#Voidwyrm Mehen
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I am very much enjoying all the Reaper Job bonus flavor dialogue in these patches.
Though, I would also use this post to explain how exactly Y'dehlya came to join the Reapers’ ranks and what powers she now wields. I’ll start with her Dragoon powers, because those lead into and fuse with her Reaper ones.
(Upon pressing “Keep reading”, many paragraphs will appear in sequence. It is recommended that you set aside sufficient time to view this post in its entirety.)
My take on Y’dehlya actually being able to use the Dragoon Soul Stone despite having not a single drop of Ishgardian blood in her veins stems from expanding on the “inner dragon” all Dragoons apparently have. It is my understanding that the Soul Stone only resonates with those who have a dragon’s spirit within them. For Ishgardians, this is easily explained with the reveal of Thordan I and his Twelve Knights murdering Ratatoskr and consuming her flesh a thousand years before ARR, enough time for draconic power to take root and lay dormant inside every Ishgardian living in the game’s present.
But Y’dehlya’s is from a different circumstance. The simpler reason I thought of was that Persephone’s combat transformation was very draconic in appearance, and Y’dehlya’s soul enduring seven whole Rejoinings and bringing that back to her. The more complex one is that Hydaelyn bound Persephone’s Shard on the Source to the soul of a stillborn child of Midgardsormr at his behest. Or I could just do both. Either way, with these plus the meddlings of (in order) Nidhogg via the Eye, resonating with a Dragoon Soul Stone, Midgardsormr removing Hydaelyn’s blessing and binding himself to Y’dehlya, and Hraesvelgr bestowing his own Eye unto her awakens/creates a manifestation of Y’dehlya’s latent draconic powers: Mehen.
Mehen in ancient Egyptian mythology is the equivalent of Jormungandr and Ouroboros. A deity that protected Osiris-Ra as he traveled through the night/underworld by coiling around him.
With all the other dragon influences around her soul, it was almost impossible for her at first to truly sense Mehen’s presence throughout ARR and HW. It was easily mistaken for one of the others’. As for StB, she had not only hung up the mantle of Azure Dragoon alongside Estinien at the end of the Dragonsong War, but went the extra mile and left the Soul Stone in Aymeric’s care, the war burned her out that much. And yet, there were still some events that made her fall back on those abilities, which also helped her to reconcile herself with them. The DRG Job Quests from 60 to 69, as well as taking the spear up again for the Nhaadam help Y’dehlya find the courage to reclaim the Stone when Aymeric offers it back to her in Ala Mhigo before the showdown against Zenos-Shinryu.
The Omega Raids was the first time Mehen truly showed themself to Y’dehlya, manifesting physically at Midgardsormr’s behest and introduced themself appropriately. In order to qualify as a candidate for Omega’s challenge, Mehen quickly adopted a more humanoid form, manifesting as a Raen Au Ri that resembles Y’dehlya (or moreso Persephone).
Due to having no set preference themself between being more “masculine” or “feminine”, Mehen manifests in whichever form they are feeling at the moment.
When Omega traps Y’dehlya and U’reksh and starts testing their pain tolerances up to the extent that they could very well die, Midgarsormr uses the last of his available power to free Y’dehlya and entrusts Mehen with her. It is then that Y’dehlya unlocks Life of the Dragon and together, they free U’reksh and cause Omega to retreat and recalibrate. After the whole Omega Raid storyline is completed, Y’dehlya introduces Mehen to the rest of the Scions, and later Estinien, Orn Kai, Vedrfolnir, and Faunehm during the lvl 70 DRG quest. Mehen resolves to want to learn more and more about the world while traveling within Y’dehlya.
Flash forward to ShB. Y’dehlya and Mehen were...more aware than they let on about the state of their soul with subsequent Lightwarden absorptions, especially after overhearing Y’shtola and Urianger’s argument over it. In the time between absorbing Amh Araeng’s Lightwarden and the siege on Eulmore, Y’dehlya grew desperate in trying to find her own way to save the both of them.
During a check-in with the Source, she happened upon the events of the first Reaper quests. The words “Lemures” and “Reaper” coming from the attendant and his employer tip her off to who they want her to deal with. She’s heard whispers of this group before through the grapevine, as well as solid confirmation from Y’kouha. And so, with Mehen’s consent and hearing the summoned voidsent itself beg for death via devouring upon hearing their plight (it’s a win-win exchange, the voidsent finally gets sweet release and their devourers get their powers), she readily accepts, because what is the antithesis of sin eater, but voidsent? And thus, this lovely explanation from Zero is what takes place between Mehen and the voidsent, becoming the Void Dragon/Voidwyrm and taking on the appearance of a Xaela:
If the voidsent powers stemmed from a being who was already friendly towards their host, theoretically, there shouldn't be any fear of being taken over. This doesn’t stop Y’shtola from immediately grilling Dehlya on her choices once she takes notice out of further concern and anger at Urianger and the Exarch for driving her to this. Y’dehlya stands her ground. The other Scions have very mixed reactions when the cat’s out of the bag, but eventually grow to accept it. Both Urianger and the Exarch in particular feel incredibly guilty and more or less continue to do so into EW, both admitting it to Y’dehlya and Mehen at different points despite their forgiveness and a look at the brighter side of the circumstance.
As for learning how to use a scythe, Y’dehlya’s practically a natural, but part of that will be explained further down.
Anyway, back to ShB. Unfortunately, the absorption of the voidsent wound up doing little in the long run after absorbing Innocence and Y’dehlya is locked out of using Mehen’s voidsent powers until the fusion with Ardbert.
The fusion with Ardbert also triggered a new power in her that seems to only activate against Ascians and Ancients in subsequent MSQ battles: Her weapon suddenly becomes a scythe made out of aether, her skill with it is like never before, and her outfit becomes that of a tattered black cloak. It’s like Enshroud, but it isn’t; her soul is channeling Persephone’s power and skill, manifesting thus, and disappears a short time after it is no longer needed.
After returning to Sharlayan at the end of Main Endwalkere, however, the tattered black outfit and white scythe become permanent. The scythe itself even looks like an actual forged weapon now (See the lvl 89 Reaper gear for reference). Y’dehlya takes this as a sign to becomes a Reaper in full and dyes the cape her signature fuchsia.
Y’dehlya’s Enshroud form bears an uncanny resemblance to Estinien’s final form when he was possessed by Nidhogg, but with a predominantly black, purple/fuchsia, and red color scheme.
#FFXIV#WoL#My WoLs#Y'dehlya Rhikta#Voidwyrm Mehen#heavensward spoilers#stormblood spoilers#shadowbringers spoilers#Endwalker spoilers
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