Summary: The Amaurot dungeon. Witnessing the end of the pre-Ascian star, the prelude to Zodiark. Joining with Ardbert.
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A Greater Purpose
-So Amaurot. Looming disaster, creation magic out of control, and that council trying to save things.
-Their creation magic ias a small-scale version of primal summoning. You focus your mind, channel your will and aether, and make that vision real.
-These ancients had much greater mana reserves than we do. That’s why when we use mana, it often leads to destruction, drawing on the earth and crystals for aether.
-To reach the Convocation in the capitol, we need to be “registered.” Frigging bureaucracy lol. But Ququshu MIGHT be registered…
-I put my name in with an Amaurot clerk and wait.
-One Amaurotine sits next to me: “You, I think, are from a time beyond ours. Have you followed in the wake of Emet-Selch?... I am simply a shade. Here and not here.”
-This giant is aware they’re not real, just part of a memory’s recreation! Their name is Hythlodaeus.
-Hythlodaeus thinks Emet-Selch was distracted when creating them. I hope so. The other option is that Emet-Selch made them aware intentionally and is using that somehow.
-Ah. Hythlodaeus was once friends with Emet-Selch.
-The Convcation of Fourteen – “well, it was Thirteen at the time” – endeavored to give the star will. What’s with this whole 13/14 thing? Who left or joined?
-WAIT, WAS HYTHLODAEUS ONE OF HYDAELYN’S SUMMONERS? The name makes me wonder.
-The creation magic to create Zodiark is so powerful that citizens waited in line to sacrifice themselves to provide more aether. And it worked. Zodiark stopped the oblivion.
HYTHLODAEUS: “Yet oh how the star had suffered. So many species lost. The land was blighted, the waters poisoned, and even the wind had ceased to blow.”
There’s an FFI vibe here. That game’s Warriors of Light fought to restore elemental orbs after the earth rotted, water stagnated, etc.
-More citizens sacrificed themselves to restore the harm done. Renew the environment, cleanse the world. HALF THE RACE SACRIFICED THEMSELVES FOR THIS.
-Some wanted more sacrifice to Zodiark to bring back those citizens who initially sacrificed themselves. Others thought enough had been given to Zodiark, and the new world should belong to the newly born.
The dissidents sacrificed themselves for Hydaelyn, “an incarnation of their opposing belief.” So much sacrifice.
-Emet-Selch was on Team Zodiark. We see him striding purposefully through the streets, walking amongst his constructrst.
“He will not have abandoned his course. He will pay the price for our return by whatever means is necessary.
“And though he may carry himself with a certain glib ease, Emet-Selch is not a man to bear his burdens lightly. In fact, I imagine they have only grown heavier with every passing century. ‘Tis truly a terrible weight he has chosen to carry.”
I believe that.
A Greater Purpose
-So Amaurot. Looming disaster, creation magic out of control, and that council trying to save things.
-Their creation magic ias a small-scale version of primal summoning. You focus your mind, channel your will and aether, and make that vision real.
-These ancients had much greater mana reserves than we do. That’s why when we use mana, it often leads to destruction, drawing on the earth and crystals for aether.
-To reach the Convocation in the capitol, we need to be “registered.” Frigging bureaucracy lol. But Ququshu MIGHT be registered…
-I put my name in with an Amaurot clerk and wait.
-One Amaurotine sits next to me: “You, I think, are from a time beyond ours. Have you followed in the wake of Emet-Selch?... I am simply a shade. Here and not here.”
-This giant is aware they’re not real, just part of a memory’s recreation! Their name is Hythlodaeus.
-Hythlodaeus thinks Emet-Selch was distracted when creating them. I hope so. The other option is that Emet-Selch made them aware intentionally and is using that somehow.
-Ah. Hythlodaeus was once friends with Emet-Selch.
-The Convcation of Fourteen – “well, it was Thirteen at the time” – endeavored to give the star will. What’s with this whole 13/14 thing? Who left or joined?
