#FFXIV Role Play information

[impossible-rat-babies]

once again. plagued bu 1.0 WoL thoughts !

#owen plays ffxiv #no yeah no I’m a big obssessed with her being deep in the aetherial sea—how she is a keeper and guide to the souls there #the ones lost along the way—the ones stuck in the depths with no intention to leave #she is the Keeper of the Mother—the warden of the souls of the deep #she’s an odd little shard of azem—maybe the truest expression of charon in a fashion #what she ultimately becomes as shepherd to the everlasting dead #she will be the last to fade into oblivion along with the aetherial sea #the last light. the last sound in the universe before it all Ends #it was a role she took with her free will—hydaelyn gave her a choice to return or to endure in some manner of her choosing #gosh a lot of my 1.0 WoL’s death has informed her life sjdjdjdjd #but when eyrie died in UT she caught their soul before it could fully sink #and how she cradled them. this familiar spark #the one which set her free of bahamut #and she could not forsake them—not this soft light so alike to the glow of her own soul #she tethered them back to their flesh. knitted the ties together once more and bade them Live #she would not see them again until their correct time #utterly changing topics but she minds Amon and Asahi—even in their most wretched depths she sees them #watches their rage and despair and hopes one day time will soothe their hurts or time will wear them both to dust #scattering their aether to nothing to become everything #they will never again be people #but yeah ! i love making my own silly lil dress up dolls all deeply connected to each other sjsjdjd #endwalker spoilers

[balladingbard]

Hythlodaeus and Why Everyone is Important

It’s no surprise that Hythlodaeus is one of the most beloved characters to come out of FFXIV. He’s charming, loyal, funny, and just downright adorable.

But if we compare him and his talents to other Ancients of his time, he’s pretty…average, despite his keen sight. He can’t transform. He’s pretty terrible at manipulating aether. When he was nominated for the Convocation seat and refused it, people didn’t disagree. They essentially said, “Yep - you’re right. Hades is a better choice.” And went with him instead.

Hythlodaeus himself downplays his own importance, using words like “abysmal” to describe some of his skills. And when other Ancients are soaring to great heights and using their talents to make the Star better, he says that his purpose is to support Azem and Emet-Selch - their dreams, their talents, their purpose.

But if we look at Hythlodaeus’ role in Shadowbringers and Endwalker, we see that his importance is pretty essential. Despite implying he was the weakest link of the Azem/Emet/Hyth trio, he was actually the one holding them together. Once he sacrificed himself to Zodiark, the pair split - Azem going one way and Emet another, with the latter descending into grief and madness because of the loss.

But despite being in Zodiark’s clutches for millennia, Hythlodaeus’ influence remained, and his actions (or the actions of his shade) became critically important to saving the star.

In shade Amaurot, he helped the Warrior stay calm and not succumb to the light, giving them vital information on what happened during the Final Days.

He provided the crystal of Azem, allowing the Warrior to summon allies in important battles that would’ve been lost had they not been there.

On the moon, he stopped the other shades from hindering the Warrior’s progress.

In Elpis, he recognized the Warrior’s essence and convinced Emet-Selch to help, allowing the Warrior to learn of Meteion and Hermes, as well as provide information to Venat for the future.

In Ultima Thule, he helped Emet-Selch bring the Elpis flowers forth, making Meteion realize that all hope hadn’t been extinguished.

If we could ask Hythlodaeus what kind of role he played, he’d probably downplay it and say it was small. After all, he sort of says that in Ultima Thule, saying “he won’t say no to a bit part.” But as we can see, even the the ones who may think they aren’t important, are. Without Hythlodaeus, key events may not have played out, and both Azem and Emet-Selch would’ve had drastically different destinies.

It just goes to show that no matter how “abysmal” we may feel, we are still important. Small things can have big impacts, and even if we aren’t considered the hero who saves the day, our actions still matter. In fact, they may be the very thing that helps save the universe.

#endwalker spoilers #hythlodaeus #ffxiv #warrior of light #final fantasy xiv #emet selch #endwalker #shadowbringers spoilers #ffxiv screenshots #elpis #ffxiv lore #azem

[anneapocalypse]

My eternal biggest struggles in FFXIV--and really in any game, but it matters way more when you're playing with other people--are visual perception and by extension reaction time. I have figured out just from talking to other people about how they perceive things that I simply do not process visual information as quickly or comprehensively as some people do. If I am focusing on one part of the screen I am not seeing what's happening in the other corner. When I'm looking at the party list I am not seeing my hotbar. When I'm looking at my hotbar I am not seeing the boss's cast bar. And so forth. The ability that most people seem to have to just absorb all or most of the information on their screen just by looking? I don't have that. I have to constantly, consciously be scanning all the places where I know there's important information. It is not automatic.

Which means that unless I know to look for a specific tell--like a specific cast or a symbol over my character's head--there is a good chance I just will not see it. I hesitate to even explain this to people because it sounds like I'm making excuses or not paying attention when I say "I just didn't see it." But it doesn't matter how much I'm paying attention if I don't know what I'm looking for. I will not process it, which is functionally the same as not seeing it.

And I can learn, is the thing. I know to watch for Ancient Flare in Labyrinth of the Ancients. I know that in Shadowbringers onward, where you'll get strings of really unforgiving, rapid-fire AOEs, that it's better to focus on getting myself to safety and sacrifice a heal or two and then do damage control when they let up, than to miss an AOE because I was trying to heal, and die and force another player to interrupt their rotation to rez me. It just takes practice, and there are things I won't get on the first run, no matter how hard I try.

I do care about playing my job well. I watch guides. I practice. I do my best to learn, because I love the game and it's satisfying to play well, especially as a healer--I want to be the kind of healer that when I'm in the party, you know I've got you, that if you mess up I'll catch you, and it'll be fine. Playing a support role well is very, very satisfying and rewarding to me! And so none of the above means I'm not going to do my best, or that I'm not trying to be better.

I don't get better from people yelling at me or calling me stupid. I get flustered, I lose my flow, I blank out on things that actually are obvious. I get worse.

And the all-or-nothing attitudes from that small but real subset of veteran players is just utterly discouraging. "Either you're playing your job correctly or you're sabotaging." "There are no non-obvious mechanics in regular duties." It reads to me as "Be perfect on the first try or go fuck yourself." That is a standard I will literally never be able to meet. And I'm not saying "poor me," that's not my point. Somehow I doubt that it's a standard the majority of players are able to meet--based on my own experiences playing with sprouts in many, many roulettes.

Everyone has to start somewhere. Everyone learns differently, perceives differently, no matter how rigid the rotation of their job, no matter how "obvious" the mechanics. And for someone else who's struggling I would much rather be the person who gave them a better experience in the game than the person who gave them a shittier one. I don't want to be the person who makes someone quit trying to learn tanking for six months (as someone did to me). If you need to vent about how someone sucks, fine, do it in private. And even then, you know, maybe consider how you talk about it and to whom. Are your comments going to be the reason someone in your linkshell is terrified of learning a new role? Or the reason they're excited to try?

Personally I would rather come out of a duty with a party that struggled a bit but pressed on being kind and helping and encouraging one another and celebrated victory together, than leave someone never wanting to play again.

