TW: sexual assault.
Mission: A Spoonful of Sugar (Wings of the Goddess)
-I go back to the palace in old San d’Oria to give Ragelise, where I find him talking to Nag’molada, one of the antagonists in “Chains of Promathia.”
-The Duchy of Jeuno intends to surrender to the Beastman Confederate. Jesus.
-Sir Ragelise begs Nag’molada to delay, and runs off to seek reinforcements from the king.
-Nag’molada waits for Portia outside. He gives her a creepy look and backs her against the wall.
This is super assaulty and incredibly disturbing. BACK THE FUCK OFF DUDE.
“I say this not lightly. I beg you to come with me. Doing so will not only be for your sake, but for that of the world also.” This past Nag’molada must know something is afoot with time.
-Portia whirls away, hand on her dagger. “Touch me not, sir!”
-Nag’molada does that that asshole move - “Haha, a woman with spirit, I like that!” - and leaves.
Psst. Nag’molada. Satan eats you in like 10 years. Just fyi. http://coldrungaming.blogspot.com/2017/05/ffxi-pa...
-Ragelise returns. The king agreed to let him takes some knights to Jeuno, after he asks Bastok and Windurst for help too.
-A wave of pain and dizziness hits Sir Ragelise.
Lilisette gives him the medicine, and offers to go with me to Bastok and Windurst in his place.
-And we won’t go alone! We’ll go with Count Borel - a man we know from the future as the honorable Monarlais Halver.
-omg Lilisette is introducing me and her as “Future Fabulous,” and even striking a pose while I stand there like a goofus.
“Whatever the task, and no matter the odds, Future Fabulous shall prevail!”
---
Mission: Affairs of State (Wings of the Goddess)
-First stop: Windurst. We meet with Robel-Akbel, the Warlock Warlord, and his Mithra adviser.
-We tell them the situation, and the Windurst leaders immediately smell that something’s off. Nag’molada is a brilliant strategist. Why would he surrender so early?
-They agree to reinforcements.
-On our way out, Robel-Akbel asks for Lilisette’s name. He seems to recognize it. Five bucks says he’s in on the timey-wimeyness.
-Next, Bastok to meet with President Prien. Bastok’s leaders are low on soldiers, but a Galka named Zazarg offers his company’s help.
-Lili’s next task with me is to bring the notice of reinforcements to Jeuno’s leader: Archduke Kam’lanaut, one of the Big Bads from the first expansion, “Rise of the Zilart.” I love how FFXI is using this expansion to look back at so many prior characters.
--
Mission: Borne by the Wind (Wings of the Goddess)
-I ride off to Jeuno, where a Beastman siege is underway. Jeuno is exhausted, and the Beastmen expect surrender.
-We meet with one of the Jeuno captains and tell him the good news. No luck - the archduke’s mind will not be changed. Why is Jeuno so hell-bent on surrender?
-It’s not like the soldiers’ morale is in the tank. They want to fight on, but Sir Nag’molada “enlightened” them that such a path would only sacrifice the future. Hope lives in surrender. OKAY WORMTONGUE.
.Nag’molada enters. “Young lady, it would appear your efforts were in vain. But be glad, for you now have the chance to bear witness to a truly historic moment – the death of a nation.”
New theory: this version of Nag’molada is a Kindred in disguise.
-The surrender ceremony will take place shortly. Lilisette wants to buy time. The Jeuno captain, Barnabas, wants to help. He gives us a key to reach the ceremony.
---
Mission: A Nation on the Brink (Wings of the Goddess)
-I head to the tunnel where the surrender is to take place.
-What’s Lilisette’s plan?
“Grace! Vigor! Charm! These are the three tenets of Troupe Mayakov. Keep them close to heart, for the curtains are about to rise on Lilisette and Detolilla’s first-ever duo performance.” Have I said I love Lilisette yet because I love Lilisette.
-Nag’molada is here. The Beastman Confederate rep is One-eyed Gwajboj. Nag’molada’s gonna sign…
HAHAHAHA HOLY SHIT LILISETTE! SHE HURLS A DAGGER INTO THE BEASTMAN’S ARM, LAUNCHES HERSELF AT THE BEASTMAN AND FLYING KICKS HIM SO HARD SHE DISLODGES THE KNIFE AND GETS IT BACK
SPINNING THROUGH THE AIR AND GRACEFULLY DICING UP SWARMS OF ORCS
NEVER FUCK WITH A DANCER
-I help out by stabbing a few, but I’m just microwaving a TV dinner of pain. Lilisette is serving a gourmet four-course meal of ass-kicking.
