#6 ascians we might still have to deal with!

[asleepinawell]

sadly I can only add 10 options but feel free to give a shout out to one of the missing ones in the tags

[otherworldseekers]

6.x msq thoughts

I've seen a lot of negativity about the 6.x msq series. So let me just say to begin with that I've really loved it. No, it's no ShB or even EW. It's not supposed to be. It's an interlude between stories (a filler arc one could say, but I would insist not in a negative sense) and as such it perfectly serves its purpose.

We'd dealt with the situation on the First. For balance, it was important to deal with the situation on the Thirteenth as well. A true resolution to the Ascian plot required we do something about it. Not to mention that the game has been trickling details about the Void throughout the story since the beginning of ARR (at least, I never played 1.0) and there are a lot of fans with a keen interest in it.

And the story was beautifully written to flow naturally from the themes of Endwalker. Not only did it give us some needed insight into the mind of Zenos through Zero but using Zenos' avatar to go on a journey from deepest despair to burgeoning hope makes Zenos' fate even more poignant.

Perhaps some might feel that the story of finding hope from despair to be repetitive after EW, but that wasn't my experience. Because EW is the journey of our WoL finding that light in the darkness, but 6.x was Zero's story. Personally, I adore Zero. She is both like and unlike my WoL. Severia also began her story from a place of despair and eventually found hope and happiness through the people who believe in her. But this time she gets to help someone else through that journey, someone completely void of hope. And I felt that it was a very positive and affirming experience for my WoL. And in general I think that the message that there is always hope even in the blackest darkness is one that can't be repeated too often.

Another thing that I think was extremely well done, was the consideration the story showed for the victims of trauma due to the game's story. This is something stories with large world-altering events often seem to overlook. That survival isn't the end. That the people who experienced the wars and the Final Days and other dramatic events have to live with not just the physical fallout, but the mental health repercussions as well. And the heroes can't just go around doing whatever they want without considering the ramifications on regular people and still be heroes. Obviously the game hasn't always been good at this. But these patches and the way they considered even the trauma of the Garlean survivors really gives me hope for the future storytelling of the game.

The worldbuilding done with the Void itself has been really fascinating as well. The realization that the cycle of life and death is completely broken there paints such an interesting picture. And of course allows us to get to know someone who was there thousands of years ago when the world fell to darkness. As usual, I could have done with 10 times the amount of information we got, but I realize they need to balance the story for people who aren't lore fanatics as well. I would love to know absolutely everything about the Contramemoria. In particular, the dungeon this patch gave us such a tantalizing view of what things were like back then. I really loved it.

About Golbez. I think that his arc was, overall, worth it. To be fair, I think it could have been paced better. It really only came to fruition in this patch, but I enjoyed the result. I will never not get emotional over stories of failed heroes. People who tried so hard and did everything right but still failed. It's different than Ardbert's because Ardbert never actually was a villain the way Golbez is. It may have been corny, but I really liked how Zero extended her hand in friendship and was able at last to convince Golbez to try again together. Golbez (Durante) went wrong when he lost his friend, his support. None of us can be our best selves without the support of people who believe in us. Friendship is magic and the older I get the more I like seeing stories where friendship changes people and makes the world better.

As for the implication that Golbez (the real one) was an Azem shard... I think it was purposefully left vague so that we can still interpret it how we want to. Durante sees Golbez in the WoL, but there could be other reasons for that. You don't have to make it canon for your OC.

I also think it's ok that we didn't save the Thirteenth during these patches. Zero and Golbez deserve the chance to right their failures and bring hope and light to the shard themselves. I really, really hope the story will check in on them in the future and we'll see the the Void become full of life again. But I wouldn't be surprised if it takes a long time.

Overall, I found the story to be both compelling and satisfying as an in between tale. Am I excited to move on to bigger things? Absolutely. But I have been entertained and Zero is a character I won't soon forget.

[flowering-darkness]

3, 5 and 6 for Lorenza!