#ffxiv stuff #anne's ishgardian salt rock #i truly do love this game and 99% of my interactions with randos are fine to great #but boy when there's a bad one #it can just be such a kick in the teeth #not making this rebloggable because i don't want my notes full of advice #i promise you i have trusted friends to give me advice when i need it

[fictional-library-tournament]

Prelims round 2, poll 1

Propaganda

Junior Woodchucks Guidebook, Guardians of the Lost Library by Don Rosa:

"The Junior Woodchucks Guidebook?", you no doubt ask. "Isn't that just a book? A single book does not a library make?" And yes, it is just a book - and at the same time, no, it absolutely is a library. The library, actually. This tiny book is the actual, literal lost library of Alexandria, and contains all its lost wisdom and lore (except, sadly, the plays and poetry) preserved and expanded through the ages as various keepers cared for the library, preserved it by constantly transcribing and transferring it into the newest media and adding more and more content along the way - for instance, Marco Polo added all the books he brought back from China - until eventually, the library came to Duckburg, where it was collected in one single, huge volume - which a bit later became the very first "Junior Woodchucks Guidebook" - with some added modern knowledge and an entire organization dedicated to it's continued safekeeping. So, yeah - Junior Woodchucks Guidebook = Library of Alexandria + more

Endless Athenaeum, Critical Role – Campaign 1: Vox Machina:

The endless library of Ioun, the amazing goddess of knowledge from Critical Role!

Noumenon, Final Fantasy XIV:

This multi storied library is FFXIV equivalent of the Library of Alexandria. Organised by mini robots called mammets, largest repository of written works in all of Hydaelyn and has its own restricted section that would make many people's toes curl from what lay inside.

Kiersau Abbey Library, Pentiment:

You know how libraries these days are places for more than just books? This was one of these 500 years before it was cool. Here you can find old heretical texts, hot nun goss, secret passages, gay sex, delicious symbolism that represents the crumbling of an oppressive religious institution and increased education for the masses... what more could you ask for?

Neo-Gotham Public Library, Batman Beyond:

Mad Stan thinks libraries are just contributing to information overload, and the constant stream of All The Things is hurting people. Terry argues that it's not the information itself that's harmful, but rather the way of processing it, and that's the thing that needs to be addressed - not blowing up all the libraries.

Vault of Knowledge, Sky: Children of the Light:

It's ancient. It's magical. Its employees are all ghosts. There's so much information here and all translations have been lost

#fictional libraries #tumblr tournament #archives #books & libraries #fictional archives #libraries #tumblr polls #poll #sky cotl #sky children of the light #thatskygame #critical role #vox machina #endless athenaeum #ffiv old sharlayan #pentiment #terry mcginnis

[elfyourmother]

Do you consider yourself a lore breaking, lore bending or lore adhering roleplayer? Does this adherence to lore depend on the kind of lore you're exploring with your characters; i.e. you play fast and loose with ideas xiv has yet to develop, but you tend to pay close attention to the fleshed out ideals? Is there lore you have modified that you're proud of and would share here?

I view lore as a starting point for me to jump off from and make my own. Always have.

I find strict adherence to game canon for its own sake creatively suffocating and always have, in every setting I've ever written in. It’s pretty much entirely because I grew up on DMing and writing in Forgotten Realms, which took a very DIY approach back in the day that was heavily encouraged by its creator. Everyone's Realms were equally valid, according to Word of God, and there were often intentional "blanks" left in sourcebooks for the DM to fill. These books emphasized over and over again that the DM was the ultimate authority on canon, not TPTB or the novels or anything else. That philosophy has informed my approach to worldbuilding in the transformative fandom sense for the last 30 years. That and being a queer Black femme of color who is very rarely satisfied by canon narratives rife w racially problematic tropes. I change things to make a space for myself and my characters and the stories I want to tell, by necessity. FFXIV is no different in that respect.

That said, I don't smash SE canon just to smash it either. Despite how bonkershits a lot of Gisèle's canon appears on the surface (eg. post-war Ishgard's constitutional monarchy with King Aymeric), everything I change has been carefully considered and engineered for as much internal consistency as possible. As much as I operate on Rule of Cool, I need things to make sense for me to have fun.

But I am distinctly not a roleplayer, for this and many other reasons. I'm strictly a fic writer, and I don't ever collab with people. The world Gisèle operates in is constructed entirely for her, and my own enjoyment, by design. So no one is forced to deal with my stuff if they don't like it.

That said, King Aymeric is probably the lore I’m most proud of. I wrote a ficlet for ffxivwrite last year on it here, but the cliffs notes: Aymeric invoked the ancient covenant between man and dragon when begging Hraesvelgr’s aid against Nidhogg and vowed he would restore it, but Hraes said that because that covenant was broken by an Elezen king, only an Elezen king could restore it. Hraes was wily though, it wasn’t just upholding weird draconic custom in saying that. His ulterior motive was to make Aymeric guarantee his people would be united enough not to turn on the Dravanians once Nid was handled. the end result is that Aymeric restored the Ishgardian throne (“The Azure Throne”, as a nod to Haldrath), but as a largely unifying figurehead/ceremonial position with Parliament strictly defining the role of the king. Artoirel is Lord Speaker of the House of Lords. Aymeric’s still LC of the temple knights in addition to his royal duties. He wasn’t giving that up lol.

making a constitutional monarchy plausible in the context of the story was challenging and I think I’ve done a solid job of it tbh. I wanted to lean into the Arthurian romance vibes of HW but also solve the fundamental problem I had w how it ended, which is that I don’t think it’s a terribly realistic scenario for ppl who were under a theocracy for 1000 years. Aymeric essentially having his hand forced by Hraesvelgr solves the issue of why he would restore the throne and tbh I don’t flinch from the complications of squaring that with the revelations about Ishgard’s founding, I think it only plays more into Aymeric’s ambivalence about the role he’s been thrust into.

#gatheredfates #ask bisho

[fair-fae]

LFRP - Faye Covington - Crystal DC

Hello! I am a long time FFXIV RPer looking for more RP for my main, Faye Covington (though I have a slew of alts we can have some fun with, as well), a noblewoman and mage hailing from the Twelveswood where she runs a teahouse which doubles as a front for an information brokering business. Feel free to check out her carrd above for full details! Ideally, I’d like to delve into the more exciting things–drama, mystery, intrigue, tension, conflict, combat, adventure, horror, DMed events, dark and mature stuff, storydriven RP and the like! Maybe even some romance later down the line if things click that way. I definitely also enjoy casual, social, slice-of-life, and tavern RP, but I expect that will fall into place along the way!

I am looking for…

In Game RP - I enjoy Discord RP sometimes, but I’d like to do some RP in game and establish a rapport for our characters there first! Long Term RP - I would like to RP with people who actively play the game and can create an ongoing story where we RP together every so often rather than one-and-done scenes. Para RP - My post length ranges from semi-para to multi-para usually. I would love to RP with folks who enjoy writing so I can flex my muscles a little! Lore Friendliness - I do enjoy FFXIV’s setting and how respecting it makes for a more cohesive story. So I don’t like breaking or disregarding the lore! But I do like to suspend disbelief a little and explore the bounds of what’s possible in this fantasy setting and have fun with things. If some lore bending or “unusual” characters aren’t your thing, please know all my characters have their oddities.

Hooks NEW! Bodyguard Wanted - With her previous one out of the job, Faye is looking for a new bodyguard(s). Playing a tough type who wouldn't mind some gil for putting up with a sassy noblewoman? Here's your opportunity for some RP fun, including getting dragged along for various RP events and storylines, if you're interested. Information Broker - Does your character have any reason to hire an information broker or private detective? Need to move your storyline along? Want to form a business partnership… or rivalry? Did someone hire Faye to investigate your character? Or perhaps it was your character who was already sold out to an enemy and they want their revenge? Kindred Spirits - Is your character a fellow from the upper crust? Gridanian? Businessperson? Tea aficionado? Mage? Ties to the Garlean Empire? Or the Void? Will it lead to a friendship or partnership? Or frenemies, rivals, or enemies? Socialite - Faye likes to make her existence known and go out and about. Need someone to attend (non ERP/night club) RP events with you? I am glad to! Anything Else - I am down for any suggestions. If there is a role in your story that needs filled, let me know. If anything in Faye’s carrd piques your interest, including for a pre-established connection, run it by me! If you’re writing a personal storyline for your character and they need some friends, I’m along for the ride. If there’s a reason you think Faye might hire your character for something in their expertise, just let me know! Faye can interact with pretty much any character, and depending on circumstances can play the hero or the villain, or anywhere between, so please toss your ideas at me! ??? - Do you like vampires? What? Why do I ask? No reason, really…

Please message me if you’re interested! Discord: Destiny (Faye)#8463

#ffxiv #ffxiv rp #balmung rp #ffxiv lfrp #crystal data center #final fantasy xiv #final fantasy 14 #ff14 #lfrp #crystal dc #faye covington #carrd #faye #covington

[lookbluesoup]

My Take on Fourchenault (complicated)

Making this my own (very long) post and want to say right out the gate that even though seeing several other posts about him inspired me to write my own thoughts out, I'm not here to tell anyone else they're wrong! This is fandom! You're valid! While I don't expect a lot of people to read this and mostly just need to get it out of my head, if I get a bunch of notes on this bashing other fans or parroting hate for specific characters, I will turn reblogs off, and will block people if they try to make this into Drama. Whether you like Levidad or not, be nice.

I also think characters and their actions can mean different things to different people, that's partly the beauty of fiction. Especially in FFXIV, there's a big cinematic element. There's a lot of characters, and background information, that is either left vague or only implied, because they're not relevant to the Main Plot. There's also a lot of subtlety to the FF story, a lot of showing rather than telling, and a lot of different people writing the dialogue, translating it, and building off it. And that leaves gaps that every player will have to fill in for themselves, based on their own reference points. What stands out to one player might be insignificant to another. We are all playing a different game, at the end of the day. I'm not here to tell you, reader, or Fandom at large, what to think. I'm just invested enough in this character to want to share my own thoughts about him!

Overall:

I think he's complicated. I believe he loves his children a helluva lot, but I also think he abusive (partly out of ignorance.) I don't think he's a villain, but I do think he makes some very harmful mistakes and that some of his behavior is very selfish. Which makes him interesting. And I'm very curious what role he'll play as MSQ continues in years to come, what else we might learn about him.

Because this is SO LONG I'm putting my expanded thoughts under a cut!

On Needing Control / Criteria for Abuse

So mostly what I'm going to talk about to start is... warning signs. I'll acknowledge my own bias here in that I'm a psych student who's had to do lots of research, research papers, reviewed case studies, etc. with a particular focus in trauma and abuse. I've spent years IN therapy, coming out of an emotionally abusive home as a neurodivergent and physically disabled person with several (clinically diagnosed) narcissists in my family, and yeah, the issue of parents who are... Overly controlling. Stubborn. Self-certain. And applauded by the outside community, seen as Respectable people in their insular social groups... Hits close to home. So what Fourchenault means to me is absolutely influenced by this background.

A parent can be affectionate a lot of the time, can love their children, be very devoted to family, and still absolutely be abusive. Especially in emotional areas. And, also important - the abusers usually do not see themselves as abusers. They are Protectors. Lovers. Family. Leaders. Victims. Heroes in their narrative. They can believe this so much and so loudly that they convince the people they are abusing, too.

Additionally, doing abusive things does NOT automatically make someone irredeemable, evil, or a villain. It is a flaw, a behavior that can be unlearned, and can be performed out of ignorance and without deliberately trying to hurt someone. I do not think Levidad (Look don't ask me to write out Fourchenault every time this is a long enough essay already) is trying to hurt his family, or that he wants to. And I do think he recognizes some of his mistakes by Endwalker's finale and is on a path to improvement.

But in emotionally abusive homes, you often see dynamics at play where affection becomes a tool for control. Children are given moments of unfailing devotion and love and care as long as they do what's expected of them, but when they misbehave (according to that parent) the affection is withdrawn, or threats are made, even or especially threats the parent doesn't mean, because it's really only about having the child obey. I've seen and experienced this in real life, where parents would threaten to kick their kids out for even minor infractions, just as a scare tactic to keep control, despite having no intention of actually kicking the kid out.

And fear? Is an HUGE motivator for this kind of abuse. Parents can do absolutely wicked things to their children because of a 'greater good' mentality, because they're trying to prevent what they see as greater harm.

People who need control, who are stubborn, who have a temper, might be prone to these tactics. All things Levidad is shown to possess in spades. (I'll expand on some of this further below)

And this dynamic often teaches kids and spouses to desire the affection they know is there, and want, while also being afraid to lose that affection by displeasing their loved one. It may sometimes cause them to become argumentative and self-righteous in their own way (cough, ARR Alphinaud, cough). It can make them belligerent, or insecure and uncertain of themselves, or their worthiness to be loved (Alisaie.) It teaches them to keep secrets, and go behind a loved one's back (Ameliance.)

Some other important aspects of this kind of dysfunctional dynamic is that... the people being abused can be very protective of their abuser. Make excuses. Focus on the good things and minimize the bad. They want to have that relationship, they do genuinely care about the person mistreating them. That doesn't make them incompetent, nor is it meant to infantilize them. It's just a thing that happens to people because of how our brains work and how much most people are wired to need other people and have loyal social bonds. It's a trait to be aware of. It means that just because Fourchenault's family is permissive of his vices, doesn't mean they aren't vices.

AND, to add even more nuance to that, abuse isn't a 24/7 thing. It can be inconsistent. It can vary with the state of mind people are in, other experiences they had that day, and so on. Just because there are a few good days or good choices does not negate all the other bad ones.

A few things that have been stated in canon, which are worth considering to me

He does not read the letters the twins send home, only Ameliance does. While this could mean a lot of things, it can't be argued that he has little to no idea of what is actually going on in his children's lives despite having the opportunity to find out (Ameliance specifically says how she's seen them grow up through their letters!) But in his mind they're still inexperienced children, and he chooses to keep it that way.

Ameliance has been financing the twins and Scions behind Levidad's back. There is no reason to keep this activity a secret from him in a healthy relationship with good boundaries. That could speak poorly of Ameliance instead of Fourchenault, but it's hard to argue for a case where he would have been supportive of her spending. Given his opinions on staying out of other city-state's affairs, and given her behavior compared to his in-game, I'd argue this was more her trying to avoid his ire. Especially because:

I personally find it impossible to justify taking this out on the servants. Are the servants expected to treat his wife as subservient to him rather than an equal, and bar her guests entry? Is he unable to discuss or plan with his wife and trust her (implying a lot of disfunction in the home?) Is taking it out on the servants a roundabout way to punish her? And/or is he going to punish an "acceptable target", the servants, rather than express his anger at his wife or at you, who actually did the thing he's upset about? The servants? Really? People who can't rightly argue back or defend themselves because he is their employer and they are servants? This kind of abuse of power is not the behavior of a benevolent, well-adjusted man. Honestly, for me this line of dialogue alone is a massive warning sign that Fourchenault's need for control can manifest in extremely harmful ways. I'll avoid speculating on just how much that could affect with his family but in this line of dialogue alone there is a lot to unpack.

Alphinaud liked to argue with his dad. Their rows would cause scenes in the house. Alphy is a little shit before Heavensward but assuming he doesn't have some kind of Oppositional Defiant Disorder or Narcissism (he doesn't), I suspect that behavior most likely comes from emotional neglect or abuse. Either seeking attention even if it's negative, or modelling after his dad in argumentative/self-assured approach for approval, or attempting to claim some kind of independence because his home life has been so controlling.

Levidad claims he will do anything to protect his kids, and that he would have forced them onto the Ark even against their will, even if they hated him for it. While that could be read in a touching way, for me it was just another sign that he would do anything to have control. Because to protect his children, he needs to be able to control them. He can love them and use that love to justify infantilizing his children and trying to take their agency away.

While Levidad does let the kids leave Sharlayan (though as they are considered adults, I'm not convinced he actually could have stopped them), it could have been under the assumption they'd come running back soon enough. Since he doesn't read their letters, he may be entirely oblivious to the actual amount of danger they found themselves in. He let them spend time with their grandad, which is good, too. I don't think Levidad demanded total 100% uniformity of belief from his kids, it wouldn't fit with their culture. But at the end of the day I think he still wanted to be assured he was in control.

As far as disowning them. Yeah, I think it was a control tactic, too. I think the only thing he new how to do was Escalate in his disagreement with them, because that's what he did when they were children and they fought. I think the significant moment when Levidad slams them with that excommunication is the fact that Alphinaud does not argue with him. He lets his dad go. And even tells Alisaie not to try, either. Alphinaud has grown. He doesn't need to prove himself to his father anymore, not really. And that means Levidad can't control Alphy anymore, either.

I think if their dad had disowned them as a way to get them a message and pique their curiosity, he would have explained so when the vow of silence was lifted, and apologized for that, explicitly. I don't think he would have been so opposed in the Forum to having the Scions help with the Ark and get involved, because at that point, why continue fostering ill will with the children you love, or potentially risking turning the forum against them?

I could see him being so callous to misdirect the Eorzean Alliance because he does not trust them or want their interference as the Ark will only be able to carry so many people, he doesn't need an army beating down Sharlayan's door, and is baffled/frustrated by his children's opposition in front of everyone, because again, he doesn't know how much they've changed and matured. But disowning them was still about control, in my mind.

Lost in Translation?

It's entirely conceivable to me that Japanese Levidad could be very different from English Levidad. The cultural expectations around behavior, good or bad, are different. And we know, from stuff like how differently Haurchefant's lines were in English vs Japanese at first, that sometimes stuff does change in translation to make it carry better for different audiences. Or because the translator interprets something a specific way. English and Japanese are really different languages and how ideas are communicated or assumptions are made are different, too. Let's also not forget Nael van Darnus's whoopsie gender swap. So if there's parts of Levidad's behavior that seem inconsistent, it could, quite literally, be lost in translation.

I think this makes who he is and why he does things very open for interpretation, so I will reiterate that everyone is free to read him however you like. Your story is yours, and mine in mine, and that's a good thing!

Not a Villain.

Levidad loves his kids. He acknowledges that they've grown in the finale. He relinquishes some of his control. If he hadn't, his kids would have been able to move on without his support. I think he has the capacity to learn to treat them better and that ultimately his love for his kids and desire to have a relationship with them will win out over his need to have control, and I am very curious to see where the story takes them all.

#wyn gabs #endwalker spoilers #long post #warning tags since I do mention aspects of these: #trauma #emotional abuse #narcissistic abuse #(do not think fourchenault is a narcissist I just mention narcissim) #text #shower thoughts

[tialinffxiv]

FFXIV Write 2023 #1: Envoy

Lynn covered eyes from the rain drops falling denser and stronger with every step toward home. He shook off the water from tail and ears, annoyed at the sudden change of weather. He could smell the incoming storm. But at the moment something else caught his attention and he looked up, trying to locate the source of loud croaking, which welcomed him on the bridge leading to their garden. Wings fluttered, spattering water from the black feathers as the large raven landed gracefully on the flowery arch decorating the gate. Normally Lynn would ignore the bird, especially with clothes starting to soak with the cold rain. But this one was… different. Miqo’te couldn’t at first explain to himself why it felt this way- but then came memories of his brief talk with Kai from some time ago: Adam, the shard and ghost companion of Kai, apparently learned a new trick, which allowed him to possess birds and use them as vessels. And his favorite was a raven- being quite an obvious choice if one knew how the half-voidsent looked- with large, black wings decorating his back. Right now the bird was piercing him with the stare of a dark eye and Lynn started to wonder if that’s really Adam, or perhaps just some random curious raven after all. And then, before he managed to call out to confirm this- a voice echoed in Miqo’te head.

“Mister Lynn, I bear dire news. It’s about Tia.”

Lynn’s eyes opened wide- this short message was enough to freeze him, shivers shaking his spine as million thoughts run through his mind. what happened where is he where are others, why it’s Adam to deliver the news

So many times his brother was coming home battered and bruised- results of the battles with all sorts of beasts, monsters, deities even. So many times Lynn was worried about his safety when he was not at home. He couldn’t even deal with the thought of the awful condition Tia was in after the events at the edge of universe. And to be welcomed home by such information was like a kick in the stomach to Lynn.

“Adam... what happened?” His voice was shaking and he wasn’t sure if it’s more due to the coldness of soaking wet clothes or the worries holding his chest and throat in a tight grasp.

A short moment of silence before raven spoke in his mind once again.

“Unfortunately, Mister Tia failed to obtain all the required ingredients, therefore he’s sad to inform you that the promised ‘amazing and stunning dessert’ won’t be served today.”

There was few moments in his life when Lynn experienced that breath-taking sudden change of emotions shaking his very core; that short, ephemeral moment of pure emptiness in his head just before it happens- and the uncontrollable jolt of pure rage, as this one now, which resulted in a book from his bag playing the role of missile, aimed at the loudly croaking bird. Lynn stormed toward home, cursing the raven circling above and already planning revenge on the feathered envoy.

#FFxivWrite2023 #FFxivWrite #ffxiv #ff14

[redwayfarers]

cold nights in ishgard

Fandom: FFXIV Ship: Nika/Artoirel, Nika/Minfilia Characters: Nika Perseis (WoL), Artoirel de Fortemps, Emmanellain de Fortemps, Minfilia Warde (mentioned), Haurchefant Greystone (mentioned) Rating: Gen Spoilers: Heavensward spoilers Words: 1664 Read on ao3

Ishgard is oddly pretty at night. Colder, sure, but fucking Coerthas is always cold, day and night, and layers are not an issue whatsoever when you’re an honored guest at a noble family’s mansion. It also makes streets less crowded, as much as a city of Ishgard’s size can be. Nika avoided walking outside alone to places beyond the three he’d instantly memorized the path to when he first came to the city and when he had few means to ask around for directions. 

Thankfully, he now has a guide. A handsome one at that, but he refuses to do more than just acknowledge that sentiment. In the days following the grand melee, he and Artoirel have taken on a rather pleasant ritual of evening walks. Nika’s been Ishgard’s champion for a lot more than he’d intended now and his duel with Raubahn is on the lips of all of Eorzea. He also happens to have a very recognizable face thanks to that faded, large scar that Thancred once joked now made them equal in handsomeness. 

Years ago, he might’ve taken a slight offense to that. Now, Nika has so little energy to dwell on minor edges of a friendship he himself massacred beyond recognition. Fuck that, he has so little energy to do anything beyond self-pitying and wanting to crawl out of his skin to escape the pressure in his chest. 

But Artoirel helps. The tapping of his shoes against the stone promenade brings Nika back to reality every time. It makes him focus on the rhythm of his own footsteps - click, click, clack, clack, an off-beat song of two bodies who lost things, lost people. Haurchefant had been a brother to both of them. Now his ghost lingers over the whole Fortemps household and the souls who lived there. 

Nika looks up. Wind’s playing with Artoirel’s hair, tossing it this way and that. It matches the night sky, blue where Nika’s own is black, a subtle difference. When the fuck did he acquire that particular nugget of information? The whole effect Artoirel has on him blurs the minutiae of it. They have matching earrings tonight. The thought makes him weirdly happy. Suddenly, he needs to feel the weight of Artoirel’s clothed palm on his own. 

Same way he yearned to feel Minfilia’s. 

Except he’ll never feel Minfilia’s hand in his again. 

Artoirel’s hand is as rough as hers; there’s no gentle skin where war is your generational legacy, or when you work at mines. It feels like a suitable replacement at times, until he remembers that Minfilia could have comfortably placed her head on Nika’s chest, and with Artoirel, the roles are reversed. What a looming presence, his brother de Fortemps. 

Brother’s never felt like a shittier word. 

But hey, he at least has equal entertainment watching him fight with his hair. “Told you to tie it back,” Nika says in a strained, casual voice, because he can’t speak like a normal person these days. 

“An advice I had staunchly decided to ignore,” Artoirel replies, and then, in a lighter, almost intimate tone, “maybe to my own detriment.” 

“At least I’m enjoying the losing battle,” Nika shrugs and looks at his offensively expensive walking boots. “You’re fun to watch, count de Fortemps.” 

“Do not call me that,” Artoirel sighs. “I am still growing accustomed to it.” 

“If I say it enough, it’ll get to your head faster.” 

“You’re impossible.” There’s a smile in Artoirel’s voice, so suited to ordering men on the field, deep and even and perfectly trained to be so, but then there are smiles in it that break it. Nika wishes to curl against his side like an indulgent cat. But they are in public, and they are brothers. 

Nevertheless, Nika offers what he can. It’s small, it’s brittle, but he feels brittle anyway and he’s nothing if not honest to a fault. Haurchefant was too. Except he sparked hope and happiness, whereas Nika’s honesty is more like a knife. “I am glad to be of service.” 

“That you are,” Artoirel says. He then turns all serious again. “How are you doing these days?” 

“Me?” 

“Yes. These recent events have been.. Tumultuous for all of us. Most of all for you.” 

Nika frowns. “Losing people feels like absolute shit, Artoirel.” 

“That is not an answer to my question.” Artoirel stops and crosses his arms. He looks at Nika with such worry in his eyes that it makes him squirm where he stands. “You don’t have to answer me now. I merely wanted to assure you that you can rely on your friends in your time of need.” 

“Assurance noted, now don’t–” Words die on his tongue when he feels long fingers on the crease between neck and shoulder, ruffling the white lace cravat.  Part of him wants it gone, and for those fingers to tease the skin beneath. But another, the one that suddenly burns in shame and pain and grief, kicks it away like a stray puppy. 

“Do not brush it off,” Artoirel repeats. The lull of his voice and the weight of his touch steadies Nika. He had no fucking idea he needed steadying at all. “It is genuine. Fury, I am genuine. I don’t find pleasure in seeing you shoulder this burden alone.” His eyes find Nika’s. The calmness of his words does little to stop the whirlwind in his eyes, and it’s a pain Nika knows. It’s a pain they share. 

It’s a pain they will both have to live with for the rest of their lives. The dead don’t come to life. 

Nika raises a hand and holds Artoirel’s wrist. The fabric beneath his fingers feels exquisite. “The woman I loved is gone, Artoirel,” he says gravely. “My friend - your brother - is gone, trying to save me. We almost lost Aymeric, too. Nothing will make the pain go away.” He blinks to stave off tears. “Have I ever told you about my father? He died when I was a kid. I don’t remember him well, I was that young. I feel his absence even today. My mother and I have been feeling his absence for the last twenty years. It will never go away. The sooner I get used to it, the better.” 

Artoirel looks around. Then, moments later, he crushes Nika against his chest. Nika lets out a small oh, looking up at his face. His eyes are wild, locking on Nika’s like his life depends on it. He imagines Artoirel’s heart to beat just as wildly as his is, or maybe it’s not imagination, not with the way his lips part slightly and his gaze falls lower. 

And gods help him, he’s looking at Artoirel’s lips too. They’re small and tight and he’d kill just to be able to chew on that lower lip– 

He isn’t Minfilia. 

Nika looks away, refusing to let go of Artoirel’s wrist. The moment falls as treasonously as it began and he’s painfully aware of where he is, what he’s doing. Artoirel’s touch burns, but it mixes with shame so well that he can’t will himself to part. Not truly. He holds his wrist like a lifeline, like it will chase the shame away. 

It won’t. Nothing ever will. Nika closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. 

“Nika, I apologize, I– Nika? Why are you crying?” 

Nika’s face feels like hellfire. His eyes prickle, and he tries to snarl at the sensation, but finds he doesn’t quite have the strength to. He opens his mouth to speak, but his voice struggles to swim to the surface. When it does come, however, it sounds broken beyond repair. “She loved Eorzea more than me,” he says, tight and small. It’s a tip of the dagger under the skin. It’s embarrassing, but he can’t make it work any other way, which only makes him cry harder. “She loved Eorzea enough to sacrifice my devotion to her to save it. I’m betraying her memory, Artoirel, there was no fucking chance of anything, yet this feels so dirty–”

Artoirel’s face crumbles, too. “I’ve made you uncomfortable.” He lets go of him, but Nika wraps his arms around his chest and presses his face against the ends of his cravat, as if trying to melt into his skin. “I assure you, I haven’t any–” 

“No, no, you remind me of her, and I want, I want–” Nika sniffles. His words come out rushed, beaten out of him by the pain in his chest. “I want so much, but Minfilia–” He hiccups on the name, pressing his fingers into Artoirel’s coat, and he cries, and cries, and cries, and Artoirel wraps his arms around him and just holds. At some point, he says something to a random passerby, but Nika doesn’t care. 

He’s pathetic enough anyway.    

They stay like that for a while on a cold Ishgardian night. Artoirel leads him home later and guides him to his bedroom. “Sleep now,” he says, and Nika feels too drained to do more than nod and obediently lay down. Sleep finds him rather quickly, and moments before Nika drifts off, he sees Artoirel linger by the door. 

Whatever dreams find him tonight, maybe he’ll be the star in them. Or more likely, Minfilia. 

Maybe it’s all one and the same. 

Nika falls asleep. 

**

(It takes no more than a day for rumours of the new Count de Fortemps and the savior of Ishgard hugging on the street to reach the ears of Emmanellain de Fortemps. For the sake of his brother, and Nika too, he fights them when he can. He tells Artoirel as much, and he rewards Emmanellain’s efforts with a small smile and words of gratitude. Nika just squints and refuses to engage in conversation. 

But Emmanellain knows. He knows what’s afoot. And apparently, Artoirel and Nika know too. It may take them some time to accept it, however. That is alright. Watching the love unfold is very, very entertaining in the meantime.)

#ffxiv #nero plays ffxiv #inspo birb has come to town #nika perseis #artoirel de fortemps #minfilia warde #emmanellain de fortemps #nika x artoirel #nika x minfilia #wolship #ffxiv wol #wol #ffxiv writing #ffxiv fic #heavensward spoilers #once more the three people who read these you are champs you deserve better than just sad nika fics but it's all i can write rn. he is sad #i am joking. kinda. #lurkers are a thing and i write for myself but yanno. #maybe leave a like if you like my littol fics? #i'm not here to beg for notes tho lets talk fic commentary #1) i'm technically going through a smol heartbreak rn so. inspired by real life #2) nika is so fucked like. how disturbed are you here artoirel? #idk man. he is just a very fucked up dude who is trying his best. kinda. #and i care him #also nika and artoirel height difference <3

[glitchy-npc]

B, K and U from the fandom asks?

B - A pairing–platonic, romantic or sexual–that you initially didn’t consider, but someone changed your mind.

This ones tough, I adore crackships and I'm easily influenced. So as far as canon ships I can't think of any I was blindsided by. I am pleasantly surprised how well Tegan gets along with other, sometimes very different Sidesteps tho.

K - What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc?

I don't play FFXIV anymore but Alphinaud's journey from being young and arrogant, to a leader that makes mistakes, to a young man humbled by life but never broken by it will always be one of my favorites. He goes thru so much growth between expansions.

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

Isabela - Dragon Age. She's a hot as hell pirate so that would have been enough on its own but she's also an extremely competent badass with a deep empathy for all people and their right to freedom. What's not to love?

Ortega - Fallen Hero. They're a lying liar who lies and a caring carer who cares. -slaps the top of their head- you can fit so much love and secrets in this bad boy. I want to put them in a jar and study them.

Leonard "Bones" Mccoy - Star Trek. He's a grouch so I automatically love him but he's also deeply passionate about his role as a doctor. His care for all people is always forefront in his mind but he's also a badass. Him staring down Khan and ever so politely informing him the best way to kill him while a scalpel is held to his throat is seared into my brain forever.

Thanks for the ask!

#ask game #fhr #dragon age #star trek #ffxiv

[autumnslance]

School's In Session; Prep for Cold Weather

I've been doing a lot of PvP on Dark and Aeryn this week. Anyroad.

Scholarch Montichaigne's lecture on aether is impressive (and rewatchable in the Unending Journey). Some of it is information we knew before, thanks to the Shadowbringers story through its patches, but it's good to get the refresher on the different kinds of aether that make a person. Also his explanation of memory and magical effects not only explains the Forum's self-administered spell restriction, but also later the pivotal events in Elpis.

Not to mention the honestly impressive conjuration of the paper, pen, paintbrush, and inkwell, and their manipulation. He's showing off for his impromptu class, made of his friends' grandchildren and this weird Eorzean adventurer. It's all in fun...but also a not-so-subtle reminder of just how adept the Scholarch is, and he's but one member of the Forum.

Our understanding of the Lifestream and souls and memory modification refreshed and better explained, we're off to Limsa to meet the trio of badass ladies who run the Alliance.

Seriously one of the things that struck me on first playing this game back in ARR was during the patches and seeing them in a room together, and realizing Eorzea is entirely run by 3 very different women. The men came later. After years in other MMOs with even shoddier track records when it comes to women characters, it was a Thing. While FFXIV isn't always great, the treatments of their leaders has been far more consistent than some.

*stares into the middle distance in Azerothian for awhile*

Before heading to Limsa, I did some of the sidequests that pop up around the Studium. Alisaie's admirer with the mammet, the Forum robes quest (C'oretta in Forum robes is someone's nightmare I'm sure; hers is the bland color scheme), some pretentious tutors, a few wayward books, and of course the beavers. Which gets an accompany quest.

Now that that horror is out of the way...for now....

The WoL declaring their reason for the Scions joining the Ilsabard Contingent gets us another rousing "Heroes Forge Ahead." This scene is also not voiced despite its importance, nor the next one with meeting Raubahn, Aymeric, Gaius, and Maxima in Ala Mhigo. This quest, "A Capital Idea," isn't replayable in the Unending Journey at all; it skips from "Sound the Bell, School's In" to "Best of the Best."

And the men waiting in Ala Mhigo reiterate their dedication to keeping Eorzea safe in the Scions' absence, though also caution the Contingent and its humanitarian goals were not entirely popular in the realm. Still, we're a long way from the city-states' reliance on the Scions for...everything.

Gaius having to stay behind is an obviously painful choice for him and it irks me they brought him back just to stick him in mediocre optional content while sidelining him (so far) despite Garlemald. Though there's strong points about why it's a bad idea for him to go, and gives Maxima time to shine as Lucia's second.

The Ilsabard Contingent Intro is a great scene, one of the rewards for a player who's completed optional content. Emmanellain's fully cringey and cringing here; honestly, this is not his forte and trying to constantly force him into a warrior's role is the worst idea. Also, he doesn't have Honoroit to balance him out.

I do enjoy the moment of Scion levity, as Alisaie nearly gets to watch Y'shtola murder Thancred and Urianger. You know she'd take notes.

Y'shtola: In the meantime, I have a bone to pick with Thancred and Urianger regarding their wagging tongues…

Run, boys! (It won't help)

We also get another of Temulun Mol's prophecies, delivered by Cirina:

Cirina: Two suns─one burning red, the other frozen black. Closer they circled, closer and closer, and as they danced the world fell to ruin. In blinding chaos she spied blackened silhouettes, and knew at once that one was yours. Cirina: Yet we knew not how to interpret this dream, save as a sign that great danger awaits. But whatever lies ahead, I will walk with you, traveler.

ThisIsFine.jpeg.

Handing out the Warding Scales and wow, A-Rhun's dialogue is radically different for a White Mage vs a Non-WHM. Everyone else is mostly the same, though you have far more people to speak to depending on how many job quests are completed, and if Bozja is also unlocked/completed.

A few more reminders of the cold, and just as the fashion-conscious Scions debate what to do to avoid wearing the fugly GC overcoats, Tataru arrives with her new Look and their cold weather gear. Also word that the long-forgotten Scion Roegadyns have returned to handle the Rising Stones, so she will go to Sharlayan to help Krile.

