#Lore Of Nym

[wildstar25]

MiqoMarch Day 10 - Free Day

AU Jobs pt.2: SCHOLAR Just before setting out to Limsa Lominsa, Arsay's guardian -a lalafel named Emrara Emra- would gift her not only Arsay's now treasured ribbon, but an heirloom of great import. A blue stone that had been passed down in Emrara's family for generations with a strange symbol caved into its face. Supposedly it came from a time where three powerful schools of magic began to clash for reasons unknown. Little did Arsay know how useful that stone would be on her adventures, or that it would lead her to uncover mysteries around the very same same city her guardian always dreamed of finding.

[runescratch]

Ari’s reaper avatar Nym, before and after becoming a voidsent

he’s a good dude, can shapeshift into all sorts of things, but can be a bit vain when he wants to be

[shieldkeeper]

Happy half patch! I took it into my hands to write down and record all of the lore entries in game for the new Aloalo variant dungeon. You’ll find all the information below the cut:

A Not-quite Deserted Island

“Someone else was at Aloalo Island, and they commanded a wooden figure to attack us! It looked like a guhasaya, and its fangs were just as deadly. Thank the Sisters WoL was there!”

When Matsya told me of this encounter, my first thought was of the golems of the Far East, said to be driven by intricate wooden mechanisms. However, as Kalika so eagerly explained to us, the people of Aloalo were artisans of a different sort. They created arcane wooden familiars known as “quaqua” to serve as both protectors and companions, of which the creature that assailed them was but one. Nor were their constructs limited to the quaqua alone– Kalika warned against recklessly laying hands upon any of the figures dotting the island, lest they be roused from their slumber to defend their home.

Practitioners of the art of arcanima, which itself originated in the southern seas, employ gemstones to act as an intermediary between the corporeal and incorporeal when summoning familiars such as Carbuncles. The properties of wood, however, make it suitable for the selfsame purpose, and there is now evidence to suggest that early arcanists relief on wooden rather than gemstone cores. The “tiresome lout” of whom Matsya spoke must have possessed intimate knowledge of arcanima to successfully adopt these methods and call upon the quaqua.

The First Settlers of Aloalo Island

“Aloalo is breathtaking, and its fish are plentiful. How could it have been left abandoned for so long?”

While neither Aloalo’s natural beauty nor its various inhabitants’ resourcefulness is in question, it is but a small island amidst volatile seas, prone to experiencing the full force of nature’s fury. Thus is its history one of prolonged settlement punctuated by abrupt abandonment.

According to stories told to Kalika by the island’s former caretakers, the earliest known settlers arrived during the waning years of the Fourth Astral Era. However, at the onset of the Fifth Calamity, otherwise known as the Age of Endless Frost, these settlers vanished, leaving behind the great shrine which housed the statue of the Speaker. Dubbed the “forgotten people” by those who came after, their mark upon Aloalo would endure, but their identity remains shrouded in mystery.

During the Fifth Astral Era, Aloalo was home to another people who became skilled at navigating the open sea. Some subsequently migrated to Vylbrand and would go on to found the city-state of Nym. However, when the Sixth Calamity brought destruction to Nym’s gates, those who could returned to the birthplace of their forebears.

Later, in the Sixth Astral Era, some of Aloalo’s residents again crossed the sea to Vylbrand, and their knowledge of arcanima would become the foundation of what is practiced today.

Alas, history would repeat itself when the island was abandoned for the third time a century ago in response to the eruption of an underwater volcano. Now Aloalo sits quietly, awaiting any who might start the cycle anew.

God of Heaven and Sea

“The whale we encountered was as colorful as Thavnairian weave, but as vicious as a kumbhira!”

Legends abound in the south sea isles of whales which soar through the skies, and Shockmaw may be but one of these majestic creatures. According to Kalika, another flying whale known as “Ketuduke” was worshiped by Aloalo’s people as a messenger of the gods, and the countless figures carved in his image are an expression of their devotion. It is therefore within the realm of possibility that the creature which attacked was in truth this Ketuduke.

When faced with this revelation, Matsya wrung his hands and wondered if he had brought ill fortune upon them for angering a divine messenger. Kalika reassured him that any potential calamities could be averted by making the proper obeisance, and he instructed me to write down the ritual for posterity.

First, one must trek to where the three carven deities of Aloalo await their subjects, and there stand before the whale and chant, “O messenger from beyond the horizon, hear me.” Next, they must twice circumnavigate this isle of gods: first passing before the sparrow and then the turtle before returning to the whale’s auspice, then retracing the steps of their journey in the opposite direction. Lastly, the faithful must perform a dance, thus ending the ritual and securing Ketuduke’s blessing.

When Kalika described this rite to me, I was struck by its similarity to certain Thavnairian practices. Although the particulars differ, both religious traditions recognize and honor the divine nature of beasts.

A Noxious Gift

“I’d never felt a fish pull with such strength. At that moment, I swore on my pride as a fisher that I would not let this prize escape!”