Thank you very much for these questions, friend!~

(question source: "ask game: self-insert lore" by celestialship)

..My answers got a bit long; I hope that this is alright.

3. how do the other characters generally feel about your self-insert? - Suspicious, is generally the first thing! Lorenza does tend to carry herself with as much decorum and proper manners as she can, so there’s less of the typical revilement that I imagine most voidsent tend to generate. Even so, it’s pretty clear from the outset that she is not an ordinary individual, even if I do imagine that she glamours a lot of her less human traits (like her wings..) to avoid as much suspicion - so there would still be a lot of speculation. The company she keeps is generally sufficient to stave off any outright accusations, but I do imagine that even said company would be wary at first. After all, with her intelligence, who knows what she could really be planning? And nobody trusts people tied to the Darkness, not when their only frame of reference for that is the Ascians.

By the end of the story, though, I like to think that she definitely earns a place of respect among the Scions, particularly the more academically-inclined. She very much proves that the extent of her motives is to keep herself safe and sated - she has no interest in or intention to harm Eorzea as a whole, and becomes happier to accompany the others in their endeavours once they give her a chance. So, what started out as a general sentiment of “how do we know you’re not on their side” and then became “I’m glad you’re on our side” has now shifted into a more genuine “I’m glad you’re with us”. I don’t think many people are aware that she’s a princess until after Endwalker, but they probably won’t think of her differently for it (or just think it explains a lot about how she carries herself), because it isn’t like she’s been lording it over them all the whole time. So, it works out!

5. does your self-insert have any special powers or abilities? - Lorenza is quite magically capable, especially since coming to the Source and having much more ready access to enough aether to cast spells with (which is part of why she’s able to maintain a form of glamour on herself to stop people constantly making a big deal of her wings and things). As a voidsent who has dwelled on the Thirteenth since before it became the void it is now, she is quite used to being aether-starved, so the fact that she can still weave strong sorcery is a testament to her own power and ability to be efficient with aether.

In terms of other abilities, I do like to think that she can fly or at least float, but it would be very taxing (and the size of her wings fluctuates a lot over the story anyway), plus she often draws from ambient environmental aether when in combat to help her out, so she almost never goes very high off the ground. An exception would be the first time she shows that she can do this, which is in Dun Scaith. She can also possess vessels, including whoever she makes a pact with (which includes K’pheli, Clio, or Tsutsuji depending on verse) - but she does not use this ability often, nor maliciously. She likes her own form, thank you very much!

6. does your self-insert have any pets? - Well.. Lorenza is usually accompanied by a little wind-up succubus doll that floats around and sometimes investigates or chuckles at things in her vicinity. Since it looks like a miniature toy form of actual succubi, but also seems to act of its own accord in a way that implies it isn't just a wind-up doll after all, many would be inclined to draw the conclusion that it is Lorenza's pet of sorts, in the same way that one might think of a mage's familiar as a pet.

This would not be quite correct!

The "wind-up succubus" is just as real of a succubus as any you might encounter as an enemy in-game; more specifically, she is what remains of an actual real succubus who unfortunately had almost her entire essence consumed by other voidsent, leaving her in a vastly reduced form. It's possible that, if provided with enough aether, she could regain a larger form.. but that still wouldn't restore her full humanity, and she seems content enough to stay hanging around on Lorenza's shoulder anyway. So, while she isn't a pet, she is technically what comes closest.

(Unless I do something with the black-plumed birds, that is.)

Thank you very much again for sending in these questions, Merlin! I hope that you have a good day~

[avauntus]

I was recently lured back to Final Fantasy XIV by their “returner” campaign (if you are away a while, log in and play for free for two weeks). I’ve been having a great deal of fun, got over my “healing yips” and jumped into group content, and finished the Shadowbringers main “5.0″ storyline.

(Yes, it made me cry. Yes, like everyone else-- I concede it is excellent as everyone says.)

