Chapter 5: Stranded – Tswarra, Isle of the Lost
-Looks like we made it out from Bahamut’s attack. We’re somewhere new. Our ship is in bad shape.
-Oh, that’s right! Vaan hasn’t encountered Bahamut before. In the FFXII world, most common esper names were just ship or weapon names.
(This is actually something I dislike about RW. It detracts from the unique feel FFXII built when it consciously did not use those common espers.)
-It seems like someone helped us escape. Ba’Gamnan? Unlikely. Rikken? Maybe, but probably he wouldn’t be solo. My money’s on Fran or Balthier. Fran especially since I think Balthier is probably still in the Judge’s custody.
-Bahamut destroyed that whole island. It was a populated island too.
-Llyud’s taking this in stride – to the point where it pisses Vaan off.
Dude. Chill. I get you’re pissed, but Llyud’s nature is different, and you’re dead wrong if you think Llyud wasn’t affected in his own way. He’s an aegyl, remember? These were his people mostly who died.
-Scene change. We see Tomaj’s log while marooned. They have to procure food, the basics.
-We’re on a small jungle island.
-For this chapter (or at least the start of it), no notice board missions.
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The Man in the Jungle - The Gugerro Greendeep (5-1)
-The jungle here is pristine. Aegyl don’t live here to respect nature in its original form.
-But there’s an injured dude being attacked by some Yarhi. Maybe he got thrown here like we did?
-We escort him past the monsters. He hasn’t told us his name. I’ll admit that I’m nervous – I know the Judge of Wings has been referred to as female throughout, but it’s still possible that I’m missing something (see also: Faris in FFV) and this is really the Judge.
-Even after the mission back at camp, the guy doesn’t speak to us. Tomaj doesn’t like him, so neither do I.
-Penelo tries to snap him out of his silence with dance.
It doesn’t work.
-OR DOES IT?? He finally says “Thank you.”
-He says, “My name… my name is Velis.” I’m STILL SKEPTICAL YOUR NAME’S NOT JUDGE OF WINGS but ok.
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A Gift for Penelo – Gugoza Falls (5-2)
-oh good lord. I think Vaan is jealous that Penelo danced for Velis.
-This mission is Vaan and Kytes collecting food. Just the two of them, having a fun little competition for who can collect the most.
-Part of my harvesting haul on this mission is a rat tail! Although it’s just a regular crafting material, unlike so many past FF rat tails (like the one in FFI that gave me new jobs, or the one in FFIV that got me Excalibur.)
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Object of Desire – Tomaj’s Camp (5-3)
-…are they really going to pursue a “vaan is jealous” storyline? Ughh.
-Velis came here looking for someone. A woman he loves named Mydia.
-Velis and Mydia were separated during the war. Velis was at Nalbina. How in the fresh hell did Velis end up here on this island?
-Before Velis can tell his story, Yarhi attack the camp.
-They come from all angles. I can’t overextend or else I’ll leave Velis alone at the center camp.
-We get more about how jealous Vaan is at Velis growing closer with Penelo.
Come on, game. I like Vaan. Don’t make him be That Guy.
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The Dance – Tomaj’s Camp (5-4)
-Later, Velis meets Penelo outside the camp. Apparently, Velis has something to tell Penelo that only she’ll believe.
OH SHIT HE STARTS DOING SOME SLEEP MAGIC ON HER AND SHE FALLS ASLEEP NOOOO
-Or… not? The scene changes and Penelo’s back at camp, taling with the others.
PENELO: “But he said he’s… dead.” Ah. So that magic dust around him might’ve been him going into ghost form, ad Penelo might’ve fallen down in shock.
-He starts doing that magic thing on the group and everyone passes out.
-Flashback time. The Judge of Wings asks Feolthanos for power at one of those auracites, and… Velis appears?
THE JUDGE OF WINGS IS MYDIA! Velis’ long lost love.
