Lots of buzz about the expansion announcement but can I just say, I really enjoyed the "Annotated Endwalker" panel with Ishikawa and Yoshida where they went over their writing process and how they maintain consistent thematic callbacks and culturally significant statements across languages. It's a fascinating look at how much work goes into serial fiction like this, especially when it has to cross multiple language barriers and still evoke the same feelings, all while making homages to literally decades old content.

I was HOOTING for the Amon/G'raha parallels, that's something I hadn't noticed before. Likewise with the twins, their grandfather Louisoix, and their father Fourchenault.

And of course, I was so happy that they finally talked about Zenos in Endwalker and practically grabbed the fandom by the head and said "actually pay attention to what he says and does and apply critical thinking for once PLEASE! The words are HIGHLIGHTED on a stream broadcast to MILLIONS. You have NO EXCUSE NOW!" *SHAKES YOU SPITTING AND HISSING*

phew anyway, I also liked the analysis of Emet's lines, and how they were written with the impression that not only was he narrating from the Aetherial Sea, but Venat is just there too.

But maaan I gotta call them out for referencing the shortstory with Azem's unilateral volcano mission to save the grapes and failing to mention that

It

Was Never

About

The Grapes

Literally no one in the story believed that except Elidibus who is the young naïve one.

It's about Azem seeing value in the lives of those living in the shadow of the volcano while the rest of the Convocation did not. That's what makes them a hero in a world that doesn't even have a word for that yet.

Look I know the grapes are a meme and you're leaning in on it heavily but I guarantee you can tell us it's not about the grapes and we'll both appreciate that fact and still like the grapes! Your squapes merch sales won't slouch by just acknowledging that characters can say something without meaning it!

So yeah, I liked the panel.

