenues until it spits them out near one the clusters of cafes.

“Time for coffee!” Rereha says, and that finally gets Synnove’s attention.

Alakhai shakes her head in amusement, and levels a considering eye on Rere. The pieces are beginning to fit together, and what a strange creature this Rere really is. Funny, though.

Let’s see where this goes.

[soupercatte]

"Go on, then, I will be along in but just a moment."

"You liar."

Teka'a attempted to scowl, but his forced annoyance broke quickly into the playful shite-eating grin he was well known for. "The Starlight Festival will be over soon and you never even got to see it! You helped make all those stalls, the least you can do is enjoy it a little!"

Kelas'ra gave an exasperated sigh in response to the young boy, his ears drooping as he sat down the well worn lathe to his work desk. "I would love nothing more but it is my duty to ensure the workshop has ample hands during the holiday." His gaze was tired but gentle, the argument itself a familiar one these past couple of years during nigh every celebration that passed through Gridania. "Do not wait for me, My Heart, go on and enjoy the fun and I will be there once guild hours are closed."

Teka'a scowled again, this time a true one. His father was many things, stubborn being chief among his vices. This was not a fight he had ever or would ever win but he always tried.

Opening his mouth, a peppy voice cut him off. "We can watch the shop for ye, Master Sanpou!" One of the guild's apprentice carpenters, a lively Elezen girl with hair more flaxen than even Teka'a's, rocked on her heels, cheeks ruddy from the cold. "Y'always let us go home early n' let us be with our families this time o' year, why not let us d'the same for ya this go 'round?"

There was a murmur of agreement that circled around the workshop, other carpenters nodding in tandem.

"We can watch the shop for a couple hours!"

"Get out of here before we set you on the doorstep ourselves!"

"Go on, then! Go have some fun for once before ya get more grey in yer hair!"

Raucous laughter erupted and Kelas'ra found his face warming as flush creeped into it, a hand running through his decidedly salt-and-pepper'd locks before he slouched in playful defeat, pushing away from his work desk. "Well now." The Keeper mused with a chuckle, "How can I deny such fervent cries? Especially with all this teamwork? Let me go to the office and get my scarf, then. I will be back in a moment."

The man winked at Teka'a as he passed, mussing the boy's hair before disappearing into the door in the back. Victorious, the boy glanced around to the carpenters as they each gave him winks of their own and pleased nods. "Thank you." He mouthed as Kelas'ra quickly returned, pulling him close to his hip.

"Ready to go?"

Teka'a beamed, eager to enjoy the holidays at last before they were gone.

"Ready as ever! Come on, I want you to try the hot cider this year, I know you and you're gonna love it!"

[mootablemimic]

It's easy to call Yhah Garanjy a brat.

She's hyperactive, impatient, obnoxious, and self-interested.

But she's also a teenage girl who had her entire life as she knew it uprooted and changed because some woman decided to untemper her father.

After returning home from Ultima Thule, Qhota finally made the decision to rescue her father and untemper him, and everyone else in the Amalj'aa camp with him. It wasn't perfect, and it was impulsive, but she got to bring him back to Gridania.

That left Yhah—young, illiterate, hot-headed—an Ul'dahn refugee. And what does she do? Demand to know where her da went. After all, it's pretty easy to say that Okhi'li Garanjy left in the care of Qhota Nelhah and her merry band of Warriors of Light. So she took that information and walked herself down to Urha Nelhah's estate in Gridania.

She didn't resent the Nelhah family for taking her father away. She knew he had other family. But she also wasn't just going to let them take him from her; that's her da. And Urha, being the adopter of the masses she is, declared that any daughter of Okhi'li's was family to her, and the rest is more or less history.

It's easy to call Yhah Garanjy a brat. She doesn't follow the predominant religion of Eorzea. She worships Ifrit, even after becoming untempered. She's loud and rude and a bit of a hedonist.

But she loves to help people. She begged Qhota to teach her how, and Qhota taught her astromancy, which she absorbed like a sponge.

