it is always narratively correct to make your characters sleep together before they sort through the hundreds of lies and misdirections between them. make things worse make things worse make things worse #i love betrayal #i love lying #i love people feeling bad about themselves
"The Walker's Path," and what it tells us about Minfilia
"The Walker's Path" is one of five short stories in the collection Tales from the Calamity, released for the one-year anniversary of A Realm Reborn. I was originally writing a post with my thoughts on all five stories, but as Minfilia is a favorite of mine, I found I had quite a bit more to say about this one, and I didn't want to bury it—so it gets its own post! This is in part a review of the story itself, and in part an analysis of how it fits into the larger picture of Minfilia's character.
This story explores Minfilia's history and her relationship with various other characters. Lore-wise, this story is indeed really interesting… and for that reason especially I wish it were better written.
The opening sequence is a rushed and fragmented summary of the death of Minfilia's father and her subsequent adoption by F'lhaminn Qesh. Even having some knowledge of those events, it was confusing for me to read. It leans heavily on the reader's familiarity not only with Minfilia as a character, but with the events of her father's death as seen in 1.0. I can't imagine how unintelligible this segment would be if you were a new player completely unfamiliar with the original game. It's also completely unclear why Minfilia would initially blame herself for her father's death, to the point that on a first read, when I read "My fault," I thought the story had suddenly switched to another character's POV.
After that opening sequence, the focus shifts over to Thancred. It's mentioned that it was Thancred who slew the rampaging goobbue, but it's not made clear that he was not one of the party that set it loose. I've actually seen the idea floating around that it was Thancred who killed her father, which is wrong, but if someone got that impression from reading this jumbled story, I could hardly fault them for the mistake. Especially since Thancred is framed here through Minfilia's eyes as a liar, the same way she frames the people who were responsible for her father's death.
It's kind of a mess.
That's not to say, though, that there's nothing good here; in fact there's a lot, which is why I wanted to take some more space to talk about it. It is, for better or for worse, probably the deepest exploration we get into Minfilia's interiority as a character, revealing some vital things about her that her that the game fails to convey.
Game!Minfilia is ever-giving, ever self-effacing, ever ready to throw herself on the sword for the sake of others and for the greater good. Game!Minfilia never shows anything but affection for the adoptive mother (a woman only ten years her senior) who was partially responsible for her father's death. Game!Minfilia never expresses anything but smiling gratitude to Thancred for "watching over her." One of my biggest frustrations about Minfilia's role in Shadowbringers is the way her sacrifice (and by extension, what Ryne is going through as well) is made all about Thancred's feelings rather than, you know, her own. Beyond her fierce protectiveness of Ryne's agency and her determination that she be the last child made to suffer in this way, we are given little of her own feelings—sorrows, resentments, regrets—about her fate, and the terrible choices she has had to make to keep the First from total destruction long enough for the Warrior of Light to arrive. She goes into that good night smiling placidly and thanking her friends for their love.
This story shows us a more interior Minfilia, and the emotions Game!Minfilia has seemingly learned to mask from others: anger, resentment, distrust.
Here, we see that Minfilia initially hated F'lhaminn for her part in the parade disaster, playing along with the adoption only as a means to remain in hiding from the Garleans who hunted her. It would be a lot more powerful if the story gave us any indication of how Minfilia grew to love F'lhaminn beyond "And then, one day, it wasn’t [a lie] anymore." I guess I’d rather have something than nothing—but given that Minfilia was orphaned and adopted at age 12, there’s something really grim about her being forced to form a familial bond with one of the people who orphaned her just so she could survive. I’m not saying that F’lhaminn is an irredeemable person, or that it’s implausible that Minfilia could eventually forgive her. I am saying that it would feel a lot more plausible and a lot more interesting if we had some sense of how that relationship had changed over time, and some sense of Minfilia’s own agency in forgiving her and accepting her as a mother figure.
We also see a Minfilia who is much more skeptical of Thancred, this "bard" who has "drifted in and out of her life for years." Even after all those years (she is now eighteen), Minfilia seems to doubt him, questioning inwardly whether he even is the age he told her he was, and needling him about his womanizing tendencies. When she recalls telling Thancred about the Echo, it's "in a moment of weakness." Though it's insisted to us at various points in the game that Thancred sees her as a sister, there is a strange dynamic between the two of them in this story:
As they sat down together at the quieter end of the bar, she was struck by the intimacy of their collusion, and felt a flush creep up her neck.
While this doesn’t necessarily mean that Minfilia has any romantic feelings toward Thancred, or the reverse, the writer here chooses to emphasize Minfilia’s awareness that they might be read that way. I’m not here to push for any one reading of the relationship necessarily, but I think it’s noteworthy. On the whole, this story seems to bring a sense of ambiguity to Minfilia and Thancred’s relationship beyond the sibling dynamic Thancred himself will insist that they have. I don’t think that’s a bad thing! I wouldn't mind seeing more it.
