A Shantotto Ascension
The last of these stories where I saw the intro at a low level:
http://coldrungaming.blogspot.com/2017/02/ffxi-pa...
Shantotto created a portal in Windurst and got sucked in. We then saw her as “Domina Shantotto,” preparing to lead an army of evil Tarutaru to conquer Vana’diel.
Domina Shantotto recruited me and asked me to bring something to Qufim Island.
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Mission: That Which Curdles Blood (A Shantotto Ascension)
-I have to make her an “enfeeblement kit of silence.” This is a crafting mission. Farm and craft a few different items, and then combine those together.
-Crafting in FFXI is old school. When you craft, you have a decent chance to fail and lose your items. It kind of sucks.
-I bring the item to Qufim Island. An army of evil looking Tarutarus awaits. A comet crashes into them – it’s Domina. She introduces herself as “first and eternal empress of the Shantotto Empire.”
-She gives me a mission: find six protocrystals and attach magic seals to them to amplify their power for her use. I’m not sure why I’m helping her, but whatever! She rhymes, she’s adorable, I’m her minion.
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Mission: Sugar-Coated Directive (A Shantotto Ascension)
-I get to the first protocrystal (fire). Ifrit Prime stops me. I defeat him and then etch the seal on the crystal.
-I travel to the rest of the protocrystals, defeating each Prime Avatar guarding them. Ifrit, Shiva, Garuda, Titan, Ramuh, and Leviathan.
I especially love Ramuh’s design. He looks like Garland in FFIX.
-My handymoogle brings me a letter from the “Eternal Empress.”
-Her next step is to build cash for armies, and tasks me with killing Aldo (leader of the Tenshodo) and usurping him. This is quite an ask. Maybe I can work with Aldo to solve this problem.
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Mission: Enemy of the Empire (A Shantotto Ascension)
-I head to the Gustav Tunnel to meet Aldo after I take out three of his bodyguards.
-This is the first he’s hearing of the Shantotto Empire. He’ll dig up whatever info he can find.
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Mission: Sugar-coated Subterfuge (A Shantotto Ascension)
-We regroup in Jeuno with a Windurst rep, Professor Yoran-Oran.
-LOL “DOMINA SHANTOTTO” IS AN EVIL CLONE – a byproduct of a transportation mishap. The real Doctor Shantotto is missing.
“To avoid raising alarm bells, we’ve planted a life-size talking doll-ethy of the doctor at her abode and imbued it with a personality that’s equally abrasive-ethy.”
…they’re doing a fucking FFXI version of “Weekend at Bernie’s” to cover up.
-Yoran-Oran’s sources tell him that the original doctor is being held captive in Ro’Maeve.
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Mission: Shantotto in Chains (A Shantotto Ascension)
-Found a locked door in Ro’Maeve. I kill six nearby Notorious Monsters (named/tougher enemies) to collect the key fragments and save her.
-Yeah, she’s waiting inside.
-Wait. Wait… SHE CURTSIED WTF
“Bless you twice over, noble heroes, for freeing me from my imprisonment.
I’m obliged to inform you, however, that I am not of original temperament.”
-LOLOL HAS SHE BECOME A GOOD TWIN? Throughout the game, she has been a condescending, sadistic, domineering asshole. All her nastier traits have been poured into Domina Shantotto leaving this sweet and good version. It’s way more terrifying than Domina Shantotto.
-Domina is currently in Toraimarai Canal.
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Mission: Fountain of Trouble (A Shantotto Ascension)
-GRRRRR. Toraimarai Canal access requires a trio – a white mage, black mage, and red mage to stand in front of a gate simultaneously. Thankfully, a linkshell mate has an item that lets him open it alone.
-I wander the Canal gathering eight elemental saps to help against Domina’s army and I’m ready to go.
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Mission: Battaru Royale (A Shantotto Ascension)
-Even with a small army, Shantotto still thinks she can subjugate Vana’diel. She can probably use the massive amounts of energy from the amplified crystals.
Oh shit. She says she lied to me before when telling me that the seals on the crystals was to amplify their power. Those seals instead will help amplify a curse that will take control of the people of Vana’diel.
“We have taken the liberty of raising an army of clones.
Then shall raid the world of our enemies, leaving nothing but bones!”
-I take on her Tarutaru clones, each of whom now can draw on the power of the protocrystals. Each summons an avatar during the fight – Fenrir, Titan, Alexander, etc.
