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A Whale’s Tale
-We head to the Tempest. A group of renegade Ondo, the benthos, have been raiding stores from other Ondo as well as Kholusians.
-The benthos queen will soon give birth. It sounds like they’re moving into the ruins we want to explore.
-We head back topside. Urianger asks for help from an old whaley friend.
-Poor Urianger! Terrified of swimming, he’s been working on magic to walk across water.
It doesn’t work for more than a few seconds.
-We row over to Bismarck. They’re amenable to taking us to that new ruin.
-They reminisce a bit. Remembering a person named Ken who made a home atop his back long ago.
BISMARCK: “[I treasured our time together, brief though it was. Brief though it always is. But I remember him, and how he laughed when we flew…]”
Bismarck is known in the present day as the “Isle of Ken.” This is why.
This patch has an ongoing theme about history. How it’s remembered, whose responsibility it is to maintain and teach it, and the differences in viewing history versus living it.
-While Bismarck prepares for flight, we rest up. But our rest is interrupted by a fisherman under attack by some local bandits.
-…never mind. Two local guardsmen took care of it. They were so inspired by “Ardbert’s” urgings that they’re roaming to protect others, trying to be Warriors of Light.
All this sounds great, but how is Elidibus going to turn this start into something corrupt? Is he going to try converting this benevolent instinct into a more dangerous zealotry? That’s my guess.
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Beneath the Surface
Next up, the Anamnesis Anyder dungeon that Bismarck takes us to:
The “Unknown” boss.
-This place is full of crystals.
URIANGER: “In such vessels did the ancients preserve concepts – ideal forms to be drawn upon in the act of creation.” Blueprints?
AH! That explains how the benthos in the dungeon channeled them to create new creatures.
-One crystal seems to show a recording. Ancient Ones, those bird-masked giants, holding a meeting. This is just after they summoned Zodiark. He saved them from the calamity, but only temporarily.
These are the Ascians.
-There was a defector who didn’t side with them. We’d heard about that, and I think that was us.
“Whither tend your thoughts, Venat?” VENAT LOLOL , HI XII
OH WAIT! This Convocation isn’t the group that summoned Zodiark.
This is the counter group deciding to summon Hydaelyn. Venat was their leader. Anamnesis Anyder was their HQ.
-Another recording shows an Ancient confronting Venat. It sounds like Venat has to make some sacrifice for Hydaelyn.
VENAT: “If Hydaelyn is to stand a chance of opposing him, I am the only one who might suffice as Her heart. Rest assured, however: I shall not vanish from this world. The form I take shall ever remain my choice.”
ANCIENT ONE: “Then I will press you no further. Only know this… you will be sorely missed.”
-Because of who Venat was in XII, I’m inclined to see something sinister there, but the game has subverted character expectations before. Like with Ba’gamnan, a scoundrel in XII and fallen hero in XIV.
-Venat then wonders: is this what the other convocation thought about Elidibus?
IMPLYING ELIDIBUS MADE THE SAME SACRIFICE TO BECOME ZODIARK’S HEART
-That’s all we can get from the recording for now.
-Ah, so Urianger points out that the name Elidibus – like Emet-Selch – may be just a title of the leader of that convocation. The Elidibus we know may be the successor then to the Elidibus who sacrificed himself to become Zodiark’s heart.
-Y’shtola will remain behind here to investigate more.
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Echoes of a Fallen Star
-Back in the Crystarium, a crowd gathers. They’re trying to resign from their more mundane positions (crafters, guards, etc.) to go wander as Warriors of Light.
It’s not ILLEGAL to do so, but it’d really disrupt the city.
-And they all have good intent! They know I will leave at some point and want to be ready to take the handoff in protecting their world.
-OH SHIT WHAT IS THAT – Clouds roll in. Thick enough that it looks almost like volcanic ash.
-And stars begin to fall. Is this going to awake the Echo in some?
THEYLER (a guard): “I – I hear a voice!”
Everyone starts to hear voices. “Hear… feel… think…” Yeah. Everyone’s getting the Echo.
Then “Ardbert” walks up.
“Did I not tell you, friends? You are all Warriors of Light!”
Okay, new theory: he’s going to try to get people to act self-sacrificial and awaken their star to save their planet, just like the Ancient Ones. And the “Light” he’ll try to get them to contact is Zodiark.
-The sky clears. It was just an illusion from Elidibus.
-This is amazing. So Hydaelyn is ALWAYS calling out, and only when she needs new servants/acolytes/warriors does she give them some vision to spark this memory. Just as did Elidibus.
But why did ELIDIBUS do it, when he just awakened the others to Hydaelyn, enemy of Zodiark? Unless he really did just tune them in to a different wavelength, Zodiark’s wavelength, and it’s disguised as Hydaelyn’s?
-I head back to my quarters to rest up. In the middle of the night, someone knocks. Oh shit, it’s that kid Taynor from the role/Cardinal Virtue quest line!
-Poor kid. He knew one of the Warriors of Light too. We commiserate in how much the fake sucks.
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Meanwhile, in the Crystal Tower’s Umbilicus
-Beq Lugg, Urianger, and the Exarch are working on the crystal vessel. Not having much luck transferring memories.
-The Exarch suddenly clutches at his right arm, the one covered in crystal. Tiredness? Some fatal illness?
-Scene change to… Amaurot. The illusion of the Final Days. And Zenos is here. If he was able to teleport to the First, he really does have the powers of an Ascian.
-OH NM lol, it was his dream. He’s still in the Source, with his white-robed servant (who I’m still convinced is just in white robes as a red herring and is not actually Elidibus.
-What if this white-robed guy is Venat? A literal Venat to Zenos’ Vayne. The dude is certainly familiar enough with the history. He offers to share what he knows of the Final Days with Zenos.
-And that’s the main story quest content for 5.2. Hee! I love the achievement name for completing this: “Way More Heroes.”
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Random Stuff Around Eorzea
A creepy shoebill:
-Found a player named Luna Frey. I love being able to get (some) XV references now.
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Next time: starting on the 5.2 Eden continuation.