I continue poorly explain ffxiv

Welcome back to Final Fantasy XIV or as I like to call it Fantasia Character Rotissiere. Last time we fought secondary dragon satan who possessed the unwashed elf boy that is Estinyan. Saved our baby boy’s sister from being assassinated by Identity Fraud and his gang of back up dancers and watched our one true boy Papalymo sacrifice himself to stop another calamity. So naturally Spike from Buffy the Vampire shows up and convinces us to activate an alien super weapon to break our boy’s sealing spell and we’re like SIGN US THE FUCK UP! So naturally after that happens a new war begins between the Eorzean Alliance and the Garlic Jr. Empire cause Garlic died last time and there was a civil war but we didn’t see it. All you need to know is Blond Alan Rickman is now the Emperor and his right hand man is...still probably on those floating islands safe and sound and is still very much alive because I unlocked Aurum Vale for roulette and I am unlocking nothing else that is essential to progress that isn’t MSQ. Where was I? Oh yes, Ala Mhigo which lies somewhere between the Red Wood Forest and Death Valley. Whose people are subjigated by the Garlic Empire. The time has come to free them and by free them I mean get told off by the local populace fight an angry scottish woman and then get one shot by Rocky from the Horror Picture show if he was ten feet tall and carried a golf bag of SWORDS! So many swords he probably swipes left if you’re not at least metallic and SHARP! But enough about that, Al Pacino has the bright idea that in order to free Ala Mhigo we first must free Doma who is under the same rule as Ala Mhigo working with the same exact problems Ala Mhigo does but I am sure this will turn out just find. So after black mailing Captain Elf Sparrow, we send Al Pacino where he belongs. Into a ghost graveyard and we leave his ass there because now its time to arrive at Kugane, where we’ll attempt to climb a tower for five minutes, get pissed by invisible collision boxes, log out and swear we’ll never play this stupid fucking game ever again. But the game knows you’ll be back, YOU’LL BE BACK! So we start up Genshin Imp--hahaha fuck no, log the fuck back in we got a catfish to punch, an old samurai to save, and the lost Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle to save all while running away from the POLICE! And what better way to evade arrest than to flee the fucking country so out into the Ruby Sea we go, which is controlled by the Confederacy. Don’t worry its not the racist one its the pirating one. But I hope you like swimming because you’ll be doggy paddling back and forth between these small islands for about 2 hours before we are hooked up with DIVING! So come visit the Ruby Sea. We got manta rays, grotesque demon walruses, an armored turtle with a giant fuck off sword and getting STEPPED ON by an angry woman who I am 20% spends half her scene time smoking opium. Don’t worry though despite the Garlic Empire being a big problem they’re not so much a big problem that you and the Scooby Gang can’t handle them. In fact we can handle them so well we only get our asses kicked by the giant top heavy Ken doll ONE more time before we’re allowed into the LIZARD KINGDOM. Where reptiles roam the earth and every single one of them want to kill you. So like Heracles we have to do a bunch of tasks to win their trusts like breaking into their sacred holy ground and stealing their parrow, picking unwater sea kress, and talking to Sadu Dotharl the baddest motherfucker this side of the Hildibrand questline. Seriously if you ever wished you could be a crater on the ground, this woman will GRANT THAT FUCKING WISH! Sorry where was I. Oh yeah, after descrating their holy ground we are invited to a blood contest to choose their next leader so naturally falls to you and your first decree is maybe show up to class when the Garlics are ready to rumble. Cause if you don’t well...this entire trip was completely utterly useless. Lets just blow up the castle and call it a day--actually we kind really do just blow up the castle in the process of freeing Doma. Who knew the only thing you needed to do to win a revolutionary war was raise up an army of dragon people and causing FLOOD DAMAGE to the Historical District. Don’t think too much about it because now that we’ve TOTALLY freed Doma from the iron fist of the Garlics its time to go back to Ala Mhigo...despite there...still be an entire empire out there that will definitely reinforce their lost territory but don’t worry about it. They don’t seem the type to just level an entire territory on at the slightest scent of revolution anywhere else...right? Anyway after crossing the sea and remember Alphinaud exists, we return to Ala Mhigo with none of the Doman army to back us up and we...actually do very well. We run into Braveheart again but its alright she just pisses off the snake people and summons a GIANT WOMAN TO ENSLAVE US WHEN WE SLEEP! So after knocking that one out of the park. Rock the Ken Doll arrives and decides he likes us blowing up buildings so much he’s going to give Fordola a cannon. And blow us to kingdom come...and thus ends our life in Final Fantasy XI--I am fucking kidding Estinien comes back and ONE SHOTS A FUCKING CANNON! If you think that sounds dumb, it isn’t it is the most awesome thing ever. Imagine watching a War Documentary where after the battle of Gettsyberg, the ghost of George Washington juiced up on the blood of Satan got into fist fight with a tank and WON! It is EXACTLY as awesome as I just described and will be taking no criticism at this time because after a wardrobe change for Yda definitely Yda, she is definitely Yda don’t worry about it she would Lyse to you now would she? We go to the Lochs. Where we take in the sights, get caught by border patrol, beat the Guinness World Record for longest breath ever held, listen to a soldier talk about getting the BEST head ever before killing him and his comrades and facing off against a woman I am surprise isn’t wearing 20 belts and using some healing crystals to give her a migraine. All in the name of saving Krile who will DEFINITELY give us black mail material so we can hold Alphinaud hostage. Sorry, I meant we’re going with Alphinaud to fight a bunch of Samurai wolves and if you think that sounds awesome, you’re kind of fucking right. After punching them so hard PETA is probably going to ram a jeep into my front room, we kick open the door, fight through the streets of another castle and whoa would you look at that Doma finally shows up to give us aerial support...like...at the last fucking minute seriously we re-capture 99.9% and Doma comes in acting like its 0.01% is going to get us the A+ on the project. Anyway, all you really need to know is Ken turned into a DRAGON and we fight on a convinently placed platform in the sky before he kills himself and we play the National Anthem....seriously what the fuck did I just pl

9—12: reversed.

rating: G

characters: original characters, douceline de dansereau, euphemie de dansereau

tags: 3.0, pre-azys lla (msq: ‘hour of departure’), euphie and dou are a mess, euphie stop being mean to your sister 

summary: the air is ever unsteady between them, and now is no exception.

wordcount: 581

“You really didn’t have to come along, you know.”

Douceline can tell by the hard line of her sister’s cupid-bow lips that she, in fact, did not want to be here, at the airship landing, headed off to somewhere unfamiliar. For all the adventure Euphemie had in her soul, her younger sister always knew that she never dared venture out too far from home. The older Dansereau had a way of making a spectacle of even the most dreary occasion, and for that she garnered both good and bad attention. Attention that Douceline wanted no part in, for she was content curled up with books she’d read and had yet to read, and in the company of a merry few.

And now here they were, the roles reversed: all eyes set on Douceline whose every move seemed to take center stage, while Euphemie was sent to and fro with her fellow dragoons on high alert, with nary a beat to breathe for free time.

