#xivlore

[izayoiishikawa-blog]

Samurai

Primarily, “samurai” refers to a position of standing in Hingashi society---a martial vassal who serves his liege in return for certain privileges. The word itself derives from the root “saburau” meaning “to serve”, which reinforces the fundamental nature of their status. Records of this arrangement became common some six hundred years ago, but examples of the samurai art of combat can be found earlier in history.

The fighting style distinct from mainland practices---was founded by warriors who favored the katana, and honed over lifetimes of conflict. As well as devising techniques to infuse their uniquely curved blades with “Kenki”, samurai also mastered the meditative state of “Sen” which paved the way for “Iaijutsu” and other elevated form of swordmanship. The samurai arts eventually found purchase on the continent, and saw the birth of numerous variant schools. In a realm coddled by relative peace, however, the title of samurai has become largely hereditary, leading to fears that this once hard-earned honor being replaced by empty tradition.

Equipment

Myochin Armor

Crafted in the haori-and-hakama style by armorers of the longstanding Myochin clan, this set of armor is common garb for present-day samurai. Whilst it appears little more than a decorative kimono, the cloth is woven in such a way as to promote the flow of aether.

Kiki-ichimonji

Kiku-ichimonji was forged by a legendary Hingan swordsmith, the proof of which can be found in the engraved signature---the character for “ichi” of “one” the sword features a broad point, and an elegant, undulating temper pattern along the length of the blade, whilst sheath’s sepentine ornamentation amplifies the wielder’s energies when performing Iaijutsu.

Nameless Armor

This most elementary set of armor was designed for samurai initiates. The togi and hakama are both woven with enchanted silk to enhance the wearer’s sensivity to the flow of aether, effectively aiding the novice in learning to recognize the sensation of Kenki gathering in blade and sheath. Dyed entirely in black, the color of the attire mutes any lurid splashes of blood either from the enemy or the wearer.

Katayama

This masterpiece was forged by the Katayama branch of the Ichimonji school of swordmansmiths. Although Kiku-ichimonji, a katana crafted by their forebears, is considered a superior in sharpness and beauty, Katayama (or in full, Katayama-ichimonji) is still celebrated for its exquisite workmanship. The blade changed hands many times, until one wielder carried it on a warrior’s pilgrimage to the west, where it was lost for long years. It was later discovered that in his quest to find worthy opponents, the overconfident samurai had entered where no man should tread, and perished at the culmination of an epic battle.

The Katana

When the earliest settlers crossed the Ruby Tide to Hingashi, they brought with them the weapons of their ancestors the most prominent being the traditional Yanxian longsword. These dual-edged straight-blade swords continued to see use on the island nation for centuries, their design changing little from those which had made the original journey from Othard. The longsword, however, soon fell out of fashion on the continent, and was replaced by the single-edged, sharply curved scimitars popular among Nagxian cavalry. This change eventually made its way to Hingashi, though a lack of a true cavalry on the islands lessened the necessity for such a pronounced grade of inflection. The outcome was the modest curvature seen in a modern-day katana.

Still, for many years, swords of Hingan origin were considered far substandard to those forged in Yanxia---Hingan blacksmiths unable to do more than merely copy techniques refined across the narrow sea. This all changed when a swordmaker from Kugane discovered and perfected a method of folding steel---a process that, when performed correctly, result in a highly tensile core encased in a nigh-indestructible shell. The blades’ strength and beauty (exotic pattern in the steel a by-product of the folding) made the katana attractive in Hingashi’s  samurai caste, whose demand for the weapons fueled not only the advancement of further blacksmithing techniques, but also saw the emergence of scabbards as aetherial vessels wherein a warrior’s “Kenki” might be stored.

Prominent Designs

Chokuto

Though rare today, history shows there were ages in which straight-bladed single-edged katana were used throughout the Far East, albeit largely for ceremonial or ritual purpose.

Tachi

Designed for use on horseback, tachi are long and markedly curved to improve reach. A tachi’s maker can be identified by gauging the severity of the blade’s “shinogi”, or the slight ridge rising from the flat.

