Summary: The Scions leave the First behind. G’raha’s journey. Zenos and a new Ascian await. I love this.
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Hope’s Confluence (continued)
-G’raha is dying. For reals this time, I think. [Later
edit: HOW MANY TIMES WILL I LET FFXIV TRICK ME ON THIS FRONT? I’m
honestly mad at myself on reading this. Stop being so gullible,
Coldrun!]
We averted a calamity. Saved Norvrandt. Found a way for the Scions to return to the Source.
“Promise me you’ll take me on your next adventure. Together. That’s all I ask.” I LOVE how G’raha is the Warrior of Light’s biggest fanboy. Even now.
-He adds his memories to the vessel that I’ll carry with me.
But his body will stand here, becoming part of the Crystal Tower.
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Nothing Unsaid
-Y’shtola is charitable about the dispersed Ascians. “So long as they remain unforgotten, the love he and his brethren bore for one another and the star may yet be rewarded.”
-Apparently, the anchor stars in Amaurot were a gift from Emet-Selch. A way to help me ease Elidibus’ passing so that his friend wouldn’t struggle alone.
Hm. Emet-Selch struggled so hard to rebirth his people. Would he really give that up to ease Elidibus’ future suffering?
Maybe this has to do with the role of the Emissary. Like, maybe the Emissary couldn’t have brought back Zodiark and did the Rejoining solo. Idk.
[Later edit: Thank you for all your comments in the last session! They did help me understand the mechanics at work.]
-Beq Lugg joins us. G’raha’s spirit vessel is still intact at least. Is there still a chance to restore him??? I assumed he just sacrificed himself for good, to stop Elidibus.
-We’ll be trying to leave the First soon. Perhaps for good (outside of me), so everyone leaves to wrap up their business. Pleeeeeease let us get a scene of Y’shtola with Runar!
-First, Alisaie visits Halric, the nearly-sin-eater kid from Amh Araeng. He visits a memorial to Tesleen regularly. That horrifying transformation feels like forever ago.
-Alphinaud shares a tearful goodbye with the Chais of Eulmore. He legitimately admires their resilience and action in the face of uncovering Vauthry’s corruption.
DULIA IS SO GREAT
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The Journey Continues
-Urianger is saying his goodbyes to the pixies.
-After the fight with Elidibus, he found an old Crystal of Light that once belonged to Ardbert. Oh my god, I ‘m to deliver it to Seto (Ardbert’s old amaro companion).
ARDBERT’S SOUL (joined to mine still in some way) EMERGES TO PET SETO’S NOSE AND I CAN’T
This whole reunion between Ardbert and Seto is just…. Jesus. GODJKLFHDSJKLFDS. IT’S SO HEARTBREAKING AND BEAUTIFUL AFFFFF
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Unto the Morrow
-Y’shtola and Slitherbough next.
-Runar (the lion dude) has a flower for her, and asks her to stay. DO IT. Idc if your soul will break.
-He knows she can’t stay, and gives her a heartfelt goodbye. Aw.
BUT
EVEN AT THE END, SHE PROMISES THAT IF HE NEEDS HELP, SHE’LL BE THERE
FOR HIM TO CALL ON. SHE SAYS THIS WITH A COY HAIR FLIP AND A WINK. MY
SHIP IS SAAAAAAILING AWAAAAAY
HE PICKS HER UP IN JOY AND SHE’S LAUGHING AND THIS IS FANTASTIC, I’M DANCING AROUND MY ROOM IN JOY
-We revisit the mines of Amh Araeng too, but not much to say here. Least interesting part of SB imo.
-Ryne is feeling down. She’ll be losing her found family.
-Is this really goodbye?? Either something’s about to go horribly wrong with the soul transfer or the main story’s shifting to the Source.
-This Thancred-Ryne relationship is so wonderful. Seeing Thancred put his hand on her head is so fatherly and glorious.
“Gods know, I’m proud of you. I always will be. You deserve all the happiness in the world and more.”
-The rest of the Crystarium even joins us to say goodbye, led by Captain Lyna.
“You risked your all for us – fought for a realm not your own. Before you came, we had never known the beauty of the night sky.”
-This is too final a goodbye for something to go wrong. I really think we’re going back to the Source.