She's a quick learner when it's something she's interested in, and she's interested in helping people and working with her hands. So Qhota taught her to read and write, and Yhah went around joining every crafting guild that would have her. The smiths and the culinarians first, to prove that the Lord of the Inferno's fire didn't always rage hot enough to burn.

Fire warms. Fire cooks meals. The Ifrit Yhah worships is something like a grandfather in her eyes, and she wants to show that to people. She won't summon an eikon, she's not a fool, but if the Eorzeans can worship their Twelve (and even have a goddess of fire in Azeyma!) then she can practice her religion and show them how wrong they are about it.

By the time the party meets Wuk Lamat and decides to head to Tural, Yhah's a full-fledged astrologian, and Auntie Zoyoyo has retired from the adventuring game.

It's easy to call Yhah Garanjy a brat, but she's got the shoes of the Warriors of Light to fill. She's an impetuous thing who prefers action to talk, and has little patience, but she's a teenager yet. She's got time to grow. After all, "a great many stupid and reckless things" isn't enough to condemn Alisaie.

Yhah is many things. A helper. An artisan. A lover. A friend. The team's baby sister.

So she's allowed grace to be annoying and impatient. Either she'll grow out of it, or everyone else will grow to love her for it.

[sanctuary-101]

Into the woods

Xia wakes up in the Black Shroud with a hazy recollection of the battle at Carteneau. Unbeknownst to her, she has been delivered forward in time five years after Louisoix saved her. Why did he save some poor Garlean conscript? The echo, of course. This is Louisoix's parting gift to the yet to be awakened Warrior of Light; her freedom.

Perhaps it is by design that on the caravan leading to Gridania, she meets Louisoix's grandchildren...

(a little bit of her backstory under the cut)

Xia used to be a slave/soldier for Garlemald after being taken away from her family in Dalmasca at a relatively young age. At seventeen summers old, she was put on the front lines with her squadron at the battle of Carteneau.

A fateful encounter with one of the Warriors of Light saw her deserting her captors in the chaos of the battle with the Warrior. Unfortunately, he was caught up in the carnage and miraculously, Xia tapped into the Echo and fought her way through to what she hoped was freedom.

Alas, Bahamut emerged from the lesser moon Dalamud and started to rain Hellfire upon Cartenuea. Loiusoix, seeing his comrade risk it all to try and save this girl took a similar wager; he sent her forward in time, to the safety of the Black Shroud, and she would be the new Warrior of Light.

Xia wakes with little memory of the entire thing, only vaguely recalling her past including her ties to Garlemald. However as time goes on, her memory comes back. For better or for worse, the mantle has fallen to her.

[elliewiltarwyn]

infopost

hello! this is a sideblog for my three FFXIV Warriors of Light OCs, as seen above, so i can put them in a jar and shake them a lot, watch them rotate in a microwave, and other such things we do with our blorbos.

i do some gposing, rant about my girls, and reblog everything from others' gposes and gushing about their WoLs to shitposts and dumb jokes about this award-winning mmo with a free trial up to level 70 including the first two award-winning expansions and no restrictions on playtime.

my likes and follows come from my main blog @wildknightblaze which is just my normal life shit, you don't have to follow that one lol

blog tags include:

#my ocs: ellie wiltarwyn, #my ocs: mia longhart, #my ocs: lilyana tsuki - main focus tags for each of my three wols, if someone wants to look at a specific one.

#oc loreposting, #ask games, and #tag games for the sort of character-building stuff i usually get from prompts or friends' questions

#ffxiv gpose - not a blog-specific tag, but it's what i put on all of my gposes

#my fanfiction - not quite as much use as gpose, but i do occasionally write stuff and put this on it! includes ao3 works, whatever spontaneous writing inspiration i get, and FFXIV Write entries

#ellie's ramblings - whatever other ffxiv-related musings i might have about playing the game or the story or anything else

re: spoilers, i tend to stick to the unofficial two-week embargo after patch releases and will tag them with "#[expansion name] spoilers" and "#patch [Y.X] spoilers" for some time afterwards. i do still tend to yap about stuff in the current state of the game untagged, so use discretion if you wish to remain spoiler-free.