-WAIT, WAS HYTHLODAEUS ONE OF HYDAELYN’S SUMMONERS? The name makes me wonder.
-The creation magic to create Zodiark is so powerful that citizens waited in line to sacrifice themselves to provide more aether. And it worked. Zodiark stopped the oblivion.
HYTHLODAEUS: “Yet oh how the star had suffered. So many species lost. The land was blighted, the waters poisoned, and even the wind had ceased to blow.”
There’s an FFI vibe here. That game’s Warriors of Light fought to restore elemental orbs after the earth rotted, water stagnated, etc.
-More citizens sacrificed themselves to restore the harm done. Renew the environment, cleanse the world. HALF THE RACE SACRIFICED THEMSELVES FOR THIS.
-Some wanted more sacrifice to Zodiark to bring back those citizens who initially sacrificed themselves. Others thought enough had been given to Zodiark, and the new world should belong to the newly born.
The dissidents sacrificed themselves for Hydaelyn, “an incarnation of their opposing belief.” So much sacrifice.
-Emet-Selch was on Team Zodiark. We see him striding purposefully through the streets, walking amongst his constructrst.
“He will not have abandoned his course. He will pay the price for our return by whatever means is necessary.
“And though he may carry himself with a certain glib ease, Emet-Selch is not a man to bear his burdens lightly. In fact, I imagine they have only grown heavier with every passing century. ‘Tis truly a terrible weight he has chosen to carry.”
I believe that.
-The clerk calls my name. Time to go.
-!! Hythlodaeus can see Ardbert!! At least, his vague outline.
HYTHLODAEUS: ”Your connection is hardly a coincidence. In our time, the two of you were one – the color of your souls tells the tale.”
This is kind of mind-blowing. Something about our souls HAS been passed down through Hydaelyn and survived.
-I regroup with the rest of the Scions.
-So the Ascians’ grand plan doesn’t stop with the Rejoining. That’s just a prelude to sacrificing the lives on the Sources and resummoning those who initially sacrificed themselves to summon Zodiark.
-I wonder: does Zodiark have a will of his own? Emet-Selch talks about him like he’s a vending machine. Put in souls, get back rejuvenation.
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Shadowbringers
-All that’s left is to confront Emet-Selch, bind and shatter his soul. Urianger has the necessary auracite.
Oh, and I gotta get cured somehow from becoming a world-destroying uber Lightwarden/
-Ryne still feels unworthy of Minfilia’s legacy because she hasn’t saved me yet.
-We head into the capitol building of Amaurot. This place has a very 20s art-deco feel.
-Emet-Selch meets us here. He’s annoyed I’m not yet nuclear.
-He mocks me for not being able to go anywhere without my friends… which Y’shtola rightly calls out as hypocritical seeing as Emet-Selch RECREATED HIS LOST CIVILIZATION FOR COMPANY.
-Our understanding of his plan was correct. He’ll use the Rejoining to free Zodiark and sacrifice most life on the Source to resurrect his brethren.
-Emet won’t give us back G’raha. He’s too interested the Exarch’s rift-travel power.
“I must explore the limits of his capabilities, and harness that power for the Ardor.” The Ardor?
[Non-rhetorical question: As an Ascian, doesn’t Emet already possess this power?]
-Emet has done a LOT alongside mortals. Even played as one, grown old, had children, died. He’s concluded that we’re not worthy stewards of the ancients’ legacy.
If we were in his shoes, could we have sacrificed half our population to save the other? I don’t know.
He’s not smiling or joking. He’s dead serious. The voice actor imbues Emet with the weight of millenia.
-Emet opens the capitol doors behind him. Everything is on fire.
EMET: “Behold, the coming oblivion. ‘Twas the end of our era, and the beginning of our great work. A fitting backdrop for your final judgment.”
-He walks into the fire, awaiting us beyond.
-The Amaurot dungeon is now available. And this feels like the end of the main story or close to it (especially with this quest title). A trial likely follows on its heels.
Amaurot
-This was one of my favorite dungeons in the game. EASILY.
1) The apocalyptic feel. Meteors, comets, fire, earthquakes. The world ending.
2) The boss design. The first boss was straight out of a Hellraiser movie, with humanoid teeth in its many mouths. The second boss, chicken with a human face.
And that THIRD BOSS! What a title, “Chthonic Mystery.” I checked a dictionary afterwards, and chthonic apparently means “underworld.”
3) The transition from the city to above the planet. It brought me literally to tears from awe.
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Post-Amaurot
-Emet-Selch emerges. He’s surprised we survived. “Your performance was underwhelming, and I remain unconvinced of your worthiness.”
He still is testing us. I get the sense he’s HOPING we win, that we prove we’re good enough.
-One of his magic blasts knocks us all back. He’s still convinced he’s a million miles ahead of us.
-Our party pushes towards him, defending our world and people. He knocks them all back.
-HE’S SO FLIPPING STRONG. Blasts of magic, a rain of shadow swords, concussive force.
-All that’s left is me, walking towards him.
-White film covers my eyes. Even Urianger and Y’shtola, Ryne and Thancred wilt under his attack.
EMET: “Weary wanderer – you’ve no fight left to fight! No life left to live!” FROM THE TRAILER!!!
-The Lightwarden essence overwhelms me and I fall unconscious.
-I wake up in a white void. Ardbert is here, and no longer a phantom to my eyes.
“Could you take one more step? Could you save our worlds?”
-HE EXTENDS HIS AXE TO ME AND THAT TRAILER MUSIC KICKS IN EHJKLFDHSJKLFDHKLS
“Take it. We fight as one.”
-A PILLAR OF WHITE LIGHT RIPS OUT FROM ME AS I STAND IN FRONT OF EMET
“This is our future. Our story.” His voice coming from my mouth. [Later edit: I’m not sure what to make of this. My best guess is that he merged with me somehow to help deal with the Light.]
[Even later edit: And I just made the connection with what Hythlodaeus said, that there’s some deep, historical connection between me and Ardbert.]
-Emet briefly sees me in the light as a robed Amaurotine.
[Later edit: I’m still not sure if this is a literal sign that we’re descended from Hythlodaeus or others, or if it’s metaphorical. Emet’s been testing us. Maybe this was him finally seeing us as his equals.]
-And then G’raha Tia, the Crystal Exarch, appears behind the Ascian. Bloody and wounded.
“Let expanse contract, eon become instant!”
The words that summoned me to the First. Is he teleporting us out or summoning someone else in?
btw I can’t get over how this muSIC IS HYPE AFFFF
CRYSTAL EXARCH: “Champions from beyond the rift, heed my call!” Is he calling the spirits of Ardbert’s companions, the other Warriors of Light?
WAIT NO, EVEN BETTER: THE EXARCH IS BEING THE DUTY FINDER TO GRAB ME 7 OTHER PLAYERS TO FIGHT EMET FOR AN 8-PLAYER TRIAL
I love when the story uses gameplay mechanics like this.
-Emet Selch is getting frustrated, but ready for a final fight. “The victory shall write the tale, and the vanquished become its villain. But come! Let us cast aside titles and pretense and reveal our true faces to one another.”
He dons his Ascian mask and gathers shadows about himself. “I am Hades! He who shall awaken our brethren from their dark slumber!”
A rare eidolon in FF’s history. Just in FFIX, right?
The trial against him Emet is unlocked: “The Dying Gasp.”
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Random Stuff Aroudn Eorzea
-A cool Rogaedyn:
-A unicolt:
-Some great player names:
Dewdew Berry (ew)
Elderly Soul
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Next time: The trial of Emet-Selch.