“What Mummy wants, Mummy gets.” A smile, tightly pressed, so obviously forced that it makes Douceline flinch.

“And besides, I think she’s been through enough already.” Euphemie craned her neck left and right, stopping short of running her gauntleted fingers through her loosely-tied braid. 

“She...really has.” Vague as they were, Dou couldn’t help but feel that those words were directed at her. After all, everyone in Ishgard knew that she was the primary source of her mother’s troubles lately--a far cry from the days when it was her older sister being scolded for what their mother deemed to be actions unfit for a lady of her station. While Dou didn’t doubt that Euphie had stayed true to her lively self while she herself remained supposedly dead, Dou had done more than a few things that would’ve terrified their mother, had she known--and managed to live in spite of it all.

Now their conversation turned stagnant, with Euphie’s arms crossed and gaze directed towards the others that Douceline had come to call friends--Y’shtola and Alphinaud sharing banter while her crimson-drenched commander remained stalwart against a stone column, perhaps the only one there her sister knew well. 

Douceline always put an effort--perhaps too much of it--into trying to read Euphemie. For someone who wore her heart on her sleeve, she knew that her older sister had more secrets that proved contrary to what she seemed on the surface; more secrets than she would ever be willing to admit. What concerned her most as of late was the strange air between her and Ser Grinnaux, someone Dou had come to know unwillingly well, mostly in part to the strange bond he and her sister had kindled since childhood. Maybe something had happened in the years she’d been away--but something had changed between them. Or at least, changed enough to cause Euphemie worry.

She wondered if even now, moments before heading into the unknown, her sister thought of Grinnaux.

“Where’s the pony?”

Her sister’s sudden question brought her back to reality, wide-eyed and blinking.

“Uhm--Coltine. Fortemps Manor.”

“Figures. They’ve got her on their shield.” She snorted, but stopped short of making a further jest, as even she felt the weight of empty space where Haurchefant had been. Douceline swallowed and shook her head, swift to change the subject, feeling guilty that her sister’s attempt at breaking the silence would fall to naught.

“A-anyway, have you met Biggs and Wedge? They’ve worked so hard with Cid to make this all happen…” 

Untitled FFXIV Trash pt.2

I’m back at it again with my bullshit :V

Word Count: 1834 Notes: Still set during ShB MSQ so mild spoilers. I would say it would take place a bit after part 1 but before being briefed about Rak’tika. Imma be real, I chose my tank class to be Gunbreaker 60% of Thancred being one (that coat is fucking amazing okay) and 40% because it’s heavily influenced by Squall, who’s my first FF love. This has translated to my WoL being inspired by seeing Thancred being a gunbreaker and her realizing that she is a fangirl of proper gunblades.

I totally forgot the name of the Aesthetician and didn’t want to go back and put his name in once I found it so chalk it up to Ami just not remembering long names well.

It wasn’t often that I was called to the Ocular alone. The Exarch usually calls us all as a group to plan our next step in our war against the Lightwardens. But it had been different this day. He requested an audience with just me.

I accepted, seeing as he has done nothing to warrant my suspicions.

Although, there has been that faint feeling I know him from somewhere.

Walking inside the room always brought the wave of nostalgia of my journey of the Crystal Tower. Maybe once all of this is done, I can search for any sign of G’raha.

“It’s good to see you.” the Exarch spoke.

I gave him a small smile in greeting. He seemed a bit more relaxed? Would that be the word? The wave of familiarity coming through, even envisioning a dear Miqo’te in his stead. I shook my head at the notions.

“Thank you,” I spoke in earnest, “We have an idea for our next step?”

“Yes and no. That is a discussion with the others present. I’ve wanted to speak with you privately, as I’m sure you wouldn’t want the others to know?”

“What would that b-”

“If I may be so direct, take a break. The citizens here appreciate your helping hand; from your physical prowess to your contributions to the Mean; we appreciate it all. But you are running yourself ragged, dear friend. I will not stand for any illness to fall upon you.”

I stood there frozen for a moment, taking his words in. After that fumble of a night from the past, I threw myself into helping the citizens. To work out my frustrations of my inability to clearly say what I wanted. I let out a small breath. I have an inkling how this came to the Exarch’s attention, but I will keep that to myself. Even with his cowl hiding his facial features, I can tell he was staring at me with concern.