I also play the game's savage raids with my static as they come out, and stream our progress on my Twitch channel, mostly for archival purposes and so our FC members can watch. currently* we raid on Sunday and Tuesday evenings, usually from 9:30 PM-12:00AM US Eastern time. *well, as of this writing (January 2025) we are done with the raid tier and are sort of in hibernation until the next one, though I may also consider streaming Ultimate prog if we get into it!

as for the WoLs themselves:

Elilgeim "Ellie" Wiltarwyn

The most well-known of the trio of Warriors of Light, Elilgeim grew up in Limsa Lominsa with lofty dreams of higher education and bettering the world, only to be rejected by the Studium and lose both her parents in the same day. She ran away from home and weathered the Sixth Umbral Calamity on the streets of Ul'dah, eventually making her way to Gridania to start over as a novice conjurer and rebuild her life. Fast-forward six years and she's the strongest member of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, dubbed Ellie by her co-Warrior of Light Mia and having taken the vanguard as a dark knight and multiple styles of melee combat in order to save the star and its shards from varying threats on numerous occasions. Even after achieving such victories, she's not about to let her thirst for adventure go unsatisfied. Yet for all that fame, she tries to keep a low profile and only truly relaxes in good company, where a seemingly grouchy and cold exterior gives way to a self-confident, easily amused, and deeply caring inner self.

She may care a little too obviously, though; tales abound of her doomed romances with multiple notable women of historical import to these worldly conflicts. While some range from truth-adjacent to flat-out fanciful faerie tales, only her closest friends know she's happily married to her co-Warriors of Light after far too many years of mutual pining.

-----

Mia Longhart

As far as anyone could tell, Mia sprang fully-formed into existence as a member of Ul'dah's Gladiators' Guild, earning her keep on the bloodsands and eventually becoming the first swordswoman to claim the mantle of free paladin in decades. It's only deep into the battle against the XIVth Legion of Garlemald that it comes out that she too is Garlean, born and raised Maia jen Asina, having fled the empire after growing discontent with its colonialist ambitions. No one doubts her commitment to the fight against the Empire, however, which she drives forward with a levelheaded temperament, endless kindness to her peers and allies, and an incorruptible moral compass. Events in the First and a reckoning with the origin of her soul and its relation to the Ascian Emet-Selch shake her to her core, but with the support of her friends and the love of her co-Warriors of Light, she forges on, willing to shoulder burdens so her friends don't have to - which is how she ends up forming a pact with the voidsent whose strength Ellie used to fell Zenos viator Galvus. Coming to grips with the complicated tapestry of her homeland's history, she takes up the art of the reaper and the scythe that killed Zenos to prepare for any future battles she must fight.

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Lilyana Tsuki

Born L'ilyana Shuru, she left home after traumatic events and escaped to Vylbrand, where she took a job waitressing at the Bismarck for some time before falling in with Limsa Lominsa's secret Rogues' Guild. After saving the Mizzenmast from destruction with them, she is recruited into the Scions alongside Elilgeim and Mia as another one blessed with the Echo, fighting by their side to become one of the three Warriors of Light. She has a bright and cheery air and is always smiling, supportive, and enthusiastic, managing to charm even the cold-shouldered Elilgeim, but the trauma of the past weighs heavy on her heart, crippling her with a lack of self-esteem and a deep-seated belief that she will never be good or worthy enough. It's not till she admits what and who is important to her that she is able to stand on her own two feet and reach out to take what she wants. Though she is a master of stealth and by far the most agile and light-footed of the Warriors of Light, when she finds happiness she feels motivated to express her creative side and takes up the art of pictomancy alongside her friend Krile.

