An End to the Song
-Hraesvelgr’s ready to go: “Let us meet with Nidhogg on the field of battle, and together bring and end to his wrathful song.”
-We get a phenomenal extended cutscene of the battle at Ishgard as Nidhogg’s dragons attacking.
-Hraesvelgr bears us to Ishgard and the two face off. Brother against brother.
-He tries reasoning with Nidhogg. To nobody’s surprise, it doesn’t work.
-The dragons battle. Hraesvelgr blasts holy energy while Nidhogg uses dark and fire. It’s EPIC af.
-HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT NIDHOGG WINS AND RIPS OFF HRAESVELGR’S WING IN HIS MOUTH
HRAESVELGR: “Glory not in thy victory, shade. The battle… is not yet won. My power – and my hope – have I entrusted to another…” Is he about to transfer it to me?
OH SHIT HE HAS NO EYE, DID HE GIVE ME AN EYE??? YUPPPPP
-As I stand here preparing to face Nidhogg, I feel so happy I picked dragoon for this expansion. It fits.
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Final Steps of Faith
-This trial is four phases. It takes our group a few tries, and eventually we use the game’s group finder tool to fill our party of eight.
My favorite part is when shifts into a form that’s half-dragon, half-Estinien, and uses a mix of dragon and dragoon attacks.
He goes full fiery dragon mode in his final phase:
-NIdhogg goes DOWN WOOOO!!!
-He’s not going quietly. “I am vengeance incarnate! I am of the first brood!”
-He prepares to strike out with a last attack when his hand shakes. He drops his spear. It’s Estinien trying to regain control.
-ESTINIEN STARTS CHOKING HIMSELF TO GIVE US A CHANCE TO KILL HIM
-Alphinaud doesn’t want to do it, so we rush up to Nidd-stinien and try ripping Nidhogg’s eyes from his body. It doesn’t go well.
-But we’re not alone. The spirits of two fallen comrades appear beside us: Haurchefant and Ysayle!
-We succeed. We take out the eyes from Nidhogg’s body.
-Nidhogg’s spirit ascends. “Undone by mortals. Whither now…?”
He fades, to wherever his spirit will. Hopefully to find some peace. Sure, he caused heaps of death, but it’s hard for me to judge what a dragon feels. He never stopped feeling fresh rage from his sister’s murder.
-Estinien is alive.
AYMERIC: “The eyes! Cast them into the abyss!” …what abyss? We’re on top of a bridge. If we just throw them into the water, I doubt that’s the last of them. Isn’t there some Mount Doom to toss em into?
-Regardless, Alphinaud and I run up to the bridge and hurl the eyes down below.
-Hraesvelgr flies towards us. He’s alive! Wasn’t one of your wings ripped off my dude?
I see now. Hraesvelgr has like six different feathery wing subsections. One of them is gone.
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Heroes of the Hour
-I hope Estinien is okay. He hasn’t yet regained consciousness.
-We regroup to celebrate at House Fortemps. Everyone fought, but all would’ve been for naught without Nidhogg’s demise.
-Alphinaud can’t focus. Too worried for Estinien.
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Litany of Peace
-I go see Aymeric, who reminisces about Estinien. They met ten years ago after joining the Temple Knights. They bonded as the only two of their company to survive a dragon attack.
Estinien still kept mostly to himself. Focused on revenge against Nidhogg for destroying his family and friends. He came to see Alphinaud as almost a surrogate brother.
God, I can’t imagine how harrowing it must have been for Estinien withal that background to be POSSESSED by the one being he hated most.
-News from the infirmary!
FFXIV does a small mechanical thing that I love. It did this in A Realm Reborn too:
“Upon proceeding to the infirmary, several cutscenes will play in sequence. It is recommended that you set aside sufficient time to view these scenes in their entirety.”
I’m about to go out for a run, so I do them later.
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Laying Down the Azure
-I thought Estinien would be awake, but we enter the room to see Alphinaud weeping. Did he die??
ESTINIEN: “Cease your mewling, boy. It grates my ears.” Lol good morning Estinien
-He wept with RELIEF. Troll move, game.
-It’s strange to see Estinien without his gear on.
-He retained some consciousness during the possession. Nidhogg’s mind was an ocean of rage, grief, and despair at Ratatoskr’s death.
-The experience showed Estinien how close they were in motivations and emotions. But for a few friends and teachers, Estinien would’ve been just like Nidhogg.
“Though his shade is banished, I feel no joy at his passing. Where once I craved vengeance, I now crave rest.”
-He’s retiring from the role of Azure Dragoon.
-We all leave, but Aymeric stays briefly behind. Says under his breath: “I too must see my path to its end. Sleep well, my friend.” Uhhhhh that’s ominous.
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A New Republic
-Aymeric called an assembly afterwards to make a proclamation as acting head of state. He declared an end to the rule of the archbishops. He’s converting Ishgard to a republic.
-Creating a House of Lords and House of Comments. Church separated from the state.
-Aymeric stepped down… but still was pressured to accept the highest seat in the House of Lords.
-So that’s what he meant by seeing his path to its end.
-Dragons even came to the investiture ceremony. A symbol of the newfound peace.
-They cheered Aymeric on as an “azure dragoon for a new age.” Estinien watches, unarmored (but still bearing his spear)
His work done.
-Scene change to me flying on dragonback alongside Hraesvelgr.
“Thus were the final notes of the Dragonsong War written, giving way to a rising litany of peace.”
-All that narration from the “Heavensward” memoirs of Count Edmond de Fortemps.
-Estinien’s hospital bed lies empty with his no unneeded helm left behind.
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Shadow Stirs
-We see a Rogaedyn warrior watching Ishgard. I think he’s one of the Warriors of Darkness. That whole plotline has just begun.
-His name is Blanhaerz. He communicates remotely with the main Warrior of Darkness, the Hyur.
-Scene change to the Hyur is in a forest talking with Elidibus the Ascian.
-Alphinaud (or Alisaie?) was spying on him and gets sighted. The Warrior of Darkness moves to attack when Thancred gets Alphinaud tf out of there.
-A final refrain on a black screen:
“And thus did grey mists give way to azure skies,
Man and dragon rise above, voices joined in song
But beneath shrouded boughts,
Beyond the scope of light
Shadow stirs”
It hints at the shift from the Nidhogg/Ishgard story to the Ascian/Warriors of Darkness story.
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Random Stuff Around Eorzea
-My friends and I started doing long endgame series of dungeons from FFXIV called “The Binding Coil of Bahamut.” We’re overleveled for it but still challenges us at times.
I’ll save up all my notes on this place once we complete it all (similar to the job-specific storylines) since it has one coherent plot and I’ve only begun to uncover it. Suffice to say, Bahamut’s severed head may still be alive and it’s frigging terrifying.
A minion shaped like the recurring Edda, boss of Palace of the Dead:
A party member who was more than meets the eye:
Bigfoot’s younger brother:
A Bostonian perhaps?
I’m not sure, but I think these two ladies got married in game and are on their FANTASTIC celebratory chocobo mount:
My friend Nohm Namm’s unparalleled style:
DOGE:
A detective:
I especially like her neckpiece, though I can’t think of what it’s called. I don’t think it’s a bowtie, but maybe?
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Next time: pushing onto the Warriors of Darkness storyline.