Suddenly, I was meeting that older man the citizens always spoke in such fondness.

“Fine, but only for the rest of the day. I do not want to be the cause of hold you all back more than necessary.”

“Wonderful! Off you go then.”

A pair of hands grabbed my wrists as I was insisted to go through the gate that connects the First to the Source. I turn back to see the smirk of the Exarch as he led me to the other side. Before I could say anything I was back at the base of the Crystal Tower. I could easily go back and insist I could take a break within the First.

But that would defeat the purpose.

A quick Teleport spell and I am back within Ul’dah, the city where I began. Still as busy as it could ever be. Citizens and adventurers alike littering the streets. If I were to take a break, this would be the place. I could go visit the Pugilist guild and see how my old master was doing. Instead I made my way to the Quicksand. Another packed day it seemed. It warmed my heart to see that no matter what was going on in the realm, it would always be busy. I strolled over to the table where Momodi does her business.

A nice wave of nostalgia as she guides fresh adventurers on their paths, as she had done for me.

“Ah ha! There’s a sight for sore eyes. Just stopping by?”

I really could never hide my smiles when speaking with the Lalafell.

“You can say that. Apparently I’ve been forced to take a small break.”

“It’s always been like that for you Ami.” she admitted, “Even before the Scions scouted you. I remember when I had to tell you to take a break.”

I waved it off as a drink was set in front of me. I nodded in thanks before drinking it. She was right, as usual. I was grateful that she hadn’t asked about how they were doing. It would take a lot to explain, which I’m not sure if I am ready to dive into. Thinking about them brought me right back to the source of my current actions. I finish the drink in one gulp, thankfully non-alcoholic, before a small hand settles over mines. Momodi looking at me with that selfsame concern the others have been giving me.

“Shall I get an inn room ready for you?”

“...yeah. Oh and I think I’ll have the aesthetician make a visit today so just send him up when he arrives.”

“Of course, have a good sleep.”

By the time I reached to my room, everything was ready. It had been so long since I stayed at an Ul’dah inn. I took off some of my gear, feeling lighter now that some of leathers were off me. There was nothing to but to wait for the Aesthetician to arrive so I sat at the desk, going through my journals I kept of my adventures. Just to remember how far I’ve come from leaving that carrier and setting foot onto this land. How far I still have to go on this path. The gentle ringing of the bell stopped my reading for the moment. Going over to the door, seeing that the Aesthetician had arrived.

“It has been a while, ready to become a beauty reborn?”

I gave a small nod in agreement.

We quickly set up the room so he could get started. The tsk’s he made while brushing through my hair made it pretty obvious he wasn’t pleased about my maintenance for it.

“These poor strands. Some of it looks ready to break if not tangled. You must be careful, my dear. You have to let your partners know that pulling too hard is not sensual at all.”

“It’s not like that at all!” I whined, “I haven’t even had the opportunity to explore those parts.”

He chuckled as my skin starts turning pink from the insinuation. I touched a worked on section of my hair. I wasn’t sure what it was that appealed my more Hyuran enemies to yank on my hair.

No not enemies, just one.

The sensation of being pulled towards the armored foe. Watching with the last bit of consciousness as they raise their katana high, aiming for that fatal blow. The murderous intent reflected in their eyes as they wish for your death to plunge Eoreza into eternal chaos.

I shook my head from the memories. Taking deep breaths to calm my racing heart at the brush with my almost death. If it hadn’t been for the timely intervention of an aloof friend. A pat on the shoulder takes me out of my thoughts.

“ ‘Tis only a jest. Despite that, it has grown quite a bit.”

He handed me a small mirror. Surprising that when completely brushed out my hair has now grown to a bit past my shoulders with soft curls at the ends. It was a moment to take in, seeing this new side of myself. I looked as if I had celebrated twenty-eight namedays.

“We could cut it short, to prevent that from happening too often?” he suggested.

I look at myself in the mirror again.

“No, it’s fine the way it is. Perhaps we can have it look more cleaned up?”

His colored lips spread into a knowing smile.

“Of course dear. Still have yet to catch His eye huh?”

“It’s not like that at all. Gods, everyone seems to think that.”

Was it really that obvious?

I let him do his work in silence. It’s calming to have someone take care of you. No having to finger comb or wash it in hard water for a change.

“You’re well traveled, given your clients. Heard any good jobs lately?” I asked.