[irisopranta]

Chapters: 2/6 Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Original Final Fantasy XIV Characters, Thancred Waters, Tataru Taru, Minfilia Warde Additional Tags: Origin Story, Patch 2.0: A Realm Reborn (Final Fantasy XIV), Main Scenario Quests | MSQ (Final Fantasy XIV) Summary:

Origin story for my WoL, Iris Opranta. This is how she find out about the Scions figure out how to deal with the Echo.

[n3rd-qu33n-ffxiv]

Glamours: Autumn Basics

So, technically the theme for our map night was "Basic Autumn White Girl" but that doesn't roll off the tongue as well as this title does. Anyways, I skipped the Uggs because I'm from Colorado, and here we wear boots! (and... Uggs...)

Both Lalli and I don't do pumpkin spice like... at all. That's apple cinnamon tea! *nodnodnodnod*

While our PLD barely understood the assignment (it's okay, we love him and his shield anyways :D), two of us were riding the same braincell, while I'm kicking myself for forgetting the Gridania background.

But hey! Two final rooms, and my wifey either getting raptured, or gettin' ready to destroy us all!

[ecosystem-administrator]

the road to Horizon

I was watching a video recapping someone's journey through FFXIV and it made me think back on the start of my own, so I have some thoughts to ramble here, on my departure from Azeroth and arrival into Eorzea. From the perspective of a WoW refugee who arrived before the big waves of exodus, who left before all the bad news broke at Blizzard.

I don't talk about it much. At first it was because I was still grieving what I'd left, adjusting to the new normal I'd found for myself and trying not to be that person who compares everything to their only other experience in the genre; then, it was because the news had broken about all the things broken in Blizzard behind the scenes, and suddenly it no longer felt cool to have ever enjoyed what they were doing. But I started playing WoW during Wrath of the Lich King, and I continued to play until somewhere in the patch cycles of Battle For Azeroth. 2009-2019, a full decade of investment in the lore, of anticipation and disappointment, of theorycrafting my way around plotholes so I could keep enjoying the things that were enjoyable.

At some point, there was a news announcement coming, and I found myself anxious, dreading the possibility that the plot would focus on some of the characters I'd come to like, and in doing so wreck the stories I'd been building in my head. I had to stop and replay that moment for myself: I was dreading my favorite characters getting spotlight time, because I was afraid of what the writers would do to them. This is, I had to finally admit to myself, no way to live. I had reached my limit. My trust was broken, years of disappointment having finally dismantled my hope. I had to walk away. I wouldn't uninstall, not yet - but I would instead try out that beautiful Final Fantasy game my fiancee and some of her friends had started playing. I had watched over her shoulder one time a good while back as a tiny pink cupcake of a girl drank a goblet of poisoned wine, and at the time I had envied the power of the scene on display. Perhaps starting fresh with a new story would help ease the grief of finally stepping away from a decade of giving my heart to a game that was simply no longer giving back.

It takes time to adjust to a new game, of course. New controls, new abilities, what do you mean crafters are classes just like combat classes, wait what's the difference between a class and a job, how do I know whether I'm where I'm supposed to be, what do you mean dungeons aren't optional content, etc. I stumbled my way through the start of ARR, increasingly enthused to be learning a whole new set of lore but still anxious about how new I was. In FFXIV, we call new players 'sprouts' and tend to them; but I hadn't yet learned that mindset. I had to be told not to remove the sprout icon that flagged me as new and learning, because to me it looked like a 'kick me' sign on my back, a bright waving flag that said "Fresh Meat". That's what it would have been, where I had come from. I didn't know any better yet.

I made my way out of Gridania, around the capitals, through the baby dungeons, back to Ul'dah to get my invitation to the Scions, doing my best to absorb new lore, new controls, and new attitudes simultaneously. So it wasn't until I was leaving Ul'dah and headed out into Western Thanalan toward the Scions, on foot because I hadn't unlocked mounts yet, because I hadn't yet gotten the Horizon aetheryte, that I suddenly had a series of revelations.

