Mission: Forget Me Not (Wings of the Goddess)
-I bring the memory shards to the Cavernous Maw.
-They float into Atomos, and the maw erupts. A spear of light blasts down into Grauberg.
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Mission: Pillar of Hope (Wings of the Goddess)
-I hope I didn’t just go all Pet Sematary on Lilisette, bringing back some murder zombie version of her.
-A sprite meets us in Grauberg. Lilisette’s soul was delivered here, but it was in agony. The sprites healed it best they can.
“Her full recovery wanteth one thing: the power of the future in which she believeth.”
-She’ll emerge from this cocoon state only when we’re able to make her future more real and make at least some progress against Team Lilith. How? They’ve been kicking our ass all over the schoolyard.
-Cait Sith is struck by an idea and runs off.
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Mission: Time Slips Away (Wings of the Goddess)
-Cait Sith returns, asking me to find a “punch bug.” I bring it to her.
-She calls it our “trump card.” Via some kind of time kitty magic, she thinks I can turn my memories and experiences into a power source using the bug.
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Mission: When Wills Collide (Wings of the Goddess)
-I go to Chez Lilith in the Walk of Echoes. Larzos, Ragelise, and Portia are here.
-Ragelise’s storyline is so sad. He only wanted power enough to defeat the Shadow Lord. (I’m less fond of Portia’s storyline, who sold herself to Odin to stay by Ragelise.)
-And now, Spitewarden!Detolilla joins them. I take ALL of them on.
-They’re graceful in defeat. Larzos is going to die it seems, but he legitimately respects and loves Portia and Ragelise.
-He teleports the unconscious couple away to some warm, pleasant-looking room.
LARZOS: “Sir Ragelise… o’ those who fought the war… none was more valorous, more honorable than you. The folk o’ both realities know this well… Honored to’ve served beside you, milord.”
He leaves them a note and disintegrates, dead.
-I hope this victory over Lilith’s Spitewardens was enough to empower Lilisette.
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Mission: Whispers of Dawn (Wings of the Goddess)
-Lilisette’s soul starts to glow… then fades. Are we too late?
-Detolilla walks up to embrace the soul. Those beautiful wings of the Goddess – sprout from her (me) and hug the soul.
-The soul rises into the air, glows brightly… and unwraps. HI LILISETTE! Future Fabulous is back.
-CAIT SITH IS SO HAPPY SHE SNUGGLES LILISETTE
-Lilisette will convalesce and then we’ll take the fight to Lilith.
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Mission: Cait in the Woods (Wings of the Goddess)
-I head to Ronfaure and see a happy memory of meeting Lilisette, when she tried to catch Cait Sith.
-She gives me a preparatory mission to gather “dawndrops,” my own memories spread across the world. They’ll strengthen the future we’re fighting for, and will give me the power to face Lilith.
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Mission: Fork in the Road (Wings of the Goddess)
-I retrace my steps in WotG for the dawndrops.
-First, back to the tavern in San d’Oria where I first saw Lilisette dance. I get a little montage of hat meeting. Then Jugner Forest, then La Vaule, then…
-To be honest, it’s boring. It’s a clip show, rewatching scenes I witnessed recently without much added.
-Collected all 8 dawndrops and I’m ready to go.
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Mission: Maiden of the Dusk (Wings of the Goddess)
-Lilisette and I teleport into the Walk of Echoes. She confesses that when she was “gone,” she dreamed.
“I saw myself, but in another future. As a child, that girl was no different from who I was. But the unending strife of the Crystal War forced her to walk a path far more grueling than my own. Unable to bear the grief and suffering all around her, she arrived at a decision.”
Lilisette’s pact with Odin, to become Lilith.
“Truth be told, I envied her so. She’s everything I’m not: mature, charismatic, indomitable. But above all, possessed of absolute power. Time and again, I found myself yearning to have even a fraction of her strength. Then perhaps I might’ve made a greater difference.”
I love this SO MUCH. The empathy shown by both the game and by Lilisette makes Lilith so much more interesting than the Exdeaths of the world. (Exdeath was fun, but his character was a bit wooden.)
-We move forward to Lilith.
-Lilisette tries to make a final plea to Lilith, that she understands Lilith, but Lilith isn’t having it: “Beside my transcendent existence, you are as a worm writhing upon the earth, unfit even to lie amidst my shadow. Do not presume to relate yourself to me!”
-We take out her first form.
-Lilisette kneels over the fallen Lilith, who PUNCHES HER ARM THROUGH LILISETTE’S TORSO! Spiritually, at least. It’s like she’s ripping out the goddess-blessed essence of Lilisette.
She draws Lilisette in, wraps her bat wings, and seems to ABSORB her. Second form.
”Lilith Ascendant.”
-We defeat this form too. Black and white feathers swirl around her. Gifts of Odin and Altana. She dissipates.