“Hmm, now that you mention it. The God’s Quiver have been looking for adventurers to help curb an increase of ambushes happening in the Shroud. There done!”

I stood up from the chair and took a look at the larger mirror within the inn room. It’s hard to believe that I was looking back at myself. My hair was trimmed just enough so the soft curls wouldn’t be confused with frizz. Even the straight fringe I normally wore cut to a side part which framed my face well.

I was...pretty.

“To your liking?”

“Yes of course, thank you!”

An exchange of Gil and a flourish farewell, I was left alone again.

I did say I was going to take a break today.

But that didn’t necessarily mean I had to do nothing.

*   *   *

At the Aetheryte plaza in Gridania, I could easily tell of the God’s Quiver member who needed help. Based on how frantic they looked, they really needed the help. It didn’t take long to reach the Bramble Patch, where most of these bandit attacks were occurring. Even less time to dispatch the bandits there were going after a traveling pair, dressed peculiar for this side of the realm.

I wiped the sweat off my brow as I put away my Cesti.

Glancing over at the pair, I see they didn’t look bad off. Other than the Rons-wait it’s Hrothgar in Eorzea, recovering from his moment of collapse, he and his Viera companion seemed fine. I walked over to them seeing what other assistance I could offer. I still had time before I was due back to the First after all. I paused once I got closer, seeing the cloth on the Hrothgar.

It wasn’t a pristine white coat, but it was definitely the same design.

I talked to the pair, Radovan and Sophie, learning of how they came to Gridania. The more I listened, the more I realized that there would have been no chance that he would have learned how to use a Gunblade from these two. I would have definitely heard about Sophie if that was the case. At any rate, seeing how I fought off those bandits sparked inspiration to Radovan.

He wanted to teach me the ways of a Gunbreaker.

I hesitated. Not that I didn’t want to learn. Quite the opposite in fact. From the first time I had seen Thancred sweep in and save us in Lakeland, I had become interested in the gunblade. Never enough to turn me away from my path as a Monk. From the first punch I landed, that path was destined for me.

But, it never hurts to have more skills under my belt.

Just, it’s mighty embarrassing to ask the man you’ve been enamored with to teach you said ways.

Suddenly, in a moment of complete clarity, something clicked. The way I could do more to protect the others, to protect the one I secretly cherish above all else. Even if they would never realize it. I assume Radovan saw the look in my eyes as well, for he pressed the handle of the gunblade deeper into my hands. A knowing smile of finding my reason.

I curled my fingers around the grip.

Thoughts on Patch 4.3′s Main Story Quests *SPOILERS AHEAD*

Hey it’s been a while! Not just since I’ve done one of these but since I’ve posted anything on this blog in general. Reason for that is largely due to my real life job and having gone on a trip to Germany with a friend recently. It’s been hard to do ANYTHING FFXIV related. But I plan to fix that now by discussing the new MSQs in Patch 4.3. But before we begin:

Behold Pepean’s new look for Patch 4.3! He’s going for something a little bit different this time.

Anyway, as always MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD! DON’T READ ON IF YOU HAVEN’T DONE THE MAIN STORY QUESTS UP TO THIS POINT! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Anyway, woo boy have things been an emotional roller-coaster with the story lately. People losing their memories, people who seemed nice turning out to be psychopaths... Though in Final Fantasy XIV that’s just another day at the office I guess. Well, let’s start with the Elephant in the room.

Tsuyu... Dear sweet Tsuyu... I call you that because I want to believe that part of you still existed in there somewhere. Beneath all the anger and hatred... I believe truly what was in your heart was a frightened little girl... I can’t begin to say I forgive you for your crimes as Yotsuyu... but know that... when you were Tsuyu... I loved you. I wished you could stay like that forever... to find a life of peace and innocence away from the the pain this war has brought on you... I hoped that some day I could wear your panties on my face... Wow I REALLY have issues don’t I?! In any case... sadly it was just not meant to be...

I suppose it made sense though from a story standpoint. She was going to HAVE to face punishment for her crimes as Yotsuyu eventually and bring resolution to all we learned about her backstory. Thinking about it, having her “Have amnesia and starting anew” would probably have been quite an anticlimactic conclusion for such a complicated character’s story. Even though part of me hoped she and Gosetsu would start a life as father and daughter together, this was probably the better outcome.