Due to its tendency to absorb and accumulate toxins from its prey, the draco barracuda that Matsya returned with is not safe for consumption. To be clear, the fish’s flesh is not inherently toxic, so a brave soul could perhaps eat one and live–and I am certain more than a few have done just that. I know several fellow alchemists who would sample a barracuda just to experience its potency for themselves, in fact. Fortunately, I found it listed within a compendium kept at the Great WOrk, so I knew there was nothing to be gained from such questionable endeavors. 

The toxin of the draco barracuda can be used as an alchemical agent, much like the venom of the hamsa. The island’s lush environment likely afforded this particular specimen plenty of prey to feast upon, and as a consequence I suspect it is highly toxic.

Kalika informed me that draco barracuda were revered by Aloalo’s people because they kept harmful seaweed and poisonous smaller fish in check. If one was accidentally caught, it was given back to the sea as a gesture of gratitude. I cannot help but wonder whether Matsya should have done the same.

The Roots of Arcanima

“We were walking through a place filled with such lush greenery that every flower was as a shining ruby in the brush. I was so entranced with my surroundings that I scarcely noticed the strange wooden doll until we were nearly upon it!”

A century ago, an undersea volcano erupted near Aloalo. Violent waves followed, and the sky filled with ash so thick that the island’s inhabitants were unsure they would ever see the sun again. Their fortunes had changed overnight, and they were forced to make the difficult decision to leave their home. The evacuation was fraught with peril, for what boats survived the turbulent waters had to navigate floating lumps of cooling magma.

Prior to this disaster, Aloalo was a repository of mathematical records, grimoires, and marvels of arcanima. Those who fled could only take with them a fraction of these treasures, leaving behind their other creations–including the sculpted guardian known only as “the lala,” later encountered by Matsya and WoL.

Alas, while the lala managed to survive the long years, much of the archive and its tomes have been reclaimed by nature, along with what secrets they contained.

Under the Boughs of the Great Tree

“Thavnair has its share of magnificent trees, but this one puts them all to shame. That jewel is truly a wonder.”

The great tree which towers over Aloalo had already grown into its full majesty when Kalika was born. In its shelter gathered those who worked to unravel the mysteries of the world through numbers and equations, and over time their modest encampment transformed into a full-fledged community. Night and day they would pore over their arithmetic, that they might shed light upon the jewel held by the statue of the Speaker, which seemed to imbue Aloalo itself with unflagging vitality. In the course of their research, they carved numerous arcane geometries into the tree’s bark, one of which would extract the aether from slain animals and redirect its flow to the surrounding flora. Just four sacrifices would be enough to make the branches of the tree grow, thus opening–or closing–paths through the area.

If these early arcanists were so fascinated with the Speaker’s jewel, why did they not live within the shrine which housed it?

This I asked Kalika, who answered that the shrine was enshrouded by an impenetrable mist–likely the result of magicks woven by its forgotten builders. And so the proto-arcanists settled at the great tree while they labored to create a tool which would win them safe passage, only to remain there even after their work was complete. I presume the comforts and benefits of a familiar place won out in the end.

A Dear Friend

“When the branches were thickest, I wondered if I might spy a bird like Kalika perched upon them. I kept looking up, but I spied no sparrows flitting throughout the canopy.”

When Kalika heard this story from Matsya, he proudly exclaimed that he was unlike any other sparrow in the world. Although his less-talkative brethren are a common sight in Thavnair, they were revered by the inhabitants of Aloalo. Seeking to deepen my bond with the loquacious bird, I asked Kalika if there were any rituals performed or prayers offered in his kind’s honor. While Kalika was uncharacteristically reluctant to teach me, he acquiesced after some prodding. I have recorded his instructions so as not to forget.

Where Aloalo’s deities lie in wait, one must stand before the figure of the sparrow and chant, “O dancer of the skies, hear me.” Then they must prove their sincerity by blowing it a kiss. After that, the faithful should circle its perch, passing both the turtle and the whale ere returning to the sagely sparrow and performing for it a sprightly dance, thus securing the sparrow’s favor.

After learning this, I blew a kiss to Kalika. In response, he sighed deeply and turned his back to me. My heart sank, and it was then I realized just how much I had come to care about him. I want only for Kalika to be comfortable and safe. Perhaps I should put more effort in the meals I prepare? Or would blowing him more kisses win his favor? Or perhaps… (The following musings content no pertinent information for those who would brave Aloalo.)

Fish for the Mind

“To think the great tree was home to fish as well. I usually cast my rod in the sea, but it’s exciting to ply my trade in a new environment!”

Kalika informed us that the fish Matsya returned with is a “wholokailo”. Its hard scales were dried, polished, and repurposed as components in a calculating device. The meat was also favored for its succulent flavor and supposed ability to enhance intelligence. As an alchemist, I was eager to put this claim to the proof. Could the meat actually sharpen one’s mind, or was it merely superstition born from the wholokailo’s association with arcanima?