The tension between them in the story them only grows when Thancred gives Minfilia a letter from Louisoix, revealing that he has told his mentor of Minfilia's experience with the Echo without her consent. This Minfilia does not passively accept this breach of trust. She's angry. She even reaches for the dagger that Thancred himself has just given her! Though she stops short of attacking him, and consents to read the rest of the letter, it's clear that in that moment, she feels betrayed and unsafe in his presence. Even when he tells her about the Circle of Knowing, “devoid of affectation” as she has rarely if ever seen him, she still thinks he might be lying to her.
Now that's interesting. And something that the game never gives us with these two characters.
I've compared Thancred and Minfilia to Urianger and Moenbryda before, not because the relationship dynamic is the same, but because I think the latter succeeds as an onscreen relationship where the former fails. It's pretty clear that the writers assumed players already knew Thancred's relationship to Minfilia, and so it's really not developed at all in ARR. By contrast, brief though Moenbryda's time with us was, her dynamic with Urianger is vividly established onscreen—not just their affection for one another, but also their differences and the tensions between them. And fans love that tension! Whether as a romance or a friendship, so many people find that dynamic compelling.
Even a single disagreement between Thancred and Minfilia in the game could have gone a long way in making their dynamic more interesting—and showing how they do care for one another. Seeing how two people weather conflict often tells you a lot about how they love one another. How much more interesting would both Minfilia and Thancred be in ARR, if we got to see her get angry at him even once?
A running theme throughout this story is I am not ready. Young Ascilia thinks this when she witnesses her father’s death at such a young age. Minfilia thinks it again when Thancred tells her that her gift is the key to saving that world, and that she cannot run from her “legacy.”
I am not ready to face this, Minfilia thinks. But I will.
And here, we see an interesting, if brief, shift. The vast majority of this story is Minfilia reacting to outside forces, others acting upon her—her father being killed, F'lhaminn adopting her somewhat against her will at first, Thancred continually resurfacing in her life and pushing her toward Louisoix.
But now, we see Minfilia take the initiative, and make a decision. It is she, this story tells us, and not Louisoix, who first conceives the idea for the Path of the Twelve, to bring together those gifted with the Echo to share their experiences and better understand their gift. It is Louisoix who cautions Minfilia, reminding her that "many are wont to fear the gifted." He does not disapprove, but urges her to secrecy, saying, "…do not let your true intentions become known."
This caution, it is worth noting, is given to the daughter of an Ala Mhigan resistance member, who has herself lived the last six years of her life in hiding and under an assumed name. A young woman who has already learned to veil her intentions and look upon even the people closest to her with suspicion.
A girl who, since her father’s death, has been unable to fully trust anyone.
This, again, is a Minfilia I think the game largely fails to convey to us. And yet, I would not say it's inconsistent with the Minfilia we see, either.
I've written before about the frankly bizarre interactions we witness between Krile and Thancred. These characters are Minfilia's supposed best friend and self-styled brother figure—and yet they appear to know next to nothing about one another. This speaks, intentionally or not, of a person whom many people felt close to, yet who rarely spoke of herself and her life.
This is further borne out, I think, in the Warrior of Light's own interactions with Minfilia. On a few occasions she confides in them about her worries for the Scions, for Eorzea. Frequently we see her concerned for others—for Thancred, for F'lhaminn, for Krile. But rarely if ever does she willingly reveal anything about herself or her past. She does not tell us of her history with Thancred (and indeed, in the English version at least, many players seem to come away from ARR confused as to what their deal is). We only hear about her adoptive mother from Alphinaud (who is himself quite dismissive of Minfilia's feelings in ARR). In plot points related to Ala Mhigo, any mention of Minfilia's own heritage is conspicuously absent.
And this is a complicated point, because I am not entirely sure it was intentional, and even if it was, it still ties back into a pattern in FFXIV wherein female characters are afforded far less interiority—by which I mean, the writing spends a lot less time, if any, exploring their inner lives, their hopes, fears, hang-ups, and histories. When you place characters like Minfilia and Y'shtola next to characters like Urianger and Thancred, the difference in treatment is absolutely glaring. I have been and remain extremely critical of that aspect of the game.
Nonetheless, I will still take what development we get for characters like Minfilia, and I'm still interested in what conclusions we can draw from it. And what I think we can draw from Minfilia is a character whose disarming warmth and friendliness and generosity of spirit very effectively divert attention from the traumatized and deeply wary young woman who knows acutely the dangers of telling anyone too much. This is a woman who has deeply internalized that any vulnerability you reveal can and will be used, even by those who say they love you and would do anything to protect you.
This story lends some context too to the naming of the order, "The Path of the Twelve"—intended to blend in as "but one in a sea of obscure religious sects devoted to the pursuit of spiritual knowledge." Minfilia herself thinks of the order's purpose as "a lie woven with the truth."