I couldn't see player levels just by looking at them. I would have to click on a player and examine them in order to identify what level they were. Conversely, no one could see my level unless they went to that effort. They couldn't tell at a glance if I was overleveled or underleveled, if I was out of place in a zone or where I was meant to be.

The plot I had been through so far had gradually converged on this point in a way that suggested the story was melding with the starting storylines from the other two cities. In WoW, there are overarching plotlines for zones sometimes, but the presence of a Main Plot is a very recent development. Players rarely take the same path from starting zone to max level; but here, we were all walking the same road.

There were no factions. We were all walking the same road, and this was what struck me the hardest. From level 1 to level 70 (at the time I started lmao), every single player around me was somewhere on the same plotline. No one was a threat. There was no world PvP. I would never be ganked, griefed, have to wait for critical NPCs to respawn after max-level players from the other faction had come in and killed them.

Me, to me, at level 15 as the light began to dawn:

This is really how it felt, after all those years of WoW. The road to Horizon was the place where I finally realized I wasn't a soldier anymore, an erstwhile mercenary trying to dodge getting drafted back into a forever war. Of course there were still enemies, but all of the enemies were NPCs. I didn't have to worry about enemy PCs coming in raids, about staying out of their way or deciding to stand and fight. There were no such thing as enemy PCs. The war was, finally, over.

And so I trod onward lighter, still on foot until someone saw fit to give me a chocobo, my faction tabard abandoned in the dust of Thanalan, only an adventurer at last.

[mrlarkstin]

A Brief History of a VERY Tired Elezen Pt.1

Mister Eramus Larkstin, Ishgardian Elezen, son of Yanlite and Oselle Larkstin, raised by Marie and Fenris Furor in Gridania.

Early Life

Born in the Brume in Ishgard to a temple knight (Yanlite) and stable hand (Oselle). His father was sent off to fight in the Dragonsong War and went MIA. Oselle had a heart condition and relied on both their incomes to afford her potions and herbs, upon Yanlite going missing and presumed dead as his squad had been wiped out, she thought it best to pack up with her son and venture to Gridania in the hopes the Conjurer's Guild would take pity and help her. She left a note in case her husband would return. By some miracle.

Oselle passed away just outside the gates to Gridania with Eramus in her arms. He was found with his mothers body by a lovely Hyur couple called Marie and Fenris Furor. They searched everywhere for his father but couldn't find him. They took him in and raised him as if he were their own.

Yanlite was alive and returned to Ishgard a couple years later to find his wife and child missing. In a panic he tried to follow her footsteps from her note and raced to Gridania. Upon his arrival he quickly found his son, playing with a little girl in a garden while a Hyuran man worked. Instead of racing over, he stopped to watch. Wondering where his wife was. During the night, he approached the house and knocked where he learned that his wife is dead and that the couple had been taking care of Eramus along side their daughter, Kaolin.

Yanlite saw the happy house, Eramus sleeping in a comfortable warm bed while a fire raged in the hearth near by. He couldn't, in good conscious take his child out of that and instead asked if it was possible for him to just watch from a distance and leave gifts on his birthday. He couldn't take him away and back to the broken down house they used to call a home. The Furor's were understanding, sad, but agreed. Yanlite planned to reveal himself to Eramus when he was older.

As the years went on Yanlite watched his son grow from a distance. How he'd get into fights with Wood Wailers, how he'd disappear late at night with a Duskwight boy called Foulques. How he befriended a boy who loved to talk about dragons, another Orphan from Ishgard. He'd listen to the two talk and talk while the boy helped his mothers shop. He had his mothers heart. And then the calamity hit and his son went off to fight and Yanlite was called home.

Yanlite never got to return to see his son.

Eramus returned from the Calamity, battered, beaten and broken. Blood, bodies and hopelessness all around him. Foulques missing, the little boy he used to visit in a shop dead along side his family. Luckily his parents (the Furor's) were safe, aside from damage to their home, they were safe. In honour of the little boy he befriended he got a tattoo on his shoulder. A little red dragonette in a tea cup. A symbol about how the two would chat about dragons in the boys parents shop over tea.

Eramus spent a lot of his time trying to find Foulques, but never found him until many years later. No, his life was upside down and a mess. That was, until a strange man entered his life.

[aethernoise]

1. Envoy

•

Alyx fidgeted with the sash on her robes as she watched the dense, emerald waves of the Twelveswood roll beneath. When the airship finally dipped beneath the surface of the canopy and into the lush, cool depths of the forest, she watched Gridania appear like an unexpectedly colorful rendition of a dark, faded dream.

It had been nearly five years since she left.

The yellow banners depicting the Order of the Twin Adder made her stomach drop. She was going to have to talk to them, at least one of them. She wondered if they would recognize her now.

No, she thought, that's stupid. It was years ago. Those same soldiers might not even be here anymore. If they were, they likely wouldn't see her - the esteemed adventurer envoy from Ul'dah! - as the half-hysterical girl in braids who had to be physically removed from the Adder's Nest.

"Your brother's dead, kid," the officer was exhausted, and trying to speak kindly, for all it was worth, "He served bravely, and he fell. I'm sorry."

"Then where is he?" She demanded. "I don't believe you. He's still out there. Did you even look? Did you even try?" she was loud enough to have attracted the attention of other yellow-clad soldiers. Her throat felt dry to remember her voice breaking as they dragged her away.

"If he's dead, then show me the body!"

They had nothing to show her.

Alyx's fingers closed into a fist, crumpling layers of linen in her lap.

There was nothing they could show her now. Nothing even the Elder Seedeer herself could show her.

When the airship docked, she hesitated. How could she walk back into the home she abandoned, the home she had spent years trying to burn from her memory?

She wasn't sure how, but she stepped out onto the landing regardless.

[kannedia]

FFXIV Write 2024 - Day 30 - Two Heads Are Better Than One

In the Acorn Orchard, three conjurors meet to ponder the Starlight Celebration and what to get for their mentor E-Sumi-Yan.

Featuring Iskra, Sylphie and Gatty.

A bird, maybe. Iskra carefully turned the small piece of wood in his hand. He examined the grain and judged the size of the piece carefully. Or a bee, Gridania was well known for its honey. Particularly the East Shroud.

He considered both as conversation flowed around him. There was a small discussion on what to Master E-Sumi-Yan for the Starlight Celebration.

It was Sylphie's idea. Most of their adventures were, with himself and Gatty following after her. Alaqa spent most of her time with Raya-O when she wasn't training.

"A bluebird, mayhaps." He uttered, earning a look from both girls. Slyphie had had the knowledge to sit on the side of his good ear, while Gatty sat on the other. "I've heard they are good luck."

Sylphie let out a small sigh, "So you weren't listening."

Gatty on the other hand seemed to be thinking something over. Her gaze was on the clouds but she had briefly looked at the piece of ash wood in Iskra's hands.

"We don't really know what he would like, do we?" She said after another moment of thought, earning a nod from both Iskra and Sylphie. Their shared mentor did not speak much of himself. Or perhaps it had never occurred to them to ask.

Iskra glanced at her, "I think he would be happy with almost anything from you two." And he imagined, a little surprised.

"Hmm..." Sylphie looked at Gatty and then at Iskra. "Do you think you could teach us?"

"To whittle?" Iskra questioned, carefully avoiding the girls' gazes. He could already feel the puppy dog eyes bearing down on him. He could also picture exactly how much trouble he would be in should the two hurt themselves with knives. "No. Sorry. How about painting?"

"Painting?" Sylphie questioned, brow raised.

"Yes." He noted quietly before explaining, "I whittle. You paint."

Gatty brightened at the idea. "And we can make a card while you work."

"Hm. That may work." Sylphie agreed, "A bluebird you said."

Iskra nodded gently. They were both nice girls. He would have to make them both ginger cookies for the Starlight Celebration. Once he was done with his whittling.