I investigated the fish’s properties as soon as I heard Kalika’s story, but regrettably found nothing extraordinary concerning its nutritional benefits. That said, the scales do appear to have value as alchemical agents if they are properly stripped from the body and dried. I then thought perhaps grilling the fish and eating it whole might produce the desired enhancing effect… but I found the scales to be much too hard to chew and displeasing to the tongue besides.

To use the fish to its full alchemical potential, I believe the best method would be to grind the scales into powder, then knead them into a shape that can be easily swallowed. Whether or not the resulting product would measurably improve one’s intelligence remains to be seen, though.

A Familiar History

“That faerie almost spoiled the whole experience. I hope we’ve seen the last of her…”

The faerie that tormented Matsya was a forgotten familiar by the name of Statice. Kalika was no stranger to her antics, and he recounted the stories of Statice wielding bizarre tools in her many attempts to capture him. She seems to have no purpose but to engage in mischief, and her traps litter Aloalo.

Given that scholars from the city-state of Nym settled upon Aloalo after the Sixth Calamity, the presence of a faerie is hardly surprising. They were favored as familiars by Nym’s mages, but such minions disappear upon the death of their master, when the supply of aether sustaining them is cut off. The fact that Statice has endured for so long suggests that she draws upon a potent source of aether–perhaps the selfsame jewel which is responsible for the remarkable vitality of Aloalo.

As an aside, the techniques used to control these faeries would later be refined by modern arcanists who command Carbuncles.

Tracing the evolution of the art further back, we can see a connection to the wooden familiars left behind by the forgotten original settlers of Aloalo. The tapestry of history is vast and intricate, and these expeditions have done much to add new threads to the cloth.

The Remnants of Faith

“We arrived at a place that looked long abandoned but retained an unmistakable air of divinity. Whatever gods watched over Aloalo, this was surely their home.”

Matsya’s description called to mind Thavnair’s Purusa, and Kalika confirmed that it was indeed a sacred site for the people of Aloalo. It contained a ritual chamber where figures of the gods awaited to dispense their blessings, among them that of a sea turtle. As a fisher, Matsya is bonded to the sea, and Kalika suggested that he perform the proper rites before the turtle upon his next voyage. For Matsya’s sake, I shall record the instructions here.

First, standing before the turtle, one must chant, “O wayfarer of land and sea, hear me.” Then the supplicant must journey around the isle of gods twice, each time passing the sparrow then the whale before returning to the turtle. Bow before the wise traveler to earn its blessing.

Figures of the divinities could also be found throughout the ruins of old settlements, and I wonder whether their arrangement held special meaning. Regardless, it is plain that religion was of great importance to the people of Aloalo, much like it is to the Hannish.

A Lalafell or a Fish?

“I’ve never seen such a fish! It almost resembles you, Pasasun–quite adorable, if I say so myself.”

I respect Matsya and his opinions, but I must strenuously beg to differ. To simply look at the fish he brought back from Aloalo sends a chill down my spine. Birds like Kalika could be described as “adorable,” but a fish with the face of a man… well, we shall have to agree to disagree, and consider this a minor hitch in an otherwise harmonious friendship.

When I asked Kalika about this odd specimen, he said it was called a “lalaulusu” by Aloalo’s inhabitants. They had a legend of an unlucky lalafell who was cast into the ocean during a storm, whereupon they found themselves transformed into a fish.

Parents told this story to their children to discourage them from wandering near the shore during rough weather. While it was likely no more than a cautionary tale, I cannot help but hesitate to render the laulusu into alchemical materials.

Wellspring of Golden Memories

“I caught a fish with striking golds scales–it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen in Thavnair. This may be the most precious treasure of Aloalo Island!”

“Long ago, a fever raged among Aloalo’s infants. In a desperate bid to save their young, the islanders made soup with fish from the waters of the great shrine. The infants’ fevers broke, and all who partook of the soup grew into hale and hearty adults who were never again touched by sickness. Thenceforth it became custom to feed all newborns soup made from the golden coelacanth. Whatever inherent nutritional benefits the meat possesses seem to be enhanced by the fish’s proximity to the statue of the Speaker and the jewel it protects. Needless to say, the golden coelacanth holds high value as an alchemical specimen.

Although Matsya and I have known each other since childhood, the separate paths we took in life have afforded us scant opportunity to work together. Since the day he found Kalika washed up on the beach, however, we have never been closer– and the adorable bird has been a welcome addition to our fellowship. What is more, I have been able to advance my study of alchemy thanks to the rare fish Matsya has brought back.

I began this conservation record in the hopes that Matsya and any who would follow in his footsteps might benefit from it, but it has become a journal of sorts for this most joyous time in mylife. I am forever grateful to Matsya and Kalika both for setting these events in motion, and to WoL for keeping my dear friend safe from harm in his journeys.

EXTRA!

The Speaker

Kalika: I can tell you only of legends passed down through generations. Of biting frost that turned seas to ice, which drove the Speaker’s makers to go forth in search of a haven where light shone bright.

Those who came long after found Aloalo, where life had weathered the ancient rime. At the island’s heart was the Speaker, its jewel flawless and radiant. ‘Twas a wellspring of vitality, they believed, and all who settled upon Aloalo came to revere the ancient builders and their enduring legacy.

