Summary: Emerald Weapon. Valens is the worst person in Final Fantasy XIV.
TW: child abuse, torture.
This session concludes the Shadowbringers trial storyline I last touched about three months back: http://coldrungaming.blogspot.com/2020/09/ffxiv-p...
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Blood of Emerald
-In
the aftermath of Sapphire Weapon’s destruction, Cid has been
investigating the imperial facility at Terncliff. He learned of a third
and final weapon, Emerald Weapon.
OF COURSE it travels aquatically. I never beat it in FFVII, but it did scare the shit out of me whenever I ventured underwater.
-Ruby Weapon drew on the spirit of Nael. What will Emerald draw on?
-One
of the game’s easier trials, but I don’t see that necessarily as a
negative. If I crave more challenge, I can always try the extreme mode.
The MUSIC!!! God it was fantastic. Really loved that boss music.
Also cool to see the old version of Gaius as oversoul. Another turn of the screw to the current Gaius.
-I
think this is the last trial in the series, but in-game they imagine
the VIIth Legion could well be working on more. And we haven’t dealt
with Valens yet. [Later edit: I now know I was mistaken.]
-As
Cid investigates Emerald Weapon’s ruins, I get hit with an Echo
flashback to the orphan trio. Allie just learned about the sacrifice
Oversoul requires. WHY? Why give their lives for this?
ALFONSE:
“It all began the day Father left. Without his guidance, his
protection, the Garleans lost any respect they once had for us.”
It’s
what we saw in Stormblood: the choices for survival for “guests” in the
Empire who are looked down upon by and need to prove themselves.
-Huh, this takes it further. Alfonse emphasizes how Valens is the new factor, abusing them as test subjects.
ALFONSE:
“The Weapon project will give us the strength we need. We will create a
world where people like us can live without fear of persecution. We
want you to see this new world for yourself, Allie. Even if we must give
our lives to make it a reality.”
It’s not about survival for these three. They are actively looking to FIGHT the Empire!
-They lock up Allie to stop her from fighting their plan. Back to the present…
-…where we let Allie free, only for her to see another brother dead. GOD THIS IS BRUTAL.
-She’ll join us. But we also see that her back is covered in bruises. This is going to only get worse, isn’t it?
-Severa
(Gaius’ ally) says she went through the same thing as a Werlyt child.
I’m reminded of Yotsuyu. Severa joined the army for some security, but
Werlyt scorned her as a traitor and the army scorned her as a savage,
beating her frequently.
She eventually fled – and without her protection, her mother was refused medicine (as it’d be “wasted on a savage”) and died.
-It’s
also interesting to hear Gaius’ reaction. He believed in the Empire as a
place where strength is rewarded, but saw it as the duty of the strong
to lead and protect the weaker. He now sees how the “strong” in this
society just got drunk on power and abused those under them.
-Later. Allie is recovered enough to talk to us and tells her history after Gaius left.
-Valens was given command of her group to complete the Weapons project, abusing them as test subjects to speed things along.
ALLIE: “He’s jealous of you, Father.”
This whole plotline is about Gaius reaping what he sowed as part of the Empire.
-He
also left some positive legacies. The orphans saw Gaius’ selflessness
and wanted to emulate that by staying, taking the punishment in place of
those weaker than them.
-Allie really wants to save Alfonse, the only survivor at this point. I have no idea if that’ll work.
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Meanwhile, in the VIIth Legions’s imperial “Correction” chamber…
-Valens is torturing Alfonse, and that’s not the worst part. HE’S FORCING A CHILD TO DO THE TORTURE.
VALENS: “You see, something wicked has taken hold of this young man, and it’s our job to cleanse his troubled spirit.”
He’s right up there with Asahi for most awful and hateable characters in XIV.
-He forces the other children in the room to chant “Burn out the bad! Burn out the bad!”
This is incredibly tough to watch.
-Valens tasks Alfonse to pilot the next weapon and kill Gaius, no matter what. This is personal for him.
-Alfonse
is determined to see this through, to use the next Weapon to fight the
Empire. But how?? Valens is going to active Oversoul remotely once the
fight starts. He knows Alfonse is fully rebellious.
-We then see Valens march to a test site. Yup, Diamond Weapon is up next.
-They’re
going to use Zenos’ data for the Oversoul. And yet another Werlyt pilot
is here, acting as the sacrifice to protect his family. (Not that
Valens will honor that bargain.)
-Interesting.
The Oversoul works, but it turns the pilot into a ravening beast
screaming “Where is my prey?” A parody of Zenos. Valens needs something
more obedient.
My best guess is that Valens will make himself the next Oversoul.
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In Memory
-In
Werlyt, I meet a local named Avilina bore witness to the Weapon Project
horrors. Sounds like she’ll have a role to play in the fight against
Diamond.
And that’s it for this questline. I really thought
this would be the last one, but looks like we’ll be taking on Diamond
and FUCKING VALENS (that’s his real name) in 5.5.
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Next time: Returning to the MSQ.