When you think about it... could she really HAVE a peaceful life? It’s brought up when she stumbles into the nearby village. Even with her memories gone... even if she had started life as a Doman citizen... the pain that she caused as Yotsuyu would still have been there. The people likely wouldn’t have forgiven her and she’d have to spend her entire life scorned for something she can’t even remember. Heck, if you want to look at the long term effects, that could then cause psychological damage to her child-like mind... and then we’d be right back at square one. It’s a vicious circle, and I think that’s what Square wanted to show with this scene when you peel back the layers.

Though I will admit: When she regained her memory and went back to her old self I did say to myself “Oh no... the bitch is back!”

But let’s move on to talking about another character that needs addressing:

To me this seemed like the perfect conclusion to Gosetsu’s story. While I think we’ll likely see him again in the future, probably to warn us about an oncoming threat, this felt like it closed the book on his character development. I REALLY liked how his relationship with Tsuyu was handled, particularly with his reaction to her death. He hated Yotsuyu as much as anybody... but when he saw that she truly had lost her memory and become nothing more than a scared lost girl he truly began to care for her. Got to feel sorry for the guy... he’s lost not one but two daughters in his life... His reaction upon seeing her dead body showed that he HAD truly grown to love her as if she were his own daughter. It’s with this act of forgiveness, this act of chivalry that we see that he is a noble and true Samurai through and through. Even her final words about him showed that there was still a part of her that loved him as well. Maybe because he was the first person to ever show her true kindness and love. The fact that a spiritual manifestation of him appears as a guardian during her boss fight speaks volumes about their relationship. At least to me it does. Farewell Gosetsu. May our paths cross again someday.

Alright, you want me to talk about HIM don’t you?

Asahi... this little bastard... this little psychotic prick... Now, I can see many people saying he was wasted potential... and to be perfectly honest... I don’t disagree... They really built him up as if he was going to be a bigger deal than he was. Don’t get me wrong, he was a MAJOR player in the plot while he was in it but... the fact that he meets his end without so much as a boss battle with him... was a bit of a letdown. I like that it was Yotsuyu that took him down ultimately but... at least let us have a swing at him first!

They seemed to be building to a bit confrontation with him with the big revelation that he was Zeno’s disciple all along and his hatred towards our characters for defeating him but in the end... he’s just abruptly killed...

Still, to give him credit: In EVERY single scene with him in during this patch I found myself saying “You bastard... you absolutely bastard!” Just because his end came a bit suddenly doesn’t mean he wasn’t well written while he WAS around. He was a cold-hearted psychopath through and through. He showed how blind obsession and loyalty can be toxic to a person and cloud your logic... something I’m more familiar with than I’d care to admit... For the brief time he was around he was a delightful villain. Just SO horrid and cruel. With every trick he pulled I wished all the more that we could wipe that cold, smug grind off of his face!

So, the idea that Zenos is possessed by an Ascian. Given his dialogue here and his sudden obsession with summoning I think that is likely the answer to how a man can be alive after STABBING HIMSELF. As Thancred says, we’ve seen their powers of possession before with him, so why not with the dead? The most obvious answer to this new Zenos’s identity is Elidibus... but for now it’s best to just wait and see because you never can tell with Square. Still, possession doesn’t quite explain how this body can walk around despite having a huge hole in its neck but... the answer is likely “magic”.

Though this may be somebody else walking around in Zenos’s skin...

... THIS is a very Zenos thing to say! We’ve seen this kind of thing happen before as well WAY back in A Realm Reborn when a Sahagin priest transferred his life into another body when summoning Leviathan. So it’s not that far-fetched to imagine that Zenos’s spirit still lives in another body... the question is: HOW?! YOU STABBED YOURSELF IN THE NECK! HOW IS YOUR SPIRIT STILL AROUND ON THIS PLANE?! All questions to be answered in time I suppose... Are we going to get a Zenos VS Zenos confrontation in the future? Body VS Soul?! This is getting trippy...

Finally one last thing I want to talk about:

... Did... did was just play as Alphinaud?! Did we just play as somebody OTHER than our characters in a battle?! I know we’ve been glamoured to look like other characters before... but this is the first time we’ve ever PLAYED as a NPC in this game... at least as far as I can remember! Don’t really know what this means for the future... probably nothing, but it was still cool while it lasted. I particularly love the “Roleplaying” status effect you have during this moment. A really nice meta joke there Square. Brief and easy though it may have been, this was still an interesting moment.