Before she took over leadership of the Scions, in other words, Minfilia was already accustomed to guiding a covert organization. This, I think, lends a lot of context to the way the Scions are organized in ARR: they’ve moved their headquarters to a remote location at a distance from the nearest aetheryte, they use a code phrase to identify friends and allies, they have their members observe and scout potential recruits for some time before bringing them in. I’ve written before that the Scions in ARR are more akin to a resistance group than a business. And why wouldn’t they be? Their leader is Ascilia, daughter of Warburton, agent of the Ala Mhigan resistance.
Ironically, I think the extreme amiability the writers seemed to be going for with Game!Minfilia, a major quest-giver in both 1.0 and ARR, may have backfired in terms of fan reception. As a fan of her, I'll admit, I've sometimes been a bit taken aback by the sinister motives some players attribute to her warmth and friendliness. Some of that is personal taste, for sure, and some players will always chafe against a Designated Best Friend character in RPGs—even Haurchefant has his detractors, though I'd say a lot fewer of them. I would also venture to say that gender plays a role—players on the whole tend to be more hostile to female characters asking them to do things, and more receptive of male characters doing the same. All that said, there probably is something to be said for the fact that if a character seems too flawless on the surface, the audience will go looking for flaws.
In the portion of the story about Minfilia's relationship to Louisoix, there are also echoes of her earlier troubled relationships with F'lhaminn and Thancred. In light of those, it is impossible for me not to feel some ambivalence in Minfilia's coming to consider Louisoix like "family"—like a father, even. Though it is Minfilia's choice to found her order, it is Louisoix who pushes her to take up the mantle of leadership for the Circle of Knowing as well, should he not return.
Though I think we are meant to see this story as Minfilia rising to the challenges she did not choose, I remain troubled by the lack of agency it affords her, that every important thing that happens to her and every important relationship in her life is the result of someone else forcing those things upon her.
And there’s a grim reflection of this, isn’t there, in what happens to the Minfilias in the First? In her desperate efforts to hold the flood of Light at bay, Minfilia becomes the outside force shaping the lives of these young girls, imposing this destiny upon them—just as hers was forced upon her. She is fully aware of the cruelty in it—her words to Thancred say as much. Yet her own history taught her that her wishes mattered less than the greater good—that the world would not wait for her to be ready. And so it is with the young girls who bear her name, and her “gift.”
Even in the single paragraph that summarizes Minfilia’s work in the five years following the Calamity, she is framed as waiting for the one prophesied by Louisoix: “one who bears the light … who is gifted like you.”
It could have been pretty interesting to hear about the things Minfilia did during those five years, the choices she made, the progress and the setbacks as the Scions struggled to move forward. But no, all of that is just glossed over in the narrative as Minfilia awaits the next person who will shape her destiny—and only upon meeting them, thinks, at last, I am ready.
I know this is supposed to be pleasing to the player as it emphasizes the specialness of the Warrior of Light, but to a fan who is interested in the character of Minfilia for her own sake, it’s absolutely maddening.
Because of that whole sexism thing, of course, I can’t honestly say that giving Minfilia more complexity in ARR, more exploration of her past trauma and ambivalent feelings about her position, would have made her more popular—it might even have done the opposite. I do think, however, that it would have been more interesting.
And I think it sort of speaks to that failure to adequately develop her character in ARR that this short story tries to do so much—to explore such a broad span of her life and so many relationships in one short piece. That’s really the misstep here, I think—in trying to fill in the gaps ARR left, this story tries to do far too much at once. Frankly, this could be amazing had it been expanded into a series of short stories, focusing on the different relationships in Minfilia's life: her father, F'lhaminn, Thancred, and Louisoix, all leading up to her meeting the Warrior of Light. As it is, the story clearly wants to draw the connections between these relationships, but with so little space to develop them, it feels very rushed, it fails to convey some important information that new players in ARR would be missing, and in skimming over so much it ends up further emphasizing Minfilia’s lack of agency in her own story.
Nonetheless, I’m grateful for what it does give us, even as it makes me wistful for what we could have had in the game.
Edited to add: The GamerEscape wiki has the full text of the story with extensive footnotes, providing a lot of context from 1.0 that returning players would have been expected to understand, including several things I myself was unaware. Essential material if you want to understand everything this story is referring to! Thank you, loremongers and wiki editors for your service. 💙
Edited to add a link to the GamerEscape wiki's extensive footnotes on this story, which provide a lot of addition context that 1.0 players would have been expected to know. Thank you loremongers and wiki editors for your service. 💙
As much as I love Shadowbringers and Endwalker, it's so hard to read other people's posts about their love for it because, they always drag down the previous expansions.
Like, yes, SHB and EW are peak expansions that I personally don't think anything new will ever truly live up to, but. man. It's so disheartening to hear people talk so poorly about ARR through Stormblood. ARR is fantastic once you get past the initial introductory phase and if you are lucