Summary: Yojimbo trial. Hildibrand vs. Godbert. Completing the Stormblood Hildibrand quests. Starlight Festival (Christmas) 2019.
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The Past is Never Past
-As Hildibrand investigated Akebono, he got an anonymous letter. The writer has some great sword and challenges the Warrior of Light.
-Yup. It’s a duel challenge from Yojimbo. Which means a trial.
-Y’know what? I’m going to stay blind for this. Whatever comes, comes. If I die a lot, I die a lot.
-So that was Gilgamesh the whole time as Yojimbo. It makes sense! Yojimbo’s motive is money, not weapon collection.
-After our last encounter, “Greg” (Gilgamesh) left Eorzea to train. This was his rematch.
-NOOOO!! During his travels, Gilgamesh neglected to budget for food. In the end, he had to eat his beloved rooster friend, Enkidu.
He eventually crossed paths with a stray dog, named him Daigoro, and traveled as Yojimbo ever since.
Is there a real Yojimbo somewhere in Kugane, or has it always been Gilgamesh?
-He confirms that yes, he fought me last time. He’s XIV’s Yojimbo.
-Meanwhile, Shigure has been sentenced to death by ritual suicide.
-I love that Gilgamesh’s friendship with Hildibrand stays intact. He’s immediately willing to help “Hildy.”
-We interrupt the execution just in time. It’s a strangely disjointed scene, even for the Hildibrand quests. The music is comic and jokey, Hildibrand and the sekisegumi run at roadrunner/Wile E. Coyote speeds, all while Shigure holds a knife ready at his heart.
-What really stops him though is Lone Wolf.
In a truly redeeming act, he brings the Soboro Sukehiro and turns himself in, which stays Shigure’s hand.
-Now the focus shifts to Akebono.
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Don’t Do the Dewprism
-Akebono has been especially freaking out over a satchel of unknown white powder that Lone Wolf stole and gave to the poor. Let’s check what those distributees have to say about it.
-lolol, we use a password to access the sewers, One (wrong) option: “I will go whither the wild rose blooms!” That was the rebel password in Final Fantasy II.
-Akebono’s powder is used to create “dewprism,” a mind control drug.
-Pursuit leads us to the Ruby Sea, where we see Akebono meeting with… Hildibrand’s dad, Godbert?
OH NO, GODBERT’S BEEN DEWPRISM’D! Are we going to have a boss fight against mind-controlled Godbert? I just imagine Godbert is like an invincible level 200 dude. Bahamut vs. Godbert = easy win for Godbert.
-I’m basically right. Godbert sheds his clothes (because of course he does) and solos us.
…before turning around and then knocking the shit out of Akebono too. Maybe he’s just berserk.
HILDIBRAND: “It falls to you, Hildibrand Helidor Maximilian Manderville. Forgive me, Father, but you know not what you do!” A fittingly over-the-top name.
He runs across the battlefield and takes on his father himself. Headbutts, punches, and suplexes him.
OMG I’M CRYING, THIS IS HILARIOUS
HILDIBRAND’S SUPLEX BRINGS BACK A FLOOD OF MEMORIES FROM WHEN GODBERT WRESTLED AND THREW HILDIBRAND ACROSS THE YEARS, SET TO TOUCHING MUSIC
The suplex nostalgia wakes him up, frees him from the dewprism.
-The last image is legit touching btw. We see Godbert and his wife (whose name I don’t remember) looking at baby Hildibrand.
-Now that we have an omnipotent being on our side in Godbert, Akebono’s done. Lone Wolf takes back the Soboro Sukehiro.
WOLF BURGLAR: “A final favor, if you’ll indulge me. Lay it at my father’s grave.” Hildy can do that.
-Awww! Shigure even agrees to let the Wolf Burglar go once more, despite the crimes he committed.
*sigh* This is a mistake. One day, Shigure will be exploring a cave, open a treasure chest, find a note, and rue this decision.
GILGAMESH: “To hold fast to a righteous creed, yet recognize when too rigid an adherence would result in greater injustice… Truly, I am privileged to have witnessed this display of nuanced nobility.”
Jokes about prior Lone Wolf incarnations tormenting me aside, I agree with Gilgamesh. Bravo, Shigure.
-Gilgamesh regrets his own decision to eat his buddy, Enkidu… when a green painted chicken strolls up to him. BUDDIES REUNITED
Wait. So who did Gilgamesh eat when he was starving?
-One of Akebono’s lackeys throws a dewprism (quite accurately) into Gilgamesh’s mouth. A last-ditch attempt at escape. “Ronin, spirit me far, far away!”
Poor choice of words.
GILGAMESH: “Beyond the rift that lies between… to wondrous worlds yet unseen!”
Gilgamesh opens a void portal that swallows himself, Enkidu, the lackey, and Hildibrand too. Nashu jumps in as well. See you in the First.
-The final shot of this whole thing is Lone Wolf standing like Batman on the rooftops of Kugane.
Ready to thieve assholishly once more.
-So that’s the Stormblood Hildibrand quests! Pretty fun, and the reappearance of Lone Wolf was a WILD callback. The Heavensward quests with Vivi are still probably my favorite of the bunch, but this was pretty great too.
Again, I TOTALLY get people who dislike these quests, but I enjoy them. (In these small doses. Wouldn’t want to play a full game with this feel.)
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All I Want for Starlight [Starlight Festival 2019]
-Eorzea!Christmas is back! Last year’s post: https://coldrungaming.blogspot.com/2019/02/ffxiv-...
-The Starlight Festival is in full swing. Presents, snowmen, the works.
-There’s another concert this year, and the Gridanian kids are especially pumped.
Except for one lone kid, Nalipponcque. “I really wish Father could be here.” His dad’s an archer who had to leave on an emergency assignment, and now he’s lost the Starlight spirit.
-I investigate with the archers’ guild. The archers traditionally sing carols, and it sounds like Nalipponcque’s father is just pretending to have an emergency assignment to get in some last minute practice and surprise his son at the concert.
That’s kind of a dick move lol. Just tell the kid you’re rehearsing and will see him from the stage.
-I pursue the father on the city’s outskirts and find him practicing alongside his mount, a “Caroling Chocobo.”
-I shame him sufficiently, he’s ready to stop disappointing kiddo.
-They have a difference in interests – the father is interested in music, the kid is more about animals. Maybe the magical singing and dancing chocobo will help bridge the gap.
-Back to town, where I get the kid to at least watch. I still think we should just be like, “IT’S FINE, YOUR DAD WAS JUST REHEARSING,” but no spoilers I guess.
-The concert itself is a variant on last year’s quest. It’s a rhythm game, where I’m conducting the choir. (A choir that includes a chocobo.)
LOL IT’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL VERSION OF THE CHOCOBO THEME
-As expected, the kid loves it.
What kid/animal lover – wouldn’t adore a singing, dancing chocobo?
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Random Stuff Around Eorzea
-One of my favorite cameos in the Starlight Festival is the miqo’te archer who keeps accidentally saying “meow” instead of “now.”
-Hobbes Calvin, Starlight angel:
-A terrifying reward for the holiday season:
-Some great player names:
-Mrs Huggles
Sirius Notblack
Vegeta Smokesalot
Turbo Ghost
Sizzle Chest
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Next time: Rather than moving onto a combat job, I think I’m going to try getting my crafting and gathering jobs up from 50-60.
