Summary: Starting the 5.3 main story quest. Delving into the history of the First’s champions. Elidibus’s test.
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In the Name of the Light
-Moren
the librarian thanks me for revealing the truth about the glorious
heroism of the Warriors of Light. And frigging Elidibus is turning that
on its head, reappearing as Ardbert.
-I have him research the
history of the Warriors of Light. Maybe that will uncover some clear
disparity to show how dangerous “Ardbert” is.
-The earliest
Warrior of Light fought in the name of the Light. Not necessarily
connected to Hydaelyn; it was just an epithet for “a hero.”
WHAT A GREAT TOUCH! This WoL’s sketch is modeled on the logo art for Final Fantasy I.
-A gaggle of kids stumbles across our conversation, led by a girl named Riqi-Tio.
“I want to help everyone!” Specifically, she wants to be a WoL who heals people with medicine. I take her to job -shadow some doctors. (Not what I expected from the first MSQ quest of 5.3 lol.)
The whole WoL thing is inspiring legit desire for goodness.
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Heroic Dreams
-Some of Riqi-Tio’s friends also want to be WoLs. The starshowers though gave them an extra push, the feeling they found something they lost. The downsides of being a fractured soul.
-Uh oh. Alisaie is feeling a bit woozy. She shakes it off, but it’s NEVER nothing. Chekhov’s wooziness.
-A strange urge draws me to a lookout point over the Crystarium.
…uh. A strange urge also drew Elidibus here. What’s going on? He looks just as bumfuzzled as me.
-An Echo flashback hits. I see a convocation of the ancient pre-Ascians.
CONVOCATION SPEAKER: “At times you will stand with us. At times you will stand against us. All that you might steer mankind and the very star upon their true course. For yours is the seat of Elidibus, the Emissary, and by this name shall your every action be guided.”
This is the current Elidibus being inducted into the position!
-Elidibus is taken aback by this, but only briefly. We honestly disgust him.
He feels he’s doing what’s right. Paraphrasing Dr. House, that’s the only reason anybody does anything.
-Before
departing, Elidibus mentions something he saw in my final confrontation
with Emet-Selch. How Emet-Selch briefly saw me as an old acquaintance,
one of the Ancient Ones.
-The Crystal Exarch joins us atop here. And Elidibus slams some kind of dark magic spear into him??
ELIDIBUS: “Though you lack Her blessing, your soul is surprisingly dense… Hmph.” WTF WAS THAT?
The Exarch seems okay for now. And he seems to have the stirrings of a plan for Elidibus.
-Ryne
rushes up to tell us Thancred collapsed. Crap. I know the others are
not supposed to spend too much time in the First. Is this a sign that
their time is coming up?
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Fraying Threads
-Yup. The link between soul
in the First and body in the Source is fraying. Adding to the pressure
is that minor Ascians have been seen throughout the first making
mischief, likely an incentive to push the new WoLs.
-I take a trip back to the Source. Tataru confirms that the Scions’ bodies are not doing well.
-Krile is tending the bodies as best she can. They’re in bad shape, a recent turn for the worse.
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Food for the Soul
-Aw! Tataru gives me home-cooked bread, “Archon Loaf,” to deliver to the Scions in the First. That’s ADORABLE. Dense, nutritious, but not especially tasty.
(I also love the explanation. She’s been working on the Ishgardian Restoration crafting event and has raised her culinarian skills.)
Chef!Tataru is the best.
-Krile found an “expert” to help, Rammbroes of the Sons of St. Coinach. He has a message for G’raha:
“Tell him we never doubted him. Never doubted that he would achieve all that he said he would.”
A nice bridge from the Crystal Tower storyline to now.
-I bring the message (and bread) back to the Crystarium. G’raha def appreciates it. He’s such a sweet character. I’m happy that pretty much everyone who meets him recognizes this.
-Meanwhile, Team Scion has been stomping the lesser Ascians easily. What’s the deal with them btw? I thought that Elidibus was the only Ascian left.
-Beq Lugg has been working on the spirit vessel too. She has been merging their prior work with the literal blood/crystallized essence of G’raha Tia.
No wonder he’s feeling drained.
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Faded Memories
-I’ll check on Y’shtola at Anyder, that old Ascian research place. She’s also weakened from being on the first and unconscious.
-Elidibus is here too. Aaaand Echo Flashback time again.
-We see the pre-Ascians (lightly) scolding Elidibus for his obsession with research. First person flashback?
-It zooms in on an armored figure, one whose horned helm we briefly see matches the sketch of the First’s very first Warrior of Light. Was that a form taken by Elidibus then?
“Why do I yearn for this? Why do I struggle so?”
I don’t understand this, but it’s interesting as hell. I feel like it’s going to tie into his role as “Emissary,” which I still understand very little about.
-Back to the present. Elidibus warps Y’shtola’s body away, wanting me to do a task for him to get her back. Okay, Golbez.
ELIDIBUS: “Show me your strength. I would take your measure.” Doesn’t having killed Emet-Selch already show you I’m pretty strong? Why this extra test?
-He’s prepared a version of Amaurot for our test.
-What a ride that was. Seeing Papalymo again alone was worth the price of admission, let alone that whirlwind trip through ARR, Heavensward, and Stormblood.
MY HEART COULD NOT TAKE SEEING TSUYU MUNCHING ON DANGO
-So Elidibus is a primal. Or a piece of a primal as Zodiark’s heart. Not sure how that works, how if we defeat him how that will impact Zodiark. All about salvation. That was why he was brought into being.
But I still don’t really understand what Elidibus’ role means in terms of leading the star down its “true path.” He doesn’t seem as laser focused on the Rejoining as Emet-Selch was, and his group even told him that he’d sometimes be with them and sometimes oppose them. Hm.
-Oh, and I LOVED how badly suited Y’shtola was for the role of hostage. XD
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Random Stuff Around Eorzea
-I really enjoyed this FATE. A sentient suit of armor appeared and some local Namazu (the catfish people) just repeatedly annoyed it.
-Some great names seen recently in-game:
Bad Apple
Illlllll Illllllll (I didn’t actually count the l’s)
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Next time: The fight against Elidibus.