Under the Speaker’s auspices, the people of Aloalo lived in peace for thousands of years, until the day flame and ash rose from the water and forced them to flee.

[offonaherosjourney]

Oh noooooo now I want to play Fungalore in Dungeons and Dragons

[poelya]

actually, speaking of lore consistency, i've been thinking about a lot of the tie-in material for the sequels here lately and i have to say there's a lot less consistency I feel like than there could have been. and i'm not just talking charles soule 'oh fuck what tfa said about the fall of luke's temple actually', but like...generally speaking i feel like so much emphasis being put on, at the time, that everything expanded 'verse worked consistently with the films, actually harmed the perception of the films themselves.

because when you divorce the films from their book/comic tie-ins, they flow very well. better than typical criticism will have you think (and before anyone brings up Rey's parentage, first off I lived through tasm2. that shit WAS nonsensical. second off, traumatized brains genuinely work like that. doylist explanation of the writers waffling - something very common in star wars, unless you've forgotten luke and leia's romance fizzling out because hanleia was more popular and george last second retconning them to be sibs - could be criticized, but the watsonian explanation that Rey's memories are that badly fucked up from trauma fits. source: my memories are that badly fucked up from trauma). the only thing is that the movies don't remain consistent with the tie-in material.

which, duh. they're the source material, not these one-shots. the opening scrawl of tfa says that leia has support of the senate behind her with the resistance, which is why poe introduces himself as commander of the new republic fleet. it's why the resistance is in dire straits in tfa/tlj, they just lost their support system. but tie-in material built off a deleted scene, where the senate largely doesn't take the resistance seriously. so we wind up in this bizarre land of "the senate didn't support the resistance but actually they did". if it had been better fleshed out, it would've worked (my partner came up with a great explanation for how both would work and it's simply not there in the 'canon' text). then you have the poe comics, which decides that despite tfa making it extremely clear that looking for tekka was ren's responsibility (with battlefront ii backing this by having him torture del), we get....random first order intelligence officer being in charge of the hunt, because soule was more interested in doing mission impossible-esque stories than the kinds of stories that would better fit the tekka search. this isn't even counting the back and forth of poe's character development in the comics (listen i love those comics, but there's a LOT of two steps forward, three steps back, especially in regards to Poe handing Tekka over. That arc perfectly set up Poe from BTA growing into the Poe we see in the films, annnnnnnnnnnnnd then Soule like. retracted it in the very next issue. This does not upset me in the slightest, why do you ask [chewing through drywall] and like. poe and leia have no familial dynamic to them in those comics either, to the point that watching tlj for the first time was a tRIP for me because i had a !!! oh!!! they're family!!! moment bc that's not present in the comics, with the exception of maybe l'ulo's funeral)

and of course my favorite example of the source material going "ew wtf" is tros just. point blank. saying "who the fuck is resistance reborn?" specifically through poe. iconic, showstopping, i love it to pieces because that novel deserves a slow death rotting at the bottom of the ocean.

the best tie-in material is often either ones built AFTER the films all released (looking at u free fall) or the rare time you can tell the author genuinely loves the characters/era and writing it isn't just a gig. my point is i think by having authors largely ignoring the canon text, and making this very inconsistent lore built around a deleted scene, etc, very seriously harmed the sequels.

[blushydrangea]

Hi ! I’m new to this whole plane and nymphia ship. I’ve been like going on a rabbit whole and looking at all your stuff and I don’t get the podcast you’re referencing that plane was in. Can you link it for me please ? Is it the new one with Katya or is it another one ?

hello! i got two separate questions about the podcast, so @ the other anon who asked me, please feel like i'm replying to your question too. it's not the bald and the beautiful, this was after the potion moment and you can listen to it here!

whoever listens let me know your thoughts 🫶🏻. i always think i'm crazy but then i feel validated when other people notice it too lmao.

[viconiadevirs]

there's a jewellery shop in the lower city near facemakers, and i think it's one of those locations that triggers a memory for vesz - being in there with zilvala, getting her a proper ring, custom-made, after they had their bonding ceremony - and the shop owner mentions as much ("oh i remember you, saer. come to get something for your lovely wife?") which would...probably lead to an awkward conversation to be had with shadowheart.

because, they have their memories back, to an extent, but they still can't really remember her, nor what happened to her - it takes confronting orin and finding her body in the temple to really remember - but i think justiciar!shadowheart, in all her practicality, is very good at pretending that she is not letting it bother her while there's that uncertainty. and she's there for them when they learn what happened, offering counsel and comfort in the wake of vesz's loss.

[rottinnymph]

if i had a nickel for everytime i get upset over minecraft roleplay eggs i'd have tw- wait, three nickels. which isn't a lot but its weird it happened three fucking times

[the-force-awakens]

jedi bedtime stories.....Jedi bedtime stories opening with "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away" I am ILL I am CRYING

[toasteaa]

Kitty collection is almost complete 😭

I just need to get/make designs for Gladiolus, Zephyranthes, and Orquidice and then draw Narcissus and Hyacinth so they don't just have their adopt files for profiles. I'll probably work on the profiles of the kitties I have up though, since Oz and Nym are the only ones with info in their profiles atm.