-Good Shantotto emerges. She has come to stop her evil half. Just…not how I expected.
“For the only new nation that is set to emerge
Is my Holy Shantotto Empire – yours must settle for a dirge.
(I had obviously neglected to make clear my intent
To make the world a better place by virtue of my advent.)”
Even without her evil, she still manages to be evil.
-Worse yet, Good Shantotto and Evil Shantotto agree to team up to take over the world and then fight it out between themselves at the end.
“Prepare yourself, then, to experience the ultimate bliss.
Our ‘Shantottoification’ spell is guaranteed to never miss.”
THIS IS SO AMAZING – THEIR PLAN IS TO CONVERT EVERYONE ELSE INTO SHANTOTTOS
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Mission: Romancing the Clone/Sisters in Arms (A Shantotto Ascension)
-We regroup in Jeuno. Yoran-Oran was able to find the Doctor – she’s in the Temple of Uggalepih.
-First, I wander the massive and confusing Temple of Uggalepih to collect sixteen hex tablets that will help protect me in the coming fight. It’s tedious.
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Mission: Project: Shantottoification (A Shantotto Ascension)
-I love how Good Shantotto constantly has her hand coyly to her mouth, despite being determined to wipe out free will.
DOMINA: “And then a perfect world order shall arise:
One that exists solely for our pleasure, all the way to the skies!”
GOOD: “And the Holy Shantotto Empire shall shine forever more.
If it’s not to your taste, we’ll gladly show you the door.”
-They’re preparing to finally release the curse when we show up and defeat them.
-OH SHIT, SHE RELEASED THE CURSE BEFORE PASSING OUT, ALTERING THE PROTO CRYSTALS
A TITANIC SHANTOTTO PROJECTION RISES, SPREADING THE CURSE
WE SEE A WORLD MONTAGE AS EVERYONE BECOMES SHANTOTTO
Before and after.
HUMES. MITHRA. TARUTARU. CAMELS. CHOCOBOS.
Before and after.
EEEEVERYTHING IS SHANTOTTO.
-The two Shantottos laugh victoriously… until one more Shantotto pops out of a portal. The real one.
“Easy there children, that’s quite enough.
Mommy’s come home; pack up your stuff.”
-What follows is glorious: a second giant Shantotto projection emerges above the jungle temple to take on the curse-flinging projection. They battle like Shantotto-shaped kaiju.
-The real Shantotto is victorious. The curse disperses, with everyone returning to normal.
-So who were these two Shantottos? “Good Shantotto” asks to be called “Belle Shantotto.”
-Our Shantotto explains. She conducted experiments for a new inter-dimensional travel spell. She accidentally went to an alternate Vana’diel. It bored her, so and started her own empire to kill time.
“Alas, the empire was robbed of a chance to reach the height of glory.
For its empress-to-be was ousted – uh… never mind that story.”
Lololol “I guess I tried my hand at conquering that world, but… well, never mind.”
That world’s Shantotto swapped with our Shantotto somehow, and she split upon entry into our world into Belle Shantotto and Domina Shantotto.
SHANTOTTO: “But what is this? An inner voice that echoes from within
Fills my mind with wicked thoughts and urges me to sin.
Should we three Shantottos come together and form a team,
Nothing could withstand us – an empire would not be a dream!”
NOOOOOOO
….OMG SHE IS SUCH A FUCKING TROLL – SHE WAS JUST KIDDING
Our Shantotto sends the Belle and Domina back to their initial dimension. They’ll merge on the trip back.
-Doctor Shantotto acknowledges that inter-dimensional magic is probably too dangerous, so she’ll go easy on that for now. Suuuuuure.
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Mission: An Uneasy Peace (A Shantotto Ascension)
-Scene change to Windurst. Yoran-Oran is working, getting back into the rhythm of normal life.
-Another scientist mentions that Shantotto has been acting strange recently, and he starts to panic.
-The camera pans out. A giant purple storm explodes over Shantotto’s house.
“Ohohohohoho!”
-The end.
I LOVED THAT! The quest mechanics were a bit tedious at times, but that’s okay. Much like “A Moogle Kupo d’Etat,” it was a perfectly ridiculous, silly, and fantastic short entry into FFXI.
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Next time: Starting the final push in FFXI. I plan to alternate between three things: the final main expansion (“Seekers of Adoulin”), the last chapter of the overarching storyline (“Rhapsodies of Vana’diel”), and possibly some time in the Abyssea add-ons. Not sure on the latter yet.