Seriously, as a Roe player, I thought the devs had forgotten Aergmhus and Bluomwyda, last seen after the Crystal Braves fiasco in Heavensward. Then they got a brief mention in 5.55, and now mentioned here. Returning to the Rising Stones from Ala Mhigo, the duo is indeed present, and the only ones in the Scion HQ as everyone else is dealing with the Towers and helping the realm. They've apparently been answering to Riol the whole time:

Bluomwyda: It's been quite some time, hasn't it? As I recall, Ishgard was still at war with Nidhogg's brood when last we spoke. I hear the dragoon from those days is a Scion now. Bluomwyda: As for Aergmhus and I, we recently returned from a mission in the provinces, where we built up an information network at Riol's behest. The man's a tyrant─had us working every waking moment. Bluomwyda: Anyroad, the two of us have been tasked with keeping watch over the Rising Stones, but I'm keeping a closer watch on Aergmhus and his alcohol intake. Last thing I need is for the man to be in a drunken stupor when trouble comes our way.

Aergmhus: Well, if it isn't Mistress [Surname]! Long has it been since we last met, but surely you haven't forgotten, have you? 'Tis I, Aergmhus─formerly of the Maelstrom and the Crystal Braves! Aergmhus: Upon returning from my mission abroad, Tataru called me to the Rising Stones and asked me to “prepare for the worst.” And though the worst has yet to come, I must abstain from indulging in a glass of wine until after it's passed.

Next up: Garlemald!

#final fantasy xiv #Endwalker #Lyn Replays EW #Scions of the Seventh Dawn #The Ilsabard Contingent #Prophecy #Ala Mhigo #lore #gang's all here #Montichaigne Mongrignois

[hibiscus-tome]

FFXIV Write 2022, day 28: vainglory

Vesper Bay is as lovely as G’raha had expected.

There’s much that he’s read about the place in times accumulated over the years; there’s much that he’d heard from Cid, and then the Scions themselves, about what this place had meant to those who once considered it home.

An imposing statue of the town’s chief patron — a single tavern a couple streets away from the water — a dozen tiny shops and offices and homes lining the streets — a single, nondescript office by the water that extends so deeply underground that the sand and the dust will not touch them there.

“You remained here by yourself, all those months?” asks G’raha, as they descend the steps past the front desk.

“Thou presumest that I remained isolated here against my will,” Urianger replies. “I asked to remain here while the others relocated to the new headquarters in Mor Dhona. ‘Twas my choice alone, and one that went uncontested.”

It speaks to pattern that would repeat in his insistence to remain in Il Mheg. The difference here is that it had been a younger Urianger who’d made that choice — one ignorant of the tragedies to come.

—for when he made the choice to remain here, in the Waking Sands, he’d done so with Minfilia’s blessing. It had been a different Minfilia than the one the First knew — a person more so than a symbol of hope, dear to many but not all, and perhaps not wholly aware of the role she had yet to play in this tapestry of intertwined fates.

(A different warrior, fresh-faced, and not quite the Warrior of Light or Darkness, and unmarred by the many, many tragedies to come — a different Y’shtola, who had yet to be pushed to the sorts of extremes that would rob her of her senses — a different Alphinaud and Alisaie, fresh off the boat from Sharlayan and so very convinced that they could make a difference in this foreign land — a different Thancred, far too entrenched in the role the others had expected him to play that no one, least of all himself, had noticed when it had made him a target for Ascian interference.)

“Do you miss it at all, Urianger?” asks G’raha, pressing one hand against the cool stone wall of the Solar. “Those earliest days, when all the Scions had been together, I mean.”

Urianger hums, pacing behind the desk. “’Twas a different time altogether,” he muses. “To compare it to our current practices would be to draw an equivalency that may not exist to begin with. The Scions’ current processes have been defined by the near annihilation of our previous order.” His eyes narrow, as he averts his gaze downward. “By the untimely departure of friends and comrades we once held dear.”

What must it have been like, to meet in this room? To surround Minfilia at that table, to be in alignment towards a common purpose — an efficient machine, strengthened by the strong ties independently cultivated in each city-state by individual Scions. How much of Y’shtola’s work with the Night’s Blessed in Rak’tika had been informed by her work in Limsa Lominsa? How much of Thancred’s easy and consistent rejection of Eulmoran norms had been informed by his work in Ul’dah?

And what part did the Warrior of Light have to play in all of this, beyond what had been committed to the written record?

(Would G’raha have had a place in any of this?)

As if reading his mind, Urianger gives him a gentle smile. “I have no doubts, however,” he says, “that hadst thou come to us then, we would have welcomed thee with open arms.”

G’raha chuckles. “Your patience with me would have worn thin soon enough,” he says. “I was quite the vainglorious fool, back then.”

“Perhaps,” says Urianger, “yet thine presence would have been valued and respected, as would that of all others who’d pledged their lives in service to the same ideals.”

Were it anyone else saying the same, then it would be little more than pretty words — but because it’s Urianger, a certain warmth, comforting and secure, settles in G’raha’s gut.

“But to answer thine query,” Urianger continues, “yes, I do miss it sometimes. When I close my eyes and try to paint a picture of the comforts of home, of being surrounded by friends… ‘tis conversations in the Ocular of the Crystarium, as well as days spent huddled in this very building that appear with equal measure.”

“Regardless of the location, surrounded by friends both old and new…” says G’raha. He pictures Rammbroes’ camp just outside the Crystal Tower, in Mor Dhona — the Isle of Val, surrounded by fellow scholars — idle days in the Crystarium, Lyna at his heels throughout various stages of her life, all the artisans and crafters and guardsmen and apothecaries and beast handlers working together to make the city a safe haven for all who sought refuge from the Sin Eaters’ onslaught.

—and then: the Rising Stones in Mor Dhona, in a body both familiar and not, surrounded by friends connected across worlds, across timelines.

He takes Urianger’s hand in his, commits each line and callus to his memory. Let this, too, be something worth returning to — a source of comfort and warmth and security, that can only be attained in the presence of loved ones held most dear. “Come,” says G’raha. “Let’s go home.”

#ffxiv #ffxivwrite2022 #ffxivwrite #g'raha tia #urianger augurelt #uriraha #g'raha x urianger #fic

[cometisms]

I think smth i realized about d2 and why i dont play it “hardcore” as much as i used to is that i think ffxiv raids speak to a part of me that destiny raids dont anymore, and that’s not to say destiny raids are bad necessarily !  i actually still think the formula works really well but like.

its ultimately a limitation of the game that can’t be helped and i don’t think it’s fair to voice it as criticism, so i’m not voicing it as criticism, rather as observations - but without traditional MMO roles and mechanics (i.e healing, tanking, aggro, raidbuffs, etc) a lot of Destiny 2 raids will inevitably fall back into very similar patterns because honestly those patterns are what work best for a shooter - pattern recognition and communication / obfuscation of information, focuses on a team’s ability to do a task that is not complicated but requires like, shooter skill and gamesense, etc. all of this works very well! it genuinely has worked super well for a few years, but i can say also that destiny raids feel like destiny raids. for better and for worse, a lot of them feel very similar. i think there’s comfort in that and i think that’s why i enjoy them, but it’s also why i’ve been trying to branch out more.