Final Fantasy games always kind of...”wink and nod” at their series traditions. And thus I’ve been happily playing along (when I’m not sobbing, natch), running across the occasional call-back to threads I know from earlier in the series, going “Oh, that’s cute. That’s clever,” and not thinking too hard...until the most recent breadcrumb dialogue line for the continuation of the story (patch 5.1) made me put down my controller, put my head in my hands, and go “Aaaaaargh!”

Urianger in brief: “I think I’ll be a problem ON PURPOSE.” lol.

Theory overthinking hours! I can come back later and see if I was right. 

SPOILERS, after the cut, for Shadowbringers through 5.0 and, uh...Final Fantasies 3/6, 7, 10, and 12. (lol)

One of the very, very clever things Shadowbringers did is finish up much of the story of the Umbral Calamities by retconing the existence of the FFXIV storyline as taking place and/or belonging to the same universe of every single other Final Fantasy game all at once, many worlds existing side-by-side ignorant of each other, each just sliightly different from the next.

Which means all those “clever callbacks” aren’t just fun Easter eggs for fans-- they’re also fair game for the plot. If the game isn’t just being goofy, it’s leaning really hard into the Final Fantasy tradition of the “Oh NO Statues.” 😆

The what now?

The “Oh NO Statues” are my mental nickname for the recurring powerful, often sentient monuments that show up in Final Fantasy and invariably break the world:

 Kefka did a number on home values with these three in FFVI, for example.

Later Final Fantasy games would refine and riff on this, of course. “Oh no, the statue is a space alien (?)” (Jenova, FFVII); “Oh no, the statue came to life and destroyed our civilization!” (Sin, FFX).

This isn’t Zanarkand, but it totally could be, right?

And my personal favorite of the “Oh NO Statues” incarnations, The Occuria, FFXII. Statues who aim “guide the History of Man,” ancient beings who manifest as aetheric masked forms, often visible only to a few, whose origins are (in FFXII) unknown:

Balthier: This creature... So this is your Venat?

Cid: Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca! Just how far will you go for power? Does your lust for nethicite consume you? Am I right? I am, aren't I. A worthy daughter of the Dynast-King! You would do well to go to Giruvegan. Who knows? You may receive a new Stone for your trouble.

Ashe: Your words mean nothing to me!

Cid: The reins of History back in the hands of Man.

And later:

Cid: To hell with the Occuria and their stones! What good a power that cannot be harnessed? Baubles best-suited for study, no more.

Vayne: We conquered two kingdoms, that you might study these "baubles."

Cid: Oh, I am grateful for the sacrifice. Without it, manufacted nethicite would have eluded us - an unrivaled weapon. Tell me, Venat. Have I not been an apt pupil?

Venat: My counsel did but guide your able hand. Through power of Man, the Stones did you perfect. Yes. So much accomplished in six fleeting years. Man's fervor o'er all obstacles prevailing.

Cid: Our lives are much too short. You undying might waste long centuries away, but we, I fear, cannot.

Vayne: Just so. Had we more time, we might have used more "prudent" measures.

Cid: Your greatest work still lies before you. Not lightly will the Occuria allow you to wrest the reins of History from their grasp.

Venat: Indeed. What claim does Gerun have on history's reins... seated on throne immortal, rent from time? For your ascendance, Vayne, I offer prayer. May you attain all that which is your due.

Vayne: Attain it I shall.

This is... fascinating, because it is heavily implied by a different storyline in FFXIV that Ivalice and the events of FFXII, exist somewhere in the worlds that were shattered from the Source that was FFXIV’s ‘main world.’ There is even an Ivalice in FFXIV, but it is NOT the one we know from FFXII-- Fran exists in FFXIV as a general of Dalmasca, and to all appearances (that I’ve seen, so far), a key difference is Balthier never existed, or never left his position in the Empire.