They bring me so much joy and rrrrgh the lore building for them is so much fun - I'm gonna ramble about them I swear.

[instantartific]

im obsessed with the extrastellar AU so pls pls consider this the free pass ask to ramble even more about them, im ALL ears <33 im also super curious about their dynamics/relationships with each other! but no pressure to reply!

THERE IS NO PRESSURE WHATSOEVER I AM SO HYPED. OKAY OKAY OKAY.

A few general things, with stuff about Enterprise and their relationships under the cut!

They've all got individual powers that somewhat correlate to the attacks they have at the end of the canon 1010 battle. They can all use energy from their cores to make their weapons'n whatnot. A little exception to this is Columbia, who is fully defensive and would only ever use his to redirect (think making shields,) not cause direct harm. They can all do what Columbia does but theirs' would be weaker and they have their go-to's / preferences.

That being said, they rarely ever use any of this unless they're training with each other or just using it for pranks / everyday mundane things. Maybe if they're showing off. Maybe.

Why? Atlantis wanted them to be able to protect themselves if they're ever separated, that's why. Not just cause it's cool. Not at all.

Yes they are living nuclear weapons. This is perfectly safe why do you ask.

The kicker with this is the fact that they can never cause harm to someone who's innocent: they will shut down before they can find a way to intentionally hurt somebody like that.

Also! The newest models of 'em have energy caps to try and mitigate the damage of them overloading or having meltdowns. They'll shut down before hitting their max energy usage but sometimes even this isn't enough.

The only exception to all of this is Enterprise. As far as the public's concerned, he's powerless (and some even say useless.) And that's only... partially true. As in, he's useless without the others.

Enterprise can only do the sort of "hijacking" / "piloting" thing and he can transfer surplus energy to the others or take surplus energy from the others. That's about it.

They can technically "bleed"! As in, their coolant can start seeping out if they receive cuts or wounds deep enough. It's in their respective core colors.

Lil more fun facts about Enterprise:

He is the only one of them who always has his core covered, while the others don't mind showing it off. Even Columbia has his coat open. There's reason.

He's also the most hesitant to allow a civilian to touch him at all, let alone his chest, because of his core. While he knows it's perfectly fine, some part of him does get worried something will go wrong.

The stone around his neck is essentially what his core looks like, only his is significantly duller / grayed.

✧

OKAY. AS FOR RELATIONSHIPS...

Overall, it is so important that you understand that in present-time they're still a boyband. Like, that's the funniest part out of all of this.

Anyways, I personally really like the sort of military bond the originals have, so these guys' neural pathways might've originally come from folks in the military (possibly for obedience while training them? hm.)

Either way, they all see each other as a troop that's allowed to goof off and Atlantis as their metaphorical Captain despite him never having that title. It's just Ingrained into them.

Overall their relationships don't differ too much, but that being said:

They all have a good relationship with Atlantis! They all see him as some amalgamation of their Captain, mentor, and father figure all mushed into one. Atlantis juggles all these roles for them and tries his damnedest to give them good lives when he's got no clue what he's doing himself. He also tries to stop the occasional infighting as much as he feasibly can but sometimes he has to let them settle it for themselves.

Unfortunately for their neural pathways being taken / derived from soldiers, ah. Atlantis can't help with everything, as he wasn't in the military himself this time around... and sometimes this former scientist is minding his business and one of his kids leaves his room having given him a new thing to keep him up at night because the kid reported having false memories from his previous life. And that's fucking terrifying.

Enterprise and Columbia get along the best, when Columbia isn't in a "let's piss people off" mood. Usually Enterprise is spared either way. Usually.

Endeavor and Discovery might be the closest overall, as in if anything's missing or wrong, it's usually Endeavor's fault and Discovery got roped into it. They absolutely scheme together and have the best synergy both in-person and in training. This is also why they traded earrings!

Challenger and Endeavor also get along pretty well together. If either of them are riled up enough to roughhouse, the other's who they go too.

A similar deal for Columbia and Discovery, and occasionally Enterprise of he's not cooped away in his room! (Which is... almost never. Some think he avoids the others, but that's neither here nor there.) There's pretty frequent "lay down and just read or talk about life for a few hours" sessions, aka sophisticated snuggle piles. Only reason Challenger and Endeavor don't join in is cause they get antsy if they sit still for that long but they do pop in here'n there.

Challenger has Enterprise on a very... very thin limb. They're still civil, they're still brothers, they're still a troop, but that doesn't change the fact that Challenger thinks he--or hell, even Columbia if he'd get off his ass and stop being lazy--would be a better leader than Enterprise is. He'd shut himself down before he'd let Enterprise pilot him and knows he's hiding something from them.

Enterprise doesn't know why he seems to hate him so much. He's not sure what he's done wrong, but tries to show as much non-hostility as he can.