-G’raha’s crystalline body will stay behind, but he’ll be reborn on the source.
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Reflections in Crystal
-The spirit vessels are ready. The Scions merge with them, and we’re off.
-I really like this scene. We just get the Shadowbringers theme, vocals and all, as Ququshu, Krile, and Tataru meet back up. The crystals infuse the memories and souls from the First…
And we’re back! Team Scion back on the Source.
-The last vessel I bear is G’raha Tia’s.
-As Ququshu runs up to the Crystal Tower, Ardbert gives a poetic and brilliant closure. (Which, again – AN ENDING?! This is only 5.3, right?)
-TATARU MADE THE SCIONS UPDATED COSTUMES IN THE SOURCE! Gunbreaker, black mage, astrologian… what a nice touch. Feo Ul helped her get it right lol.
-Alisaie feels grumpy. The other Scions went through dramatic job changes, but she and Alphinaud have not. Smart money is that they’ll change either by the end of SB or early in next expansion.
Annoyed Alisaie Head Desk.jpg
-AND G’RAHA IS BACK! AND JOINING THE SCIONS, THIS IS AWESOME
OMG HIS EARS PERKED UP IN JOY AT THE OFFER EEEEEEE!
All the little artistic touches around him are cute AF.
It’s still ridiculous how hard it is for core characters to die in XIV, but I don’t mind when it ends like this.
-Btw, as a minor quest appears (angry hippogryphs, oh no), I LOVE how excited Alisaie is to get back to fighting.
-All this as G’raha closes out the narrative, overjoyed. “So it was that a new adventure began.”
-Back to Zenos. Are we gonna see his friend in white? He keeps dreaming of the end of Amaurot.
-His white-robed friend has that Ascian void powers.
“And we owe it to this singularly useful body I chanced to find.” He has the same jollity in his voice as early Emet-Selch, but there’s no way this guy is Emet Selch.
-IT’S FUCKING ASAHI??? …oh thanks God, it’s just someone borrowing the body.
“Fandaniel.” An Ascian, showing the mask.
-I really hope (and expect) this expansion is the end of the Ascians. I don’t want a new one to pop up every five minutes.
-This Ascian is DEFINITELY different. He doesn’t seem to give a shit about any Rejoining or “moldering memories.” He just wants to live it up now with Zenos, presumably through murder and mayhem.
And y’know what? I’m into it. It’s a bit weird to introduce a whole new villain this far into the expansion, but let’s go!
G’RAHA
VOICE OVER: “That which awaited was a fell beast. Ferocious. Ravenous.
Remorseless.” At this point, he could be talking about either Fandaniel
or Zenos.
ZENOS: “When you return to me. You will share
everything. Every blow will be a story unto itself. Every triumph. Every
kill. Rest assured, we shall have a fitting stage for our reunion.”
I
like how Zenos slams his sword into a coin, cutting it in half. He
doesn’t give a shit about money. Just wants battle, specifically against
Ququshu.
I’m worried about Zenos’ story. It feels very much
like a rehash, at least so far. How are they going to differentiate his
arc now from his arc in Stormblood?
G’RAHA: “The beast shall
kindle the flames of the apocalypse. Into its domain shall the hero set
forth for the final chapter of this star
I honestly don’t know
where this story is going to go from here, or how it’ll wrap up. My
strongest feeling though is that Zodiark will be dealt with fully by
6.0.
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Random Stuff Around Eorzea
The Ascians failed to kill Ququshu, but this group of random antelopes nearly succeeded:
I’m so happy to get to spend time with Tataru again:
One of my quest rewards here is a wind-up… well, I was gonna say “Wind-Up G’raha Tia,” but it’s just called “Wind-Up Mystel.” The description: “Modeled upon no one in particular. No, really.”
OH LORD, THE DESCRIPTION. It’s because he didn’t want to be mourned too particularly, right? This is the Crystarium’s way to honor the letter of G’raha’s wishes.
Some great names seen recently:
Eileen Crow (a great Bloodborne NPC)
Buddy Whasisname
Schmoo Zee
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Next time: The 5.3 MSQ is done. When I was doing some FATE hunting in the Lochs for the Yo-Kai event, I saw an unlock quest with the word “Sapphire” in it. Will check that out, as I assume it has to do with Sapphire Weapon.