Chokken

The oldest of all Far Eastern katana, the design of the chokken, or longsword, can be traced back to the of the most holy of blades, Ame-no-Murakumo. Unlike most katana, the blade is dual-edged and uncurved.

Kenki

In the lands of the Far East, one’s aetheric flow is often referred to as “Ki”. The Kenki of the samurai is a harnessing of these energies, allowing the swordsmen to accumulate ki within their blades and thence unleash various deadly techniques. In this respect, such “Hissatsu” might be interpreted as a martial form of magecraft.

Iaijutsu

These techniques are performed by building aether in a sheathed katana, and then unleashing the entire store of energy the instant the blade is drawn. Executing Iaijutsu correctly requires complete control over one’s state of mind----a feat achieved by entering a battle trance kown as “Sen” . Samurai attain such meditative mastery only through intense discipline and training.

Tricks of the Trade

Doom of the Living

All those who live are fated to die. The samurai portrays the foe’s life with innumerable slashes of the blade, ends that life with a single, aether-infused stroke, and then sheathes her weapon in a symbolic depiction of transience.

Hissatsu: Kyuten

One of the most samurai’s formidable Hissatsu techniques, Kyuten is a word which expresses nine directions--the eight compass points joined by the center. Devised to cut down all surrounding enemies with a single strike.

Tenka Goken

A form of Iaijutsu wherein the samurai fashions his katana’s accumulated aether into phantom blades, and strikes as if wielding the five swords of a legend---the Tenka Goken.

Midare Setsugekka

Setsu. Getsu. Ka. It is said when one occupies all three states of Sen, the thread of a foe’s life comes into focus. This sublime Iaijutsu was devised to cut that thread.

Lore Book Volume 2 regarding Samurai!

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Riddling Out Rabanastre

I’ve been trying to place the destruction of Rabanastre on the timeline (specifically, the Dalmascan timeline itself, which I plan on putting into the full XIV timeline afterwards), however I’m not finding anything super solid on when it was destroyed.

If I’m recalling correctly, the image of Rabanastre being destroyed, and mention of the event, occurred well before the post-Liberation uprisings that are mentioned in the more recent MSQs, due to the fact the Return to Ivalice series starts out with the ruined Rabanastre. So I don’t think that it���s the uprising mentioned by Hien in the MSQs that resulted in Rabanastre being levelled.

Jeromis mentioned he was there seventeen summers ago (which is also a bitch to place cus of the wonky time compression the game is currently using - it doesn’t align with how long the game has been out in the slightest), as that’s when he picked up the necklace that turned out to be Prince Rasler’s heirloom. This seems to contradict what the Wandering Dramaturge says, as his wording makes it sound like Nalbina fell, and Rabanastre was destroyed right afterwards (though that could just be shite wording).

That places the destruction of Rabanastre at least thirteen years after the fall of Nalbina. But from there, it seems a bit unclear as to when Rabanastre was destroyed.

The Barheim incident seems to be what triggered the destruction of Rabanastre, from the wording the Dramaturge uses there, but it doesn’t quite give much of a clue as to when it occurred either.

I’m also taking a guess that with Rabanastre destroyed, Lea Monde has become something of a defacto capital, of sorts. It’s currently the only other city that anything mentions, and I think it was like the second or third largest city in Dalmasca anyway.

@mirkemenagerie - any guesses as to when Rabanastre actually fell? 

[nerobombs]

FFXIV Ninja Lore

Now converted for the viewing pleasure of Tumblr. Figured I should start using this blog for something.

Also, converting everything from BBCode to HTML is a pain in the ass. I need to find an easier way of doing this.

Note: This post contains spoilers for the Ninja quests!

Overview A ninja, referred to as a shinobi by Domans, is a covert agent who engages in espionage, sabotage, reconnaissance, infiltration, and assassination. The majority of Doman shinobi serve as retainers to different lords in a variety of functions such as being a spy, a scout, or a bodyguard. Unscrupulous shinobi may also work as mercenaries or engage in activities that serve their personal agenda.