-FUCKING NAG’MOLADA MATERIALIZES BEHIND LILISETTE AND GRABS HER BY THE THROAT
-Wait. Nag’molada was never able to go invisible like that. I’m 90% sure now that he’s a Lilith servant.
-The tables have turned, and I’m alone with Lilisette out of it.
-LOL NM, SIR RAGELISE SHOWS UP, HURLING A SWORD AT AN ORC! The Mayakov Dancers are here, along with the Windurst and Bastok mercenaries.
-Scene change. Now that the surrender ceremony has been royally fucked up, the Beastmen aboveground invade Jeuno. Captain Barnabas and his Jeuno guards are ready.
-good lord this is awesome. As the Jeuno soldiers unsheathe their swords, they all get the Protect spell cast on them and we see the Tarutaru “War Warlocks” up above, buffing them for battle.
-FFXI stepped its battle montage game to 11 in this expansion. Bravo.
-Scene switch back below to the cavern where the allied forces face off against One-Eyed Gwajboj and his Beastmen. We mow our way through the Quadav, Yagudo, and Orcs, finally taking out One-eyed Gwajboj. WOOHOO!
-But it’s not quite over. “Nag’molada” appears behind us, doing the slow villain clap before walking away.
-Just now, another Nag’molada appears. “What are you all doing here?” So the Nag’molada who told the other cities about surrender was a fake. This Nag’molada – the real one - arrived to San d’Oria asking for reinforcements, not surrender.
-Scene change back to the corpse-filled Jeuno. Archduke Kam’lanaut emerges to give a little victory speech.
“Etch this moment, now, deep in your hearts and minds! For each victory belongs to us --- the Children of Altana!”
-Scene change to a ring of floating Cait Siths, watching the Beastmen armies alter course. They’re moving towards Tavnazia. I wonder if I’ll get to see Prishe again.
-oh noooo one of the caits is still crying over the two caits that Aquila killed last session
LET ME HUG YOU
-Some of the Cait Siths haven’t showed up to this planned meeting. Cait Sith Naoi wonders how Aquila knew where to find them. Is there a traitor cat?
-Most of the caits teleport away, except for Cait Sith Sia. She stays behind to greet any late-comers.
-Someone appears behind her… but it’s not another cait. It’s Aquila. Shit. He kills her with his magic.
“And that one there, makes number three!”
-“Nag’molada” hears this, and floats over to Aquila wondering why only three caits were killed instead of all of them.
-Yup. “Nag’molada” was Haudrale, Aquila’s boss.
He is not happy about Aquila’s failure to wipe out the caits, grabbing him by the throat and threatening him with a knife.
HAUDRALE: “You have two choices: accepting the consequence here and now, or reporting your failure directly to Lady Lilith. Which will it be?”
-Aquila begs forgiveness. He does NOT want to tell Lilith about any failure. She sounds scary af.
-Haudrale is annoyed that the Caits still exist. They’ll have to rely on “him” for more information.
-The camera pans back and we see a sinister-looking Cait Sith watching all this, who then teleports away.
FUCKING BETRAYER CAT HDU
AQUILA: “That girl [Lilisette]… that she’s here in this day and age would mean…”
HAUDRALE: “It’s a distinct possibility.”
Not sure of the details, but I’ll bet there’s some connection between Lilisette and Lilith. [Later edit: This also makes me wonder about Haudrale-as-Nag’molada trying to get Portia to leave Sir Ragelise. If he had his way, and if I’m right that Portia is Lilisette’s mom, and if I’m right that Lilith is connected to Lilisette, then…
Well. Idk. But shit seems connected!]
-Haudrale’s priorities: “the securement of the matron’s person. And the elimination of those meddling felines. The time is come. Let us be there to receive her.”
-Scene change. Haudrale and Aquila are now inside the Cavernous Maw/Atomos. The maw belches smoke, and then an orb floats in.
-A woman emerges from the orb. Demon horns and giants bat wings. Lilith.
-They report to her that plans are going well.
She smiles.
Now THAT’S a villain entrance. She has red hair btw, so my “Lilisette is somehow connected to Lilith” theory is still alive.
---
Next time: Back to Bastok.