(On realizing this, I took a good minute to be amused that Balthier really WAS the “leading man” as he so often trumpeted, that apparently so much depended on his existing in his bravura sky piratery, all unknowing-- bless.)    

As Ivalice exists -- well, the ‘Occuria’ are much like Emet-Selch and the other Ascians, aren’t they? “...seated on throne immortal, rent from time...” indeed.

Of course, in FFXIV, we’ve struck down most of the “relevant” Ascians by the end of Shadowbringers so what then? Almost certainly, the last “sane” one is gone. 

But what’s interesting to me is this: Emet-Selch asked us to remember his people, and he mentions the three Ascians we know as antagonists-- but every single time he talked about his “purpose” it wasn’t to save the named Ascians. It was to save some unnamed other or others, his “lost friends and loves”-- one of which is heavily implied to be connected to the player character. 

(There’s a whole “fragments of a shredded soul thing,” but-- ‘we don’t have time to get into that’ meme-- here.)

The other-other Ascian that is eluded to --heavily-- in the run-up to the end of Shadowbringers 5.0 is the Unnamed Fourteenth-- the Paragon who turned away from the other Ascian councilmembers when the details of their plan to save their civilization and the toll that would be paid were revealed. I think we’re meant to think this conscientious objector is the one who summoned the Light, to grant autonomy to mortals rather than guide them towards a destiny that would serve the Ascians’ return, even if the mortals were “shadows” of what had come before the worlds were split.

Beyond a lot of breadcrumbs, we don’t get much more than that in the ending bit of 5.0, but that sure sounds like Venat to me.

Venat was always portrayed by a woman voice actor, despite the Occuria being “genderless,” and...

OK, so...what does this have to do with nethicite?

In FFXIV, “manufactured nethicite” exists -- it’s called White Nethicite Auricite (oops!) and the Scions (the faction our character belongs to) use it to trap Ascians’ will and shatter their energies.

It’s also heavily implied that if natural auracite is allowed to feed on mortal souls and imbued with aether (energy), it will cause mortals to go insane. The Ivalice raid sequence spells all this out, but in short-- your fears and desires are made manifest in exchange for your life energy. Over time, auracite exposed to mortals gains a low-level chaotic will of its own, like the One Ring in Tolkien’s works.

It is, in short, a staggeringly insane idea to propose putting your soul into a soul-eating crystal as Urianger is doing. And Urianger has no way of knowing this, of course, but this will of the nethicite in FFXII came from the Occuria -- their tools to “guide the History of Man.”

There are no more unsundered Ascians left worth mentioning (Elidibius, lol), but the energy of that Unnamed Fourteenth is out there scattered in the Light-- and this is “White [light] Auracite.” Despite everything, I don’t know that the Light are all sunshine and rainbows for mortals. For one, they like stability. 

If the Scions start unknowingly imbuing themselves with the powers of Ascians by merging themselves with insane immortal chaos crystals (!!), they may manage to bring about the Eight Umbral Calamity and the end of civilization anyway by unbalancing the world(s) themselves.

...Wouldn’t that be a kick in the pants for Emet-Selch? I mean, if the main character hadn’t had to put him out of his misery already. (*sob*) 

[placesyoucallhome]

Wait if Shadowbringers is ending with 5.3 that means the next expansion might be hinted at soon. Which means we'll get to get a crack at future jobs sooner. Which means time to hype up the possibility of Puppeteer, Beastmaster, and some sort of Chemist healing job! ALL ABOARD THE HYPE TRAIN

When was shadowbringers/new classes revealed? Quick google search says like, trailer was dropped in November, at the Las Vegas fan fest, which safe to say fanfests are prolly canceled or online only this year. Class trailers in March, though the ShB trailer did hint at them!