So THIS dude is the biggest thing to take out of this sequence. I have a few theories who he MIGHT be but that’s all they are at this point: theories. I’m likely wrong as well so we’ll just have to wait and see what his deal is. But it’s clear that he’s going to play a pivotal role in the plot moving forward... especially considering all the Ascian masks he’s carrying... What was his name again?

Shadowhunter?!

Let’s not make assumptions about this guy for now. All we know is that he’s Garlean though not part of the Empire, he knows the Scions, and he has a hatred of the Ascians.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on all the major goings on at the moment. As always if I missed anything out please feel free to ask me about it. Let me know what you thought of Patch 4.3′s MSQs and developments. It’s been a lot of fun doing this again and hopefully I’ll have more stuff as both Pepean and Teral coming in the future.

Character Development Questions: Hard Mode

1. 

Franks has no living family that he’s aware of.

Rheika has a great number of sisters and half sisters, none of them close to her age. Most are all older, a few are far younger. She has more cousins closer to her age group, but she hasn’t seen many of them in years.

Dahkar’s entire tribe was wiped out when he was a baby, and he was his parent’s only child when that happened.

Fearless has no siblings, and has never met any of her extended family

2. 

Franks was close to his mother before she died, which was long ago

Rheika is very close to her mom and visits her often. She spends much of said visits assuaging her fears and helping her care for her younger half-siblings

Dahkar was raised by his mother and was close to her until she died shortly after getting sick in the wake of the calamity. Since befriending Rheika, her mother has unofficially adopted him and he frequently accompanies her to visit.

Fearless is estranged from her mom since leaving Aerslant.

3.

The answers for Franks and Fearless are the same as in question 2.

Rheika has never met her father. According to her mother, none of the male keepers that ever brought food to her family was her sire. He apparently simply disappeared after fathering her. She stopped giving him any thought years ago.

Dahkar has no memory of his father, only the memories and stories his mother has regaled him with. He does idolize his memory, and it inspired him to take up the lance.

4. 

Discounting the events of the MSQ for this one, as most of the events there would apply to all 4 of them.

Franks has witnessed a LOT of them from his home world, plus finding the gateway that brought him to Hydaelyn transformed him in a very literal sense. No one else really knows that he’s not native to the world.

For Rheika and Dahkar, they’ve both witnessed Wood Wailers abusing their power to themselves and their community and get away with it, which has shaped a lot of their feelings on Gridania and abusive governments in the first place.

No one specific event changed Fearless, her path to adventure was brought forth by the circumstances of her family life

5.

Aside from the generic things they all usually carry, such as coin, documentation, and the like...

Franks usually has an assortment of tools, spar parts, or writing implements

Rheika keeps aether cartridges and extra snacks

Dahkar usually has a couple extra polishing cloths handy

Fearless keeps pretty stones she finds on their journeys

6.

Franks usually cannot remember his dreams, the few moments he can recall are of quiet oceanscapes or beaches,

Rheika generally has sexy dreams but almost never with people she expects

Dahkar generally never recalls his dreams.

Fearless sometimes dreams of good things happening that normally bring her anxiety, such as happy times with her parents or performing for cheering crowds 

7. 

All of them tend to have nightmares about Rhalgr’s Reach. Aside from that...

Franks generally has nightmares about getting killed by undead  and being eaten or raised into undeath himself (or watching his late wife suffer that same fate).

Rheika’s nightmares tend to be of the Calamity destroying her home, watching her friends get killed while she is unable to help, or turning into a Lightwarden

Dahkar only occasionally has nightmares about all the discrimination he’s faced, and rarely about the monsters that killed his tribe. His “darkside” in the form of Fray usually takes form in these and helps him move away from these.

Fearless’ most prominent recurring nightmares are about her parents finding her and her friends forcing her to go home with them, claiming they don’t want her around.

8. 

Franks was a fairly poor farmer most of his life before he became an adventurer on his former world. He’s got more coin now than he ever has at any point in his previous life

Rheika and Dahkar both grew up fairly poor in communities in the Black Shroud. Both are far more wealthy than they’ve ever dreamt of now, and try to send money back to Rheika’s family when they can.

Fearless grew up extremely wealthy, but abandoned all of it when she fled home and is far happier just being “comfortable” now.

9. 