on top of having a way less elitist community i think ff14 has mechanics that, by nature of being an MMO, can create more interesting and strange scenarios, and the game designers are very VERY clever about using game mechanics to create completely new mechanics that are genuine puzzles in their own right. and i think that, in its own way, is special to me on the opposite of why destiny raids are special to me - they both coexist in my brain, but like, i wanna gush so shh https://youtu.be/yrKMjOo8d2U this is abyssos: the eight circle (savage) the final boss of the previous raid series in FFXIV and it’s a clusterfuck in the best way possible. Thematic significance aside (which, it’s a payoff of a decade’s worth of storytelling with its music, boss, etc) It’s got striking imagery, and it has a theme of mutation and creation in the mechanics, with the core mechanic of the second phase being a delicate operation where the party must (in most cases, wordlessly) coordinate to use the raid’s alchemy mechanics to build a phoenix that will resurrect the party when they are forced into a wipe by the boss.

that shit is cool! and it’s not like any of the fights before or after it! so many FFXIV fights have a setpiece that is so completely unique and just strange (the newest final boss has a really neat mechanic of “shrinking” the party and pulling the camera out to give the illusion of the party being trapped in like a snow globe kinda dealie) and stuff like that just scratches my brain, i love seeing game devs just do genuinely wacky shit with mechanics and i love how much freedom FFXIV devs seem to have. it really strikes at the imagination i guess and i dont know where im going with this but im also sick and very tired so blehhhhhhhh

[yue42]

Hello! I’m your FFXIV swap partner! Could you send me some screenshots and information on your character? I can do either a linocut for them or some gposes, if you’d rather have those (I’m still fairly new to posing though, and haven’t figured out shaders yet).

Hi hi! My WOL's name is Yue Okumara. She mains RPR and takes her cat Nocturne everywhere. I'm not the best at role-playing in FFXIV, but I like to think that she's headstrong with a kind of go-with-the-flow attitude. Not one to give-up but goes where the wind takes her. She likes to enjoy a cup of rooibos to unwind after her adventures (rooibos is also a pretty common tea where I'm from irl) and is pretty happy to make friends with nearly anyone, but due to her anxiety, she rarely initiates conversations with others. Her style is pretty heavily inspired from Ruby (RWBY). I liked the combination of this mechanical element with this fantasy look of flowy skirts and puffy sleeves along with all the leather and armor bits. A linocut sounds pretty cool. I haven't done a linocut since highschool, so that sounds like a unique medium imo.

Let me know if you need anything else 💙

#ffxivswap

[midnight-byte]

i saw the tags on that tutorials post, but legitimately, JoCat's crap guides to ffxiv on youtube are very good information presented in super sarcastic form

alternatively, if you wanted to ask someone about specifics, I've been playing for a long while and might be able to answer :>

Thank you so much for reaching out and for the help offer! I love JoCat's videos and I do think they served as a great starting point for understanding the general bits. I am just now switching from Dragoon to Gunbreaker after a long break from the game. I think what is tripping me up is that I'm used to a rotation for optimal DPS, but I don't know what the sting of abilities is for GB since everything showed up at once and guides have been a bit overwhelming. My understanding so far is a "rotation" for damage negation, but am lost everywhere else for skills.

I also just in general struggle with understanding raid mechanics. I was always that dragoon face down on the ground during dungeons and I am sorry. I am trying to get better and I am definitely taking my time with the story this go around so I'm sure it will be a far more positive experience now. Thank you again so much for reaching out! I had no idea anyone would even read the tags lol Which job/role is your favorite?

#Ask #FFXIV

[vin-thepacifier-diesel]

PLEASE DO A READ MORE W ALL OF THE FFXIV WOL QUESTIONS I WANNA KNOW !!

hehehe thank u for indulging me. the server is down at work so i finally had time to answer these >:)

Some pictures of the WoL in question, Meuloix!

Why did they pick their first class/job? What about the job they main now? Meuloix was NOT adept with the kinds of fighting that were available for teaching in Gridania. After the Calamity, he wanted to strengthen himself and took up boxing on his own in the forest until he heard word from passersby about the pugilists' guild in Ul'dah. It didn't take long for him to decide to up and leave! (I picked pugilist to start out because I liked the idea of defeating everything with my fists)

Does your WoL have a recurring nightmare? What is it? Large creatures in the depths overpowering him, pulling him under, and drowning him

Who do they worry about the most? Alphinaud and Alisaie! They are just like little siblings to him

What’s their alcohol tolerance? (if they drink) He can drink quite a bit, but it hits him all at once rather than him get progressively drunker. It's hard for him to determine what his stopping point is because of that, so he does not drink

What is the first impression most people have of them? Is it different when they get to know them? I think he initially comes across as kinda severe if he doesn't say anything, but once he opens his mouth it's pretty clear he's a goofball

Is that their natural hair color? YES, because he is a WARRIOR OF LIGHT, okay

How have they dealt with losing people? He shuts down. He needs to process it on his own away from others so he can react however he needs without worrying about what impression he's giving off to those around him

How do they feel about the fame/infamy that comes with being a Warrior of Light/Darkness? Does NOT enjoy it! It's actually quite embarrassing to him

What does the way they’ve decorated their home say about them as a person? His apartment is full of wooden furniture and plants! He loves nature!

Do they misuse any of their abilities? Not really, he's pretty honest for the most part

What location do they dislike most? THE RUBY SEA

Does anyone call them by a nickname? What do they think about it? Mew! He doesn't mind it! (I named him Meuloix specifically because my friend who got me to start playing calls me Mew, so I wanted her to be able to call me that in-game LOL)

What are their speech patterns like? formal or informal? Informal

If they were not an adventurer, what would they be doing? Running his mom's flower shop

Which NPC are they the most similar to? Lyse! She can be a bit silly, but she tries very hard to do what she believes she has to and always rises to the plate when she can. Plus she loves to punch as well (NARNIA, DON'T READ LYSE'S WIKI PAGE IF YOU LOOK HER UP! SPOILERS!)

What kinds of weather do they like and dislike? Do they handle heat or cold better? Definitely handles the heat better, but his favorite weather is kinda muggy. He loves a good summer rain!

Any allergies? Nope, none he's discovered anyway!

What is something they would never tell anyone? As the WoL, he doesn't feel he can tell anyone just how much he questions his role and wishes he WASN'T considered anything special. He's just a silly guy who only recently learned how to throw a decent punch

What level of education do they have? He can read and write, but doesn't really know much about history or anything…

When in the story was their highest point? When were they at their lowest? Gonna be vague about this cause they're all so spoilery, but if you know, you know. Highest point was probably when he and SPOILERS fought 'as one' against SPOILERS in Shadowbringers, I fucking loved that so much. Lowest points have been any time he hasn't been able to save someone, but primarily SPOILERS, of course, because that death was from trying to protect Meuloix. He visits the grave whenever he is in the area (even though this was spoiled for me I still cried LMAO)

#meuloix #gonna make that a tag for keeping track o this guy.... #ffxiv #i tried not to say anything spoilery or too specific! #in my head my friend nani's wol is from another dimension or planet and was the watrior of light THERE and then came to this one to try to #help save it and is helping meuloix into the role. so he accredits everything to her basically lol #havent actually talked about that with her but it's the story in MY head since she carried me thru some difficult bits