--

Soul Crystal Shinobi each carry their own soul crystal. Whether or not each crystal is individual or passed down by tradition is unknown, and how necessary the crystal is in using shinobi abilities is also unknown, although it is tradition to return the soul crystal to the deceased shinobi's village of birth.

"Peasants By Day, Ninjas By Night" wrote:

Oboro Ah... You have my gratitude. When one of our kind falls, tradition dictates that we return their soul to the village, that it may rest with our ancestors.

--

Skills and Abilities Shinobi abilities are referred to as ninjutsu. While the term ninjutsu technically encompasses a mix of martial skill, infiltration tactics, and various esoteric aspects of guerrilla warfare--real life ninjutsu disciplines include but are not limited to geography, meteorology, swimming, and spiritual refinement--the ninjutsu of Final Fantasy XIV specifically refers to a shinobi's ability to channel and manifest aether using handsigns called mudra.

"Peasants By Day, Ninjas By Night" wrote:

Oboro We draw power from the world around us─the heaven, the earth, and the hearts of man─and channel this power into physical form. I am told that this is similar to your concept of...ay-ther, was it? I must confess that Eorzean words and ways remain unfamiliar to me.

Oboro How does one channel this power, you ask? Through the use of mudra, hand gestures that call forth each of the three forms of energy of which I spoke. The first mudra I will teach you will call power from the heavens. In Doma, we call this Ten.

The use of mudra allows a shinobi to shape aether to various physical forms, whether it be a giant shuriken, a vertical bolt of lightning, a ball of fire, or so on. It is unknown if any additional mudras or ninjutsu techniques exist among Doman shinobi outside of those available in-game.

Using mudras is known to exhaust the spirit, and additional time is required to settle the mind sufficiently to use mudra again. It is emphasized that one's mind and focus must be clear in order to properly utilize mudra, or the ninjutsu will fail. This limitation is surpassed when a shinobi utilizes Kassatsu, although that too has limitations.

"Master and Student" wrote:

Oboro Body or mind─by any measure, you are every bit my equal as a shinobi. Save for one final technique which I will now impart to you: Kassatsu

Oboro Use it to rearrange the energies channeled into your body, and unleash powerful ninjutsu techniques one after the next. But be warned. In our tongue, it means quite literally “life and death.” Which one it means for you will depend entirely on your presence of mind.

There are also esoteric abilities such as shukuchi and underwater surveillance using bamboo flutes.

"Pirates Versus Ninjas" wrote:

Oboro The time has come for me to impart to you another technique, which we call Shukuchi. You may think of it as compressing the physical space around you, allowing you to cross great distances in the blink of an eye. Go ahead, give it a try.

Shinobi specialize in using two weapons in tandem, but little mention is made in-game of their actual fighting styles or combat doctrine.

Outside of combat abilities, shinobi also act as infiltrators and saboteurs. Like their real-life counterparts, they often disguise themselves as lowly peasants or servants in order to gather information. When that's not an option, a shinobi can utilize their agility to infiltrate a location with a more traditional stealthy approach as well. In addition, each shinobi would have a basic understanding of pyrotechnics in order to use devices such as smoke bombs, which may extend to other explosive devices. Mind you, a shinobi is not exactly going to be throwing blocks of C-4 plastic explosive, but basic thrown grenades and flash bombs are not beyond the realm of possibility.

--

Ranks and Training Doman shinobi are given a rank based on their mastery of mudra.

"Once Upon A Time In Doma" wrote:

Oboro Chunin is our word for a shinobi who has attained full mastery of two-mudra techniques. In our tradition, when a student is deemed by his master to show such potential, she is led to a waterfall outside the village to conduct intense training.

A genin is a student who has mastered a single mudra, and a jonin is one who has mastered all three mudra and the combinations that come with it.

Doman shinobi are raised to be shinobi at a young age, with training starting from childhood.

The nation of Doma was introduced to shinobi and ninjutsu via the shinobi Sasuke, who came from a land east of Othard. Doma is the only known nation to practice it, although the Garlean Empire have begun training their covert operatives in the techniques of a shinobi through Doman defectors. Garlean shinobi are referred to as "Imperial shadows". However, after the death of Master Gekkai in the Ninja questline, the Imperial shadows disbanded, and the remaining Imperial shadows became bandits or mercenaries.