I do think we'll get some hints at where we’re going next in 5.3 story, we’re likely to kill off Elidibus, and we’ll just have the ascian that’s shacking up with Zenos to worry about, and I do hope we don’t kill that one off too terribly quickly. After that? Pretty clear we’re going to have to deal with Garlemald soon, but at the same time... I think there’s better places to go. Even with Garlemald in chaos since Zenos seems to be very ‘lol byeee’ about ruling, I think the rest of the royal family, generals, and mad scientists there are still too much for the Eorzean Alliance to handle, even with Doma and all of those nations under that alliance with them. So, why not pick up Dalmasca, the Golmore Jungle Viera, Ilsabard, ect, there’s plenty of rebellions that we could help with, further whittling down Garlemald’s resources, AND there’s plenty we can find there in terms of classes and lore!

I’ve seen a lot of people throw Puppeteer around, but I think it’s likely to be another ranged dps class and I’m unsure how likely it’s implementation will be? I was on the fence about wanting it for a long time, until I remembered the goth gf of my adolescence, Lulu, and was like, no yeah I can get behind that. I’m imagining stuffed animals strapped to your character’s back like backpacks when ‘sheathed’ and carrying them around or having them follow you like a minion when ‘active’. That I would totally be for! Something a little bigger than a minion, just for ease of visual reads. Just imagine a big mean looking Aura or Roe carrying around a giant stuffed moogle! Easy to think the class as a pet class, but I think that’d be a mistake, I imagine it functioning more like a pokemon trainer, shouting orders and tossing the poor mammet at monsters/people for attacks or buffs, but the mammet/puppet would not have an AI like a fairy or carbuncle beyond following you if it’s allowed to walk on it’s own.

I, obviously, have thought a LOT about Beastmaster and Chemist, I’ve mused on how Beastmaster might work before, but I don’t think I’ve said much about Chemist? I can’t tell you how much I want Chemist, it’s nearly impossible to find a healing class that isn’t magic based, that’s what I want, a NON MAGIC HEALER. Let me be a Chirugeon Square!

Of course, there’s precedence, Chemist/alchemist have been combat classes before, in ff5, ffx-2, and all the tactics games. The main class ability being ‘Mix’, and OH BOY the fun we can have with that! I’m thinking, a combo based healer. ‘But Q’, you think, ‘that can’t work, healers must be reactionary to be effective!’, and yes, absolutely, combos effects are delayed and therefore not great for healing because people are dying NOW. So I propose thus- something between Ninja and Dancer, where each each heal or attack ‘cast’ is an ingredient added to a Mix, and the last 2 (maybe 3 if we want it more complex) ingredients will result in a different potion and therefore effect, like the Ninja mudra system. Two heals in the mix provides a shell buff maybe, two attacks in the mix might be an area poison, a heal and an attack might be an area regen? You can further add control to what is added to the Mix by implementing a 2-part combo system, heal1 prompts heal2 to be available for 15 seconds much like dancer, only heal 2 adds to the Mix, but if you need to throw out an attack first the heal2 will still be available for a few seconds. All heals are up front, and the Mix results are mostly buffs or attacks, so it’s still quick enough on healing while still allowing for a combo like system. Heals could be things like, a potion grenade, panacea darts, stoneskin salve, ect, attacks could be a toxic gas, poison shot, moltov cocktail, ect. And, obviously, the class itself will likely come from Garlemald, much like Dancer was from Thanvir and Gunbreaker from Ilsabard.

SO, Things I’d like to see from 6.0 and am going to read the hell into from any leaks/trailers/5.3+MSQ:

Beastmaster, in almost any capacity but hopeful for a ranged non-magic pet class

Chemist, or any non-magic healing class, bonus points if I get a crossbow/moltov (historically they use guns tho)

Male Viera and female Hrothgar, I understand it’s a very distant long shot, let me dream damnit

Also more hair options for existing Viera and Hrothgar models, come on, they have like 4-6 hair styles? They need more options like holy crap

More face options in general, for all races. One or two per would be nice, there seems to be maybe only 1 or 2 actually used faces for most, I think eventually this should be expanded and I feel it’s a good trade off instead of another race. Hyur have like 6, everyone else should too

Multi-person airship mount, no I’m not going to shut up about this, I want my fking airship!