CAIT SITH: “A-Atomos is devouring their memories. B-both of theirs.” NO NO NO, YOU TOOK LILISETTE FROM ME ONCE ATOMOS, NOT AGAIN
-Atomos is trying to swallow memories of both Odin and Altana. Too much. It’s backfiring, and stops.
-Atomos begins to reverse itself. All memories and time ever consumed are being set free. Released to their respective worlds. A return to balance.
-Scene change. Lilith and Lilisette in the void. Lilisette has not given up on her counterpart. She wants to preserve Lilith’s world, side-by-side alongside our own!
-To accomplish this, Lilith says Lilisette must close the gate from both sides to end the encroachment of one reality upon another.
-HOLY SHIT - Lilith is dying. She can’t close Atomos from her world’s side. Lilisette must seal off Atomos from Lilith’s side, trapping herself there.
LILITH: “Listen to me, child. You must assume my mantle. Replace me as Lady Lilith… and in my stead, lead mankind to a future of peace and prosperity.”
She says yes. Holy shit holy shit holy SHIT THIS IS AMAZING – I WANT A FULL FF GAME OF LILISETTE, WHERE SHE TRIES TO TAKE ON LILITH’S MANTLE, NAVIGATING THAT NEW WARTORN HELLSCAPE WHILE TRYING TO KEEP HER SOUL AND ETHICS IN TACT
LILITH: “You once said that you envy me my strength. My maturity and beauty… Know that I, too, envy who you are. All you possess. Your youthful innocence and optimism. The scores of faithful friends upon whom you can rely. There existed a time in my life when I was much like you.”
*insert crying emoji* I LOVE LILITH AND LILISETTE DEEPLY OK. RIP Lilith.
Lilisette falls back into the Walk of Echoes to say goodbye to us.
“What we’re about to do – it’s a grand finale worthy of the proud name of Future Fabulous, don’t you think?” With that, Lilisette floats through Atomos into the Lilith’s hell dimension.
-It’s done. It may take a while, but the process of sealing Atomos has begun.
-Cait Sith says goodbye as well: “The Goddess needs no longer weep. As such, I must make like a tear and dry up.”
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Mission: Where It All Began (Wings of the Goddess)
-I head to San d’Oria. The tavern where I saw Lilisette dance.
-Mayakov doesn’t remember her. Balance may be restored, but not the memories of Lilisette.
-Ragelise has been reinstated into the Allied Knights. He’s lost all memory of his time in Valdeaunia thanks to the rebalancing. And he’s going to marry Portia!
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Mission: A Token of Troth (Wings of the Goddess)
-Off to Jeuno for the wedding.
-IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL
-They say their vows and the priest blesses them. “Your journey lies before you.” Lilisette’s whole life is ahead of her.
-At the reception, both confirm their lost memory. I guess when Atomos ate Lilith, her impact was eaten. Including the seductions of Portia and Ragelise.
-All they have is a written message. The message that Spitewarden Larzos left them after he saved them: “Be sure to thank Detolilla and Lilisette.” AWW!! Larzos = best henchman.
-Lilisette gave me her earring before she went to Lilith’s world. I pass this onto the happy couple. Seeing it makes Portia cry with grief without knowing why. Memories of Lilisette are gone, but not feelings.
-Portia and Ragelise ponder the earring. “Lilisette… an enchanting name.” The cycle begins once more.
-Aaaand that’s Wings of the Goddess!
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Some Final Thoughts on This Expansion
I mostly loved it. Portia, Ragelise, Cait Sith, and Lilisette were great characters. Mostly Lilisette. Seeing her relationship develop with her younger parents, her loneliness and finding friendship, finding confidence… all great!
Lilith is an all-time great FF villain. I won’t say “the best,” because she just didn’t get enough screentime tbh, but really strong. Probably the best villain of FFXI.
The only thing I disliked is how quickly the expansion wrapped up. Like it ran out of time. Lilith built up this massive systemic advantage in troops and power and resources over us. She killed her main antagonist, threw Lilisette spinning into the sands of time. She was starting to take over the remnants of the Allied Forces of Altana.
And we erased it all by walking into her palace, killing her four main lieutenants, walking back to her palace a bit later and killing her? Just felt like I missed a few chapters.
But that’s a small gripe. This expansion played with time BEAUTIFULLY. It gave me a whole new look at the old world, wonderful characters, a good A and B storyline (Lilith and Bastok), and a full look at the Crystal War.
Five years from now, I won’t remember the timey-wimey details. Bet your ASS I’ll remember Lilisette and Lilith. What awesome characters. What awesome arcs and backgrounds and relationships they were given.
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Next time: The Rhapsodies of Vana’diel (that overarching questline) quests associated with “Wings of the Goddess.” Then moving onto the first add-on, “A Crystalline Prophecy.”