"Ninja Assassin" wrote:

Oboro ...Unless he [Redway] was one of Gekkai's shadows. The imperial shinobi lost their place in Garlemald when the unit was disbanded after the man's death.

Oboro That would be cause for them to sell their blades. I imagine the demand for mercenaries with ninjutsu would be great among people with money enough to trade in Far Eastern treasures...

--

Philosophy and Spirituality Traditional shinobi philosophy is centred around the concepts of devotion, clarity, and the unity of body and mind. Meditation is performed often in order to centre a shinobi's sense of self.

"Strangers In A Strange Land" wrote:

Oboro As you know, we are blades, and missions are as whetstones to us. Through duty and service, we sharpen our skills and our minds. This is the next step on your path.

"The Impossible Girl" wrote:

Oboro But your mind is full. Still your thoughts. Listen to what your heart says in the silence. In so doing, you will grow as a shinobi.

"Ninja Assassin" wrote:

Oboro Now, I will leave you to your meditations. Allow them to further sharpen your mind, so you will be the blade when the time comes again to strike.

"My First Mudra" wrote:

Oboro Heed my words well. For the shinobi, blade and mind are one. The weak mind gives rise to a weak blade. The false mind gives rise to a false blade. But the mind that is strong and true? That blade will know no equal.

Oboro Such were the teachings of my master, his master, and his master's master before him. The shinobi must keep presence of mind at all times, or his blade may as well be one of grass.

Domans in general are also known to practice a form of Shintoism, though it lacks a canon name within FFXIV.

"Once Upon A Time In Doma" wrote:

Oboro My people do not worship your deities twelve. Our gods are all around us─in the trees, in the soil, in the crashing waters before you. Close your eyes and open your heart to the sound of the rushing falls, that you might purge your mind of all worldly thoughts and distractions.

[winterdeepelegy]

Thank you!

Ok, folks, FXIV item-related question:

I was chatting with a bunch of fellow Duskwight players and the question came up as to what the RL equivalent is to the Mun Tuy bean.

Soybeans and soy sauce are their own thing, as are peas and buffalo beans. Anyone have any ideas?

How about @mirkemenagerie ?

[izayoiishikawa-blog]

Hingashi Part II

Inokuni

The great Hakutei River flows through this domain of the Yatsurugi clan, which has long been known for its fertile soil and rice of surpassing quality. However, some few years ago, prolonged rains saw the banks of the river flood, and much of the clan’s farmland was lost. For the sake of her people, the young Princess Yuki resolved to sell several of the Yatsurugi’s sacred treasures in order to fund the reconstruction efforts.

Yuki Yatsurugi “My people are on the brink of starvation. If i do not do something, all of their sacrifices will mean nothing”

A Raen of only seventeen summers, Princess Yuki succeeded her father as the head of the Yatsurugi after he succumbed to a sickness. Unfortunately for the young leader, this transition coincided with the flooding of the Hakuten River, which ruined much of the clan’s farmlands. As if the kami were conspiring to punish her and her people, five of the Yatsurugi’s most cherished treasures were then stolen.

It was this last incident which spurred Princess Yuki to take drastic action. Having trained in the arts of the shinobi since childhood, she believe she had the skills necessary to hunt down the perpetrators. Her journey led her far west to Eorzea, where with the aid of the Doman ninja Oboro and his Western ninja allies, she at last reclaimed three of the clan’s treasures, which she then sold to raise funds for the restoration of their farmlands. She has since resumed her formal duties, and is the picture of grace and responsibility though she still has her private indulgences, such as anmitsu, a type of sweet bean and seaweed jelly.