-The Judge approaches Velis, but is shocked. She backpedals. “No, this is wrong. You are not Velis!” Maybe she didn’t know he was dead.
-Then suddenly, we wake up and the Judge of Wings is RIGHT FUCKING HERE. In the camp.
-She confirms that she is Mydia. Or rather was Mydia. Now she’s just the Judge of Wings.
-The Judge claims she was in the cave “setting free a soul.” Did she make some kind of bargain, where she unleashed Bahamut in exchange for freeing Velis?
-Vaan swings at her. She easily repels him and moves in.
-Velis shows himself.
JUDGE: “You have come to balance the scales, have you?” Huh?
She casts some magic on him and all of a sudden Velis is an armored dude riding a horse. He’s basically Odin.
“The Yarhi are rent from the World of Illusion.”
-His name is still Velis. He just looks a lot like Odin.
-Battle time. Velis’s description marks him as a “Beast contorted beyond recognition by the Judge’s summoning.”
Probably Wrong Theory Time: the Judge bargained for power. She gave up someone she loved or cared about, and was horrified to see that it was Velis’s soul she gave up. That’s why transforming Velis into a monster is “balancing the scales” – she gained power and him turning her love into a monster is paying the price.
[Later edit: I saw a screenshot where she called Velis an “illusion.” I think that’s the Judge’s way of distancing herself from her actions. Tell herself that’s not really Velis. Or maybe she’s using “Illusion” as a term of art! After all, the Yarhi are from the World of Illusions.
Yeah, that sounds more likely. That she thinks he’s real, but maybe some diminished Yarhi-form. Idk.]
-Penelo is rocked. She cared for Velis, and immediately he’s ripped away.
PENELO: “I’m tired of seeing those I care for taken away. I don’t want to be strong. I just want to be left alone…”
We didn’t see a lot of Penelo’s personal story, but Penelo saw ALL of her personal story. She grew up an orphan iirc.
-I feel bad that my initial thought is “that sucks but I really could use a healer?”
-It’s a tough fight. I baaaarely win. Like, Penelo (whom I had to protect on this mission) was one hit from dead when I landed the final blow on Velis.
The Judge calls Velis an imperfect creature now, “very much like the aegyl. May destruction rain upon this land. The power of the auraliths will soon be mine. And Ivalice awaits…”
-Vaan’s about to lay the killing blow. Penelo holds him back…
then Llyud’s all “Allow me, good sir,” and LANCES HIM TO DEATH WTF.
-Penelo throws herself at Velis’ feet before he fades out. Poor Penelo is NOT in a good place.
LLYUD: “The Judge is right. We aegyl are not complete. We lack the heart that makes you humes whole.”
NOOOO you’re fine, Llyud! It’s not a defect – it’s just part of your nature! This is a brutal.
-We see Tomaj’s log again. He’s got the ship up and running.
-The next day, Llyud asks Penelo a favor: to dance for him.
LYUD: “When you danced for Velis, you awakened something in his heart. I thought, perhaps, if you danced for me, I might-“
Oh my gooOOOD THIS IS HEARTBREAKING
-She nods. She begins to dance. It’s a beautiful cinematic, but what really nails this moment for me is the melancholy music in conflict with the seemingly upbeat dance.
Penelo weeps as she spins.
-Something in Llyud’s story reminds me of Terra’s. They’re questioning why they don’t relate the way they feel they’re “supposed” to. (Which sort of sounds like an ace journey of self-acceptance.)
-Vaan has a theory: that being on Lemures is what makes Llyud not feel.
-So while Terra got validated in her familial love, it sounds like Vaan or the game might try to “cure” Llyud, which I’m… less of a fan of.
-Maybe I’m reading too much into it. Vaan and the group just want Llyud to not lose himself. Same with each other, if his theory’s correct. I just hope he stays Llyud.
-The airship is up and running – plus, Tomaj has sighted the Strahl!
-Chapter 5 complete.
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Next time: chasing the Strahl.