[nymika-arts]

favorite & least favorite percy jackson characters?

I am so sorry this answer will be lame bc I've only read the first 2 books and it was a very long time ago so I don't remember them well 😭 but I think my fave was annabeth! she was very cool. I don't remember enough of the other characters to choose a least fave LOL percy and grover were both also fun

come hang with me ♡

[nymlamire]

Favorite drink?

Choccy milkkkkkkk I also really like strawberry milk too!

[neverniko101]

WOOOOOOOO

YEAH

HORROR DREAMTALE TIME

I actually have solid lore now. like. i have a reason for nightmare’s antlers other than “it looks cool”. I have an idea on how it could actually end. This is incredible

Only Ink is open for asks rn! I’ll hold a vote on who to open asks for next in a few days. In the meantime, ask away!

Also, there’s a (kind of) short summary of the story so far below the cut. A few minor things have been changed, so I recommend giving it a read even if you were here for the prologue!

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Masterpost

Next

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Summary:

Dream and Nightmare started off as any normal Dreamtale AU— Dream adored by the villagers and working every day to the brink of exhaustion and Nightmare bullied, hated, and feared.

After one particularly harrowing day and one too many times of finding his brother beaten and bruised by the villagers, Dream decided he’d had enough. Staring up at the tree they called their mother, he shouted, begged, pleaded; why didn’t she do anything? Why did Nym let them suffer while she simply stood there, baring immaculate gold and violet fruits? The young skeleton tore down one of the Positivity apples in frustration. Were they doing something wrong? Were they not good enough?

…

He could make himself better.

-

“Dream?” Nightmare barely had time to call out to his brother before the golden apple reached his mouth. He received no response but his brother’s shriek as the fiery wings burst from his back. Despite the mountains of pain the guardian had to have been in, his gaze fixed greedily on the clusters of apples overhead.

Nightmare’s gaze hardened. He couldn’t let Dream do this.

-

The brothers both had one apple each, fighting until they collapsed. When they woke, they agreed that neither of them would have another apple again. They would never fight like that. They would stick together.

The tree, however, was never the same. A blight took hold of the land.

-

Once the two turned fourteen, a bunch of weird creatures called anons randomly showed up and aggressively befriended them using soup, macarons, and other such implements. While the twins’ magic had grown unstable from the influx of power gained from the apples, they remained relatively sane and had a close bond, although both were worried about the declining health of the tree.

-

Long story short, Ink showed up, and thought it would be a great idea to bring them to Ccino’s cafe, where non-horror dream was waiting for him. Upon meeting non-horror Dream, Firefly (horror Dream) had the idea to drain some of his magic to fix the tree he could finally fix his mistake. He and Frostbite (horror NM) attacked the guardian, draining a large portion of his magic. With this magic, Firefly was able to create portals, traveling around the multiverse and eventually stealing souls. One day, the two disappeared back into their AU, where they fed the magic and souls to the tree. After that? You’ll have to find out… :3

-

Ink by comyet

Dreamtale by Joku

[terramythos]

Anyway here's my breakdown of the ffxiv jobs, my opinions on playing each, and the tier rank of how good their story was

TANKS

WARRIOR - warrior is so fucking funny why did they make it able to solo heal itself and the entire party in 90% of the content in the game. Raw Intuition/Bloodwhetting is so broken in dungeons its hilarious. And then they have like 3 additional healing skills on top of that. And they kept buffing it throughout Endwalker. So it is currently the easiest to play, does the most damage (i think...?), and has the best healing of any of the Tank jobs. 2nd fave probably.

Story Tier: C, it's ok, Curious Gorge is a good name. i have like nothing to say about it it's a generic AF story

PALADIN - I used to hate PLD but I think the partial rework they got halfway through Endwalker helped it a lot. It's much less clunky now. Probably still my least favorite Tank though Hallowed Ground is fun and it's pretty close to Gunbreaker for me.

Story Tier: F, this is the worst class storyline in the entire game. It's so stupid. The writing is so bad the writers acknowledge it makes no sense at all and I'm like. Yeah, thanks, I am experiencing this shit. Perhaps write a story that makes sense next time instead of pointing that out.

DARK KNIGHT - Unfortunately this is my favorite Tank 🫡 which is rough since it has the worst survivability out of any of them. But I love how you use MP and the silly number of OGCDs. The Blackest Night is such a fun ability and it's a crime that it's not a baseline skill you get from the start. Why do they have so many DRs that only cover magic damage. I must ask.

Story Tier: S, there's a reason it's the most popular and well regarded class storyline. It's really good, also the only questline I know of that uses the quest log text as part of the narrative. Outside maybe a few of the very late Endwalker quests. And, well... same writer lmao

GUNBREAKER: I think GNB looks cool as fuck and I like that it has 2 DPS rotations. The Gnashing Fang combo is so fun. Superbolide memes are always fun. My main issue with it is a skill issue because I am just constantly misaligning its burst windows.