Suenokuni

The southern coast of Shishu, long rule by the Buhen clan, was considered an ideal location for the reconstruction of a port to receive foreign traders passing through the Ruby Sea. Due to various entanglements resulting from arranged marriages, however, the clan fell out of favor with the Mitsurugi while the decision was still being deliberated. As a conciliatory gesture, the Buhen formally gifted the land upon which the port was to be constructed to the bakufu. In so doing though they lost a portion of their holdings, they ultimately benefitted greatly from greatly from the prosperity brought by the presence of Kugane within their domain, as well as strengthened their ties with the ruling Mitsurugi clan.

Zuiko Buhen “Rise with Valor, Walk with Honor”

The leader of the Buhen clan six hundred years ago, Zuiko----often portrayed with his famous blade, Tsunakiri, and astride his horse, Hizatsuki Kurige---is to this day regarded as a beloved hero of Shishu. Under his command, the meager forces of the Buhen managed to beat back the far larger invading armies of the Mitsurugi. Zuiko’s feats impressed Kanzan that he changed tactics and instead secured the Buhen clan’s fealty by allowing them to retain control of their lands, as well as significant autonomy in managing their affairs. In this way, the Mitsurugi clan converted a bitter rival into a stalwart warden that would defend Hingashi’s western front from foreign invaders for centuries to come---even if it means that they must suffer the occasional vocal objections from a clan that would always consider themselves to be their equals, if not more. After leading a rich, storied life, Zuiko was laid to rest at the age of eighty-three.

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mirkemenagerie

  rivenroad replied to your post “Riddling Out...

Not too wonky a time table. Doma and Ala Mhigo are liberated in 4.0 and the ninja spread the news across the annexed territories. By 4.1 we receive news that Rabanastre had already staged a rebellion. 4.1 is also when we learn that the Dalmascan rebellion was put down violently. It’s implied this was the point Rabanastre was destroyed, but it’s also not stated verbatim so we can’t be 100% sure.

Because Tumblr’s refusing to pull up the notes section of the original post...also, under a cut, cus some spoilerish stuff.

I generally mean the time compression of the MSQ vs the progression of years that have actually passed since game launch is wonky for anyone who RPs heavily, since RP happens more in real time, and if you’re a super active RPer, trying to crunch your 5+ years of RP into a single year can end up not making a whole hell of a lot of sense (due to there just really not being enough time in a single year for all those events to have occurred). Either you move everything to real time to keep RP matching MSQ/in-game events, or you have to headcanon that a “year” on Hydaelyn is considerably longer than it is on Earth (which, there are “extra days” in the calendars given at character creation, but not that many) if you’re a super active RPer.

Timing it out to just the patch numbers, and not years, yeah. I had wondered if the 4.1 information was current information, or if word had only recently spread of Rabanastre’s destruction/the violent retribution for the rebellion; which, it also sort of reads like Dalmasca never quite accepted Imperial rule, and has been in a rather consistent state of rebel strikes and such prior to the Barheim Incident (which as far as I can tell has to take place before Livia’s downfall?) and/or the destruction of Rabanastre.

I guess what also throws me off with it is that we got the destruction of Rabanastre image and hints before the RoI raids were released, without much clarification as to whether it was an upcoming part of the story, or if it had already happened.

[fulcrum-agent]

mirkemenagerie

  rivenroad replied to your post “Riddling Out...

I reeeeeally don’t think Rabanastre was obliterated after the Barheim Incident. Livia took care of the insurgents as far as Garlemald was concerned because the XIVth was able to return to Ala Mhigo to start the events of early ARR 1-50 MSQ. And the rebels were still around to stage more rebellions as recently as SB. When we first go there, we’re also warned that there might be Garleans, but there aren’t because Rabanastre’s recent obliteration released the Lucavi.

That makes some sense. I was trying to place where in Livia’s timeline that was, and it was seeming a bit like it was prior to when we’re introduced to her in game, or at the very least, before the events near Operation Archon. But that would put the destruction of Rabanastre (possibly) a little too far back for there not to be any larger references to the Lucavi prior to SB/RoI.

So then they’re probably two separate instances, but Barheim was likely one of the (many) rebel acts that lead to the destruction of Rabanastre.

Aside: I’m going to kill Tumblr. It’s not letting me do notes now, and every time I reply to something, it’s resetting damn near everything. X.x