I haven’t touched the main story quests of XIV since early March: http://coldrungaming.blogspot.com/2019/03/ffxiv-p...
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A Brief Reprieve
-Our imperial friend, Maxima, arrives at Scion HQ to check on Alphinaud. Alphinaud fought valiantly at the Burn beside the Populares, so he feels real gratitude.
-Cid’s here too. A role model of sorts for Maxima as a principled Garlean turned “traitor.”
-The new knowledge that Ascians founded Garlemald hits them both hard. It goes so much against Garlemald’s national mythology of humanity’s self-reliance.
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A Requiem for Heroes
-General Raubahn summons us to a war council in Ala Mhigo, and we’re off.
I know generally where the next expansion is heading, but still don’t know how it links up.
-Talk about an ominous quest name. Especially since most of the Scions’ souls are missing and the quest log image shows fake!Zenos.
-The Empire and Alliance have been skirmishing since the events of the Ghimlyt Dark. Nothing decisive.
-But now a soldier reports that the Imperials are breaking through, led by “Lord Zenos.”
-The Echo voice suddenly blasts into my head. “Why won’t they open? Please! I bid you open!” It’s that person from the First Shard. They’re frustrated that we’re resisting.
-And it’s gone again. Time to focus on the present.
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Meanwhile, at the border of Ala Mhigo…
-Lord Hien, Lyse, and Yugiri take the field against “Zenos.”
-YES I’M PLAYING AS HIEN! XIV has started doing this more, letting you play as other characters. I like it in these limited settings. He plays like a much simplified samurai.
-We’re barely holding our ground. Clearly just trying to hold on until Ququshu arrives.
-Lyse lands the Punch of the Fight, breaking half of the “Zenos” mask. I love her so much.
-Not that it helps much. He knocks out Hien, Yugiri, and Lyse too, but Ququshu finally arrives. One-on-one time.
-And what a fight it is. Zenos breaks out all the stops. Tons of attacks from his past encounters.
But I’ve somehow (as he comments) grown strong enough in “the Gift” (the Echo) to deal with it.
-He falls and rises again. That Ascian spirit literally won’t let him die.
“Your Mother chose her champion well. Yet for all your strength you still fail.”
-AND JUST AT THIS MOMENT, the voice blasts back into my head. “Please, I beseech you…”
-Zenos recognizes someone calling out. Moves to strike a final blow, and all goes black.
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An astral realm of some kind?
-Uhhhhh now I’m teleported to a weird celestial region.
???: “At least, I’ve found you.” A hooded person with a staff. A really cool staff. It looks like vaguely like something from dwarves of WoW or Dragon Age.
“The better path leads you here. To me. I have need of your strength.”
It’s not that I doubt you, but I’m getting my ass kicked. I have need of my strength too.
“Go to the Crystal Tower. I have left something for you near its base. It will serve as a beacon of sorts.”
I saw the Crystal Tower in the Shadowbringers trailers, and am super curious how it will factor in. Maybe it’s how we get to the next dimension.
-Whooooah, I just noticed this mystery person’s arm is all blue and crystalline.
“Soon we will throw wide the gates. And the path to the First will be yours to walk at last.”
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Alive in Ishgard
-I wake up in a bed. Alive. So that’s good.
-Am I in Ishgard? Ser Aymeric greets me.
-Apparently, before Zenos could finish me off, a “second adversary” arrived and carried me to safety.
-OMGGGG IT’S FUCKING ESTINIEN
I love how Stormblood draws on past expansions – the Crystal Tower and now Estinien.
-Zenos retreated soon after my rescue. The Empire pulled back too.
-We’ve inspired new resistances in the Garlean provinces. There’s even unrest in the Imperial court itself. Perhaps the Populares are growing in power?
-Aymeric has one more message for me: “You are not alone, though many of your allies have fallen. When you are well and rested, you are to return home, where friends will be waiting for you.”
This signals to me that we’ll get a pause before the events of Shadowbringers start in earnest.
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Scion HQ
-I leave Ishgard and head back to Scion HQ in Mor Dhona.
-The Scions themselves are still out, but at least Tataru is here for a teary reunion. I love her so much.
-I relate what the Mysterious Figure said. “Win or lose, the path you walk leads only to oblivion.” This has gotta be related to the “twin dooms” we kept hearing about. I feel like those twin dooms are the overwhelming dark of Zodiark and the overwhelming light of Hydaelyn.
-That Mysterious Figure dude is probably our key to getting back the souls of the other Scions.
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Meanwhile, at the Imperial Palace…
-“Zenos” is pissed that the Emperor abandoned the front.
-Ah, it WAS the unrest in Garlemald that brought him back. Rumors abound that Zenos is possessed by a demon. Yugiri’s shadow information campaign is working.
-I love this dynamic. Varis HAAAATES the Ascians. He doesn’t conceal it even to their faces.
-An engineer arrives, telling Varis that Black Rose (that deadly poison) is ready for mass production.
-Varis looks down. Contemplates the Imperial logo. I aaaaalmost think he’s gonna pull back. I’ve felt for a while like he’s SO CLOSE to taking a face turn and joining us against the Ascians openly, but then a shadow comes over his face. He snarls.
This seems like him vowing to fight for the empire at all costs. For HIM to be the one who wins, not the Ascians. And Black Rose is his method.
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Credits
-Credits roll. We saw credits before after completing Stormblood’s main story quests that were available when it launched, but this must be the end of the Stormblood patch content.
-The montage rolling by provides some adorable character art from the expansion. Some of my favorites are Lyse, Alphinaud and Alisaie, Yotsuyu, and Gosetsu.
And there’s a new voiced song I think – unless it was something from before.
*30 minutes later*
*seriously, these credits are loooong, though I’m not surprised given how many people need to come together for a game of this scope to happen*
Ooh, post cutscene!
-uhhhh a red eyed elf dude we saw before. A “Katana-wielding soldier.”
“My enemy. My friend. Had I been but a step faster…” Is this the new “Zenos?”
No, it’s someone against the Empire. They slash at a Garlean attacker and obliterate them.
“A pity your hunt leads you elsewhere… Not that I am surprised.” WHO ARE YOU?
“May you find joy in it. Grow stronger, more savage, and savor every triumph.”
…wait, is this somehow the real Zenos brought back to life? This guy sounds like Zenos. Not Ascian!Zenos, but real!Zenos.
-He looks at the imperial banner. “In the meantime… I will reclaim that which is rightfully mine.”
-Scene change to Ququshu, staring at the Crystal Tower.
Childe Ququshu to the Crystal Tower came.
-Closing text across a black screen:
“In the midst of a requiem for heroes
A voice rings out across time and space.
In fields of tranquil light,
Sow you seeds of darkness.”
Maybe the last couple of lines refer to how all our victories have opened the way for Hydaelyn’s light to take a destructive turn. Just a guess though.
-That seems to be it for the main story quest of Stormblood! Next time I post one of these XIV MSQ sessions I expect will be with Shadowbringers in July.
-Oh right, I have to try on the new traveling gear Tataru made for me.
-IT LOOKS SIIIIIICK! Bless you Tataru
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Next time: I’ve been working on leveling up my bard. I’ll try to finish that off before Shadowbringers comes out.