Story Tier: C. It has some interesting lore but I found it pretty forgettable as a story.

HEALERS

WHITE MAGE: I hated White Mage for a while but something clicked and now I totally get it. I find it fun in dungeons cause you get to Holy spam and stun lock everything. As uh. The healer. That's fun. Once you get Afflatus heals (and then Afflatus Misery) it clicks. It's fun maximizing damage and playing chicken with the tank's HP.

Story Tier: B, you get a lot of lore around the Padjal, and I think the Stormblood story where you find a padjal living in hiding with her mother is pretty good! Also it's not technically the job storyline but there's a WHM side quest to get a unicorn mount? i guess it's technically a CNJ quest but same diff. no one else gets that shit. so that's cool

SCHOLAR: probably my least favorite of the healers... it just feels super clunky. You can tell a bunch of different design philosophies went into it over the years and none of them mesh very well. They've made it so the Fairy Gauge controls literally one spell. Why have the gauge at all? It's also a huge missed opportunity that there's no tie in or interaction with the fae in Shadowbringers. I love the idea of a battle tactician healer but I think it needs a rework.

Story Tier: B+, I liked the characters and its the main way to get backstory and lore on what happened with Nym.

ASTROLOGIAN: While I think AST has a similar issue to SCH (lots of different design philosophies over the years) I find it way more fun to play. I like the card mechanic and how it interacts with the rest of the party. AST is basically the only job that has its own like. Minigame? As part of its rotation. And I know a lot of people don't like the RNG for it but personally I find it fun. I know AST is getting a redesign in Dawntrail so hope it's good.

Story Tier: C? I think? I'll be honest I don't remember it super well but I didn't find anything objectionable about it. And I like the tarot aesthetic and lore and how it's healing based on manipulating luck.

SAGE: I think SGE is tons of fun, I'm not sure if I like it or WHM more. I love all the skills SGE has for preventing damage and the gimmick where your DPS heals someone in the party. Visually the hi-tech laser shooting healer is a lot of fun. IT HAS A GAP CLOSER. The only thing i wish was it wasn't so MP negative and that it did more damage. It's a little sad its DPS output is so low compared to the other healers (even AST when you factor in how it buffs the party). Since SGE is supposed to be a healer that heals through damage it's silly its damage kinda sucks.

Story Tier: A, I loved this storyline. Both the Endwalker job stories are very self contained and interesting. While the twist is pretty obvious it's still an interesting exploration of uh. Scientific ethics. Yeah

PHYSICAL MELEE DPS

MONK: I've probably played MNK the least of the phys melee but I like the whole adaptable combo thing. Not much else to say since I have played it so little. Might bring it back out and try again. It DID have the funniest guide in the Balance discord for a while.

Story Tier: D. I think? I remember thinking it was dumb, lmao. Sorry.

DRAGOON: MAN I wished I liked DRG more. It looks so fucking cool and I like how it interacts with the dragon lore. But I find it very punishing to play. To do good damage you have to align so many different cooldowns... and snapshot your DOT correctly... and screwing one thing up just fucks your DPS output forever. Like AST I believe this is being reworked in Dawntrail so I hope it feels better to play.

Story Tier: C+. I think it starts strong since you get to meet Estinien pre-Heavensward and it melds nicely with that story. But I found it pretty directionless post-HW which is a shame.

NINJA: I remember finding this one fun. I like that there are different combos you do that have varied finishers depending on the situation. I am just... bad at remembering which combo to use to get which finisher, lol. So I haven't played it as much. NIN gets a lot of flavor other jobs don't get with their unique run and jump animations. And you get a Bunny of Shame on your head if you fuck up a combo, which is incredible.

Story Tier: A. The Rogue story is probably the most memorable of the basic class quests. Ninja just has great characters and a fun story. What is with that one guy. Karasu? If you know you know. I also like how the Rogue characters show up later in the Ninja story. That's fun.

SAMURAI: I had a similar experience to WHM here because I initially hated it then really came around once it clicked. SAM seems very complex, it has a ton of buttons and different combos. But it is actually quite intuitive once you figure out the general pattern. And it does INSANE damage. I think it's the highest DPS output in the game? I love building the combos and then doing a huge finisher for a bajillion damage. The guaranteed crits and constant OGCD weaves make me feel unstoppable. I think this is tied with RPR for me.

Story Tier: B+. I found the exiled samurai character and his journey toward redemption very compelling. I won't spoil beyond that. However it does fall apart a little in the second half. Still fun but not as good.

REAPER: I love RPR, the teleportation is a lot of fun, and I love finally unleashing the demon form and going ham on the enemy. The weapons are the coolest looking in the game. Every scythe design hits. I probably played this the most in Endwalker. My main critique is the Death's Design mechanic. I hate having to keep a stupid debuff on the target to do damage. It's like a dot but without the optimized snapshotting. If they want to keep this idea i think it would feel better to change it into something like SGE's Kardia where you apply it to one enemy to do increased damage to it without having to worry about reapplying it. not sure how they would balance this for aoe but that's not my job. But even with that caveat I still really enjoy the job.

