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Gods of Eld
-A masked fellow, Unukalhai, talks of a growing threat from ancient eikons.
-OH SHIT HE’S TALKING NOW ABOUT THE WARRING TRIAD! They were eikons captured by Allag.
-The first Triad is called “Sephirot.” I don’t remember that from FFVI.
-Krile, Urianger, Unukalhai, Y’shtola and I head into the containment facility in Azys Lla to take out the awakening Sephirot the Fiend. He was once the patron deity of a tribe of treelike beings native to the ancient kingdom of Meracydia.
At the gate of the Fiend’s containment facility.
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Containment Bay S1T7
-It feels really cool to fight this FFVI legend.
I especially like the mechanic where we have to jump into a whirlwind to dodge his giant arm sweeping across the field.
-As Unukalhai is leaving, Regula van Hydrus appears. Emperor Varis’ bodyguard. He’s after the power of these eikons.
UNUKALHAI: “You Garleans NEVER learn. You covet the means to enslave primals – but in your headlong dash to control that which you do not understand, you show less wisdom than the very beast tribes that summoned them!”
So Unukalhai is either not a Garlean or a rebellious Garlean.
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The Fate of Stars
-The Empire’s VIth Legion is back trying to get into the Containment Bay.
-Weird. They dismantled Y’shtola’s complex magical weave despite the imperials lacking any magical ability. We gotta pursue Team Regula inside.
-Unukalhai is especially concerned about the Empire getting a formula within the facility called the Genesis Expression, that let ancient scholars make substance from nothing.
-When we catch up, Regula is enraged that we’d even try to stop him! The Emperor is just seeking the means to “shackle the eikons and their destructive appetites.” They see themselves as saviors.
Regula teleports away.
-Unukalhai was behind this! He used the lure of the Genesis Expression to bring Regula into a trap.
Sneaky sneaky. He’s still on our side, and feels bad for using us as bait.
-Back at Scion HQ, Unukalhai admits he has the Echo.
-I feel like he might be a Warrior of Darkness or something like it. His motivation comes from another world’s destruction.
On that other world, the realm’s champion’s used auracite to take out primals. Their auracite weapons bled energy from the primals that seeped into the heroes.
It transformed them into fiends who warred over the planet’s life force until there was nothing left.
-His “master,” whoever it is, cares about the fate of this star.
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Balance unto All
-The next member of the Warring Triad is waking up. Sophia, the Goddess.
-Three of her acolytes, “Demiurges,” attack us and DAMN they look cool!
“With scales in hand, the Goddess shall arise,
And righteously cast off Her cursed pall,
That She, with wrathful Wyrmking at her side,
Might judge and thence bring balance unto all.”
-The Demiurges are trapped in the past. The Allagans conquered them, and they think we’re said Allagans. No wonder they’re fighting us.
-Bahamut was the Meracydians’ god. Maybe he’s the Wyrmking.
-The trial of the Goddess is all about balance. She keeps tipping the arena in different directions, and we have to get on the opposite side to avoid getting dumped off.
-After we leave victorious, Unukalhai pushes a “terminate” button on a nearby command console. The rest of the Demiurges – Sophia’s sleeping followers – get destroyed.
I don’t blame him. It’s a brutal act, but their prayers would’ve continually brought the goddess back.
-Back to Scion HQ. The Allagans didn’t just trap the eikons – they experimented on them in service of a more “ambitious” project.
UNUKALHAI: “The research facility contains the seeds of three calamities which might feasibily be visited upon a chosen target.”
The Allagans were weaponizing calamities.
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Last Pillar to Fall
-The last of the Triad is Zurvan the Demon. He’s waking up, so it’s back to the Containment Bay.
-Imperials swarm the place, and Regula emerges.
-Huh. He comes in peace, wanting to fight Zurvan’s beastmen worshippers alongside us.
-The beastmen are some badass centaur dragons.
-HOLY SHIT GO REGULA! Slicing and dicing the beastmen, and he even saves Unukalhai.
-Zurvan fully wakes, swipes at Unukalhai. Regula… sacrifices his life to protect him.
Not altruistically – Regula thinks Unukalhai’s Echo might be a great use to the Emperor – but still.
-I know this is from Heavensward, but it gives me added perspective on the events of 4.4. Regula was Varis’ personal bodyguard. Both he and Varis share a certain degree of integrity. They’re true believers in the supremacy of mortal over eikon.
-The trial against Zurvan, the Demon, is a great capper.
Like the other Triad members, he transforms our battlefield into a reflection of his soul. A burning wasteland.
He’s got a dragoon-theme going. A polearm weapon, jump attacks, even dragoon-looking armor.
-WOOHOO!! Tough four player fight, even overleveled as we are. It was meant for 8 players initially and 10 levels later, 4 players feels about right.
-Urianger says a word of thanks for Regula. He really saved our asses.
-Back to Scion HQ. Unukalhai is ready to share his story.
-Unukalhai removes his mask, revealing a white-haired kid with purple eyes.
“I am not of this world. I was born of a different star – a child whose power of the Echo was too feeble to save his dying world.”
”A child who, unlike you, never became a Warrior of Light.”
“The star I failed to save is now known as ‘the void.’”
FDSHKIFLDHSJDFSHL HOLY SHIT! All the voidsent we fought in this game are mutated, corrupted mortals from Unukalhai’s world.
-As he lay dying on that other world, someone saved him. His master. ELIDIBUS THE FRIGGING ASCIAN.
“As the self-appointed custodian of this balance [between light and dark], my master warned me that the Source – the first of all worlds – slips perilously close to oblivion.”
-Unukalhai was called to be a Warrior of Light, blessed with the Echo, but too soon. He was a small kid. The world was already careening and he was powerless to help.
I hope this fight against the Triad has helped him find some measure of peace. He did good.
-That said, I could see us fighting him down the line. He’s Elidibus’ servant. This time he fought against eikons for the sake of balance. Maybe next time, he’s fighting Hydaelyn.
-So that’s the Warring Triad storyline. The bosses themselves were great, and I loved how they fit it into the story of Eorzea. I didn’t expect that void tie-in at all! The extra perspective on the Empire was pretty great too. RIP Regula.
It gives me hope that one day, if we take out the Ascians, Garlemald might rebuild into a reasonable member of the world community.
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Random Stuff Around Eorzea
Saw some sweet bosses in random side dungeons.
The Liquid Flame boss from FFV and their three forms:
A library’s owl boss with a glorious Shakespearean collar:
Apanda:
A panda:
A side dungeon’s beautiful golden honeycomb section:
A dungeon boss who’s basically the king of poop:
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Next time: One last content piece before my concluding thoughts. The Heavensward Hildebrand quest line.