Franks generally prefers more clothing than less due to how he was raised and the fact that his body was....well, dead for many years. He’s still mentally adjusting to the fact that he’s alive again, much less that he’s kinda swole.

Rheika favors lighter clothing for better movement, and is entirely comfortable showing her body off. 

Dahkar used to prefer hiding away his scales behind armor or robes, but since the events of the Azim Steppe, he’s grown more comfortable with Xaelan fashions which can sometimes show off more skin and scale.

Aside from her arms, Fearless generally prefers not showing off skin. Her Dancer costume is the opposite of this, and it takes a lot of mental effort to wear in front of others, but she’s been gaining more confidence in that arena.

10. 

Franks - being killed and the immediate aftermath of waking up in control but undead

Rheika - Realizing she was losing control of the Lightwarden’s aether and that she couldn’t turn to her fellow Warriors for help

Dahkar - The day he realized his mom was dying and it couldn’t be fixed

Fearless - After leaving home and hitting the point where she absolutely could not turn back

11. 

Franks is generally at his most calm when reading or dealing with botany matters.

Rheika is usually only TRULY calm when she’s trying to go to sleep. 

The calmest moment of Dahkar’s life that he can recall was staring out over the Azim Steppe after having won the Naadam. 

For Fearless, it’s generally any time she meditates like Musosai taught her.

12, 

None of them are bothered by the sight of blood. They’ve all spent too much time fighting or healing for it to bother any of them anymore

13. 

Franks is better with names, Fearless and Dahkar do better with faces, Rheika seems to be able to remember both with equal levels of clarity. She doesn't really know why

14. 

Franks cares about some of his material possessions, specifically the ones that allow him to study or create things. Money is just a means to acquire more knowledge or the ability to make new things

Rheika likes collecting unusual items or pretty/cute things to keep in her room, as well as cute outfits. She’s probably the most materially-inclined of the group

Dahkar and Fearless both only care about coin as a means to keep themselves fed, healthy, and their gear in good condition. Most of the rest they’re happy to give away to people in need.

15.  

Franks idealizes happiness the most. It used to be the other way around, he had found success and lost it all to factors entirely beyond his control. Now that he's had a chance to start his life over, quite literally, he's trying to focus on what makes him happy. Success has come as a byproduct of that

For Fearless, she was raised to view success as the ultimate goal, but never believed in it, and fled to Eorzea to find happiness instead.

Dahkar and Fearless, thanks to their childhood/early adulthood dealing with Gridanian discrimination, view success as being the opposite of that, which also makes them happy.

16. 

Franks couldn’t even begin to remember if you asked him

Rheika’s was a stuffed couerlkitten. She lost it a long time ago and has no idea what happened to it. She still collects plushies.

Dahkar didn’t really grow up with toys, he preferred playing with whatever rocks or sticks he found outside.

Fearless was never allowed to have many toys, the ones she did were model ships that she was allowed to admire, but would play with when her parents weren’t around.

17.

All of them would say wisdom. They’ve seen what ambition unchecked can do, and don’t like it.

18. 

Franks tends to take a long time to open up emotionally, and when he does, he can still be guarded on certain subjects.

Rheika tends to let first impressions stick, and is often unable to change her mind on people.

Dahkar has a temper and is prone to outbursts of anger

Fearless has low self-esteem and a hard time accepting that people legitimately have positive opinions of her.

All of these have caused friction for them with various friends, but it has yet to be the cause of destroyed relationships

19. 

For Franks, its generally an age thing. Though his current body is estimated to be in the mid-late 30s, his mind is far older than that, having lived through what amounts to two lifetimes already. He sometimes has difficulty relating to the other Scions because of this, with the exception of G’raha, who has likewise experienced this.

Fearless tends to compare herself physically and mentally to others, generally in the sense of “X person is so beautiful or smart, I wish I was”. This stems from her childhood and constantly being told her best was never good enough and to try harder. Her friendship with the other WoLs has helped with this

Both Dahkar and Rheika tend to compare themselves to others in how they treat other people, especially those they have power over or are just stronger than. Dahkar especially tries to emulate the behavior of those he respects in this regard, such as Aymeric. 

20. 

All of them have gotten pretty good about recognizing when they are to blame for bad situations and when to blame others, thanks to a long period of working closely together and building up a rock solid foundation of trusting each other when the others call them out on misplaced blame. When they AREN’T as good, Dahkar tends to blame others first, the rest of the team is quicker to blame themselves.