crystalrune77

[crystalrune77]

And another portrait, this time of an even more rarely shown character 😅

[crystalrune77]

reunion (Post-first half of DT) A man more of action than of words.

[crystalrune77]

splish splash Winners of the Turali Water Fight Contest - Doubles Division.

It dissolves into chaos the moment the Singles competition starts. G'raha turns to Raih'a suspiciously going, "We're going to be civil about this, aren't we?"

Raih'a kisses him on the cheek, goes, "Of course," and then shoots him in the face.

[crystalrune77]

04.01.2024 He has always known you can't make them love you back.

(sike)

[crystalrune77]

prize He isn't going to give up!

[crystalrune77]

snug Hey, I missed you.

[crystalrune77]

didn't want to leave g'raha out of the pajama party fun!!! and ive been meaning to crime more wolgraha pics in general lmao

i'd originally wanted them to be spooning, but... i ended up liking how these two poses interacted too :3c

[crystalrune77]

transparency

[crystalrune77]

I noticed that there is a small amount of people following me here so I decided to fill this place with some of the stuff I didn't upload here for some reason.

This render was made for the London FFXIV Fanfest Art Contest last year. Sadly didn't make it to the finalists but I'm still extremely proud of it.

[crystalrune77]

rielle's grief

[crystalrune77]

One of the typical imageries associated with the concept of "hope" is the image of light amidst darkness. FF14 does a lot of stuff with light and dark of course but in Shadowbringers they made light a thing of horror so they can't rely on the light image all the time.

Another usual image is a bird - "Hope is a thing with feathers..." from the Emily Dickinson poem. Meteion, the bird, was created with hope, but becomes a thing of despair.

So what's left as the image of "hope" in Endwalker is this:

From the cutscene "Live, Die and Know", where Venat monologues about hope and light everlasting while the camera cuts back and forth between her, blackened with blood, and the WoL succumbing to the Light corruption, both limping and stumbling along their paths. This is the face of hope in FF14 - broken, dying, bloodstained, yet defiant. That's what makes playing the hero in FF14 so damn magnetic.

Early ARR, I was cringing at the cliche chosen one, light vs dark type concepts. Further along I began to doubt Hydaelyn, given her ineffectiveness and the cruelty of the fate she bound the WoL to. But from Elpis to the end of Endwalker and beyond, I was proud, for the first time, to be called a Warrior of Light.

[crystalrune77]

this is my headcanon,

but like

it is also the Twelve-given truth y’all

[crystalrune77]

casters adjust

[crystalrune77]

ok so i saw your post on your main blog and i just finished shb's msq (it's so good!!!!) so. may i please have some beautiful crystal exarch headcanons? also no spoilers but honestly i somehow managed to fall in love w him more and more throughout the msq when i already thought i was maxed out, it's just so g o o d

Though he is quite the affluent and powerful leader of the Crystarium, one would be sorely mistaken to assume that the Crystal Exarch is not a man above spending time among the inhabitants of the community he’s helped to foster. In a way, he considers each and every one of them--every merchant, every soldier, every wandering lost soul within its walls--to be a member of his family. Responsibilities may yet be plenty for him, yet the Exarch does his best to be visible. 

He makes the time to visit the soldiers recuperating from battle in the medical ward, to make trade with the merchants for supplies he could have easily asked another to do in his stead, to see to adventures new and old alike that they are afforded both comfort and protection regardless of their wealth or manner of resources. Though it may be easy to assume the Crystal Exarch is yet another man of power, it is also quite easy to see how much he cares for the community he has help built--there is no limit to the sacrifices he’s willing to make to see it flourish.

In a way, the Exarch is quite the prankster. He’s certainly not above a pun, joke or any sort of tomfoolery most may expect of a younger soul--and he certainly is never one to hide his amusement for one played upon him in kind. 

There was once a time when a small group of children managed to have a bucket of water perched ever so precariously atop the entrance of the market square that it came down upon his head when he visited one day. It drenched the Exarch completely, and he had quite the difficulty assuring the children’s parents he was not mad through the genuine laughter he felt in his chest--the children, as it turned out, were merely curious to see what would happen. Suffice to say, the Crystal Exarch is far more sure to keep a closer eye out for buckets filled with water, though not without some lingering amusement in his chest.

In a word, the best way to describe the Crystal Exarch would be wily, clever beyond the years of life most people assume he has lived. It’s easy to underestimate the level of power, wit and tact that the man has, especially when he makes no effort to hide kindness and warmth in most of his interactions with other people. One might even say that the man is sweet to a fault--until they hit upon a nerve, threaten the Crystarium or its people--and only then do they realize the full extent of power truly wielded within the man’s grasp.

Nobody knows for certain, but people question just how deep the Exarch’s influence goes in terms of the Crystal Tower. Though there is certainly a story to why part of his body seems overtaken by the icy-blue material, moreso is wondered by how much his powers seem tied to it, how his omnipotence seems to reach far beyond what most mortal men are capable of doing. Skills beyond comprehension, a soul that has experienced more than one lifetime--and yet, despite all of the reasons for him to be tainted by regret and guilt, he yet fights the hardest for the happiness of the people he holds dear, and makes every effort to show that he cares about them.

[crystalrune77]

belie Darned Warriors of Light and their distracting handsome faces!

[crystalrune77]

No one reblogs on tumblr anymore.

No one leaves comments on Ao3 anymore.

Seriously people the lack of fandom interaction these days makes me genuinely depressed, it never used to be like this, makes me wonder what's the point of coming online to do anything anymore.

Reblog a post so other people can see it.

Leave a comment so the author doesn't feel like giving up.

Fandom cannot live on Likes or Kudos alone.

[crystalrune77]

Our benevolent ruler.