Story Tier: A+. While it doesn't reach the highs of DRK's story it comes close. I love the badass old lady main character. Her hunting a voidsent that possessed her grandfather would be cool enough but making her a Garlean exile in hiding who grudgingly agrees to train you just adds an extra cool factor. I really enjoyed this story. As a bonus theres a lot of incidental dialogue in the post-6.0 Endwalker story if you completed the RPR story because it ties in a lot.

PHYSICAL RANGED DPS

BARD: It's a bit clunky, its got some outdated design elements, it has one of the lowest damage outputs in the game... and i LOVE IT. this was technically the first job I ever played? totally different character like 8 years ago. and i was so so bad. I think i am actually pretty good at current BRD. the animations look cool. i like that it's a class you really need to work for and optimize to eke out that last bit of damage. and boosting everyone else's damage by existing is kinda neat.

Story Tier: B. I'll be real I barely remember this but I do remember it was gay as fuck so immediately gets an extra tier for that.

MACHINIST: MCH is really funny right now because like. It's phys ranged, right. The design behind phys ranged is you have 100% uptime cause you can freely move around and not have to worry about cast timers or melee range or anything. So the trade off is that they do less damage than other classes. Endwalker MCH did not get the memo and does insane damage anyway. My controversial opinion is that it has similar burst DPS to RPR. No i will not elaborate. I'm also bad at doing good damage on MCH which is impressive since it is easy.

Story Tier: B+. Some Ishgard noble's gay son wants to build machines instead of killing dragons the good old fashioned way and has to prove himself to get taken seriously. A tale as old as time. See I haven't done this quest in like years but I still remember it. He is a memorable character. It's just not like. knockout wowza compared to the A tier stories.

DANCER: Dancer is the second easiest DPS job in the game behind SMN. So if i am sleepy it's the one I like playing. You play simon says. you do a lot of damage when you play simon says then do almost no fucking damage otherwise. I think it's the lowest direct damage in the game? for a dps i mean. You have high stakes sexual tension with a DPS of your choice via Dance Partner. I wish other DNC players knew how Dance Partner works. YOU CAN DANCE PARTNER ANOTHER DANCER. THE BUFF STACKS. BUT YOU CANNOT DANCE PARTNER THE SAME PLAYER AS ANOTHER DANCER. THOSE BUFFS DO NOT STACK. ok i'm good. anyway

Story Tier: C. there's some shit about negative emotions and purging them? in theory i think this has some interesting implications with Endwalker lore considering Dynamis and its role in the story. Very similar mechanically to what's going on with the DNC story. but i really don't think the writers made the connection so it's like pure speculation and not the actual story. It's meh. fine i guess. i did like all the flashy dancing sequences.

MAGICAL RANGED DPS

BLACK MAGE: I am so so so so so so so bad at BLM. i pull up the guide. i read the guide. it all makes perfect sense. i go into a dungeon or trial or something. somehow i always get like Zeromus or some shit. and i drop Enochian or something and everything goes to shit and i'm yelling and i'm not even like slide casting or teleporting or anything i just run around crying. then i remember i have like 10 more buttons i haven't been pressing and oh god the dot fell off. people play this? for fun? i admire it. apparently they do a ton of damage if you can play it. could not be me.

Story Tier: B? There's some voidsent and Thirteenth lore. all the black mage characters are Lalafell because it's funny i guess. OH YEAH it has like the one named male Keeper of the Moon Miqo'te NPC in the entire game and he's fun. look at this twink:

sorry i don't have anything to say about BLM i am bad at it

SUMMONER: easiest DPS job in the entire game. they redesigned it for Endwalker so it is practically a new job. i have no idea how it played before. but it is super streamlined. maybe too streamlined? it's another one to play if you want to turn your brain off. i like that at 90 you summon The Actual Primals instead of little representations of them. and i like the way your burst phase switches between Bahamut and Phoenix. it all looks very cool. they should add Leviathan as a summon in Dawntrail.

Story Tier: C.. i don't remember a single thing about this questline except you interact with Y'shtola's half sister. i think you go to Cartenau at some point. idk

RED MAGE: RDM is one of those jobs that looks really complicated when you start then you actually play it and it is just super super easy. that being said i think it's really fun. I like balancing the white and black magic gauges. Dualcast is a great gimmick and it feels cool to lob two big spells in a row at something. Dualcast Verraising a chain of dead players is so fucking funny. it's a shame that the existence of Verraise means RDM does shit damage to compensate for its utility. It and DNC just sit at the bottom with BRD barely scratching ahead of them. i think? i don't remember LOL

Story Tier: A, I really like the story and characters. I like that you have a middle-age world weary catboy (catman) as your mentor. and i like that he canonically trained Alisaie too and you chat a little about that. it's a fun story!

BLUE MAGE: what the fuck is a blue mage

Story Tier: ???

[rottinnymph]

i literally have 0 knowledge on lore ever btw. i only know surface level lore. so when i see lore discourse on my dash im just like..🧍‍♂️