Pillarless base housing walls, apparently something being looked at so prognosis is favorable

Make either everything ‘tabletop’ so I can set things on the loft as I want, or mark the loft as a ‘floor’. I’ve figured out float glitching but it’s still a pita and this would alleviate a lot of the issues

Ishgard housing, obviously on it’s way, the main question is WHEN? My bets are actually near 6.0 release, quite a long ways off

Bangaa beast tribe, PLEASE SQUARE GIVE ME BANGAA I BEG YOU! If we get Dalmasca it’s likely!

A terrace for apartments, a very small space to allow a few outdoor pieces (5-10?) to be placed, and one small gardening plot. I think the dev team is overthinking it, we don’t need anything more than a generic backdrop of the housing district, we don’t need to see the actual neighborhood

As for when we might see any of this??? Oof, I guess it’ll likely depend on if Fan Fests will be outright canceled or not? We’ll get a few hints on WHERE the next expac will be by the end of 5.3 more than likely, but anything more depends on where and when 6.0 trailer drops. And everything is understandably delayed as is, so we might have to wait for the later EU or JP Fan  Fests assuming those aren’t canceled too. But this SHOULD be the year we get a trailer for it, unless they push their whole timeline back a year, which isn’t impossible.

Over all, we’re probably going to Garlemald, I’d like to go to Dalmasca first, small chance for Thavnir, Sharlayan, or ‘the new world’ instead to build more allies against Garlemald. There is a tiny chance that they throw a curveball and have us go to the 13th to fix that world before all of that, but I think that’s better left to a different expac or even a post expac storyline. But they obviously did that THIS expac, I can’t say anyone could have really called we’d be going to a different world for 5.0, most were convinced we were going to Garlemald! Maybe we’ll go to the moon instead???

[empires-of-athos]

Nishi Inktober 02 - Mindless

Sometimes you have to do things even when they are dull. Theres about 5 different hints to 6 different longer stories here but I’m trying to keep these drabbles short.

The task was boring and tedious to say the absolute least. Completely and utterly mindless. Still it was a far cry better then when he became literally mindless. It was better then the states he use to take on, his mind going absolutely blank as flight left his body and fight was all he could do and it no longer mattered friend or foe- he’d kill anything in front of him. It had been quite some time since the last time he fell into such a state. Before traveling to the first come to think about it. He hoped that with his aether finally balanced after catching himself in the crossfire between W’Kaixen and Hades- that perhaps he’d never have to deal with that kind of mindlessness again. At least not for a long time. “Nishi this is exhaustingly dull” There were only so many people that could get away with calling him Nishi and thankfully this was one of them. His gaze drifted away from his target, to the doll that hovered next to him that played vessel to the last bit of aether that remained of someone quite dear to him. How Theron came to exist in such a state was a long story he tried not to think too much about but was thankful for none the less. Likewise he was trying not to think about how much the borderline whining about boredom  reminded him of a certain Ascian. “You’re the one who told me to be productive.” He chuckled as the anima came to sit on his shoulder. “Yes I meant with seeing if we can find a way to get our friends back to this side of existence, or at the very least working on your craft not...this bloody mess. I see you killing things enough as it is.” Well, maybe this wasn’t as far of a leap away from his own mindlessness after all. Leather gloves covered in blood of Aldgoats from hunting them for skins horns and meat all morning now. The skins and horns sold well enough to leather workers that needed the resources and Sef could always use the meat for his cooking- even if it was a bit below his standard these days the boy could make even the worst cut of meat into a gourmet meal. “Well unfortunately both those things cost gil which we are sorely lacking on at the moment.” He’d be out here all day and the next and the next he suspected. Mindless as it was, it paid the bills. Even he was hoping SOMETHING interesting would come of it though, otherwise he himself might die of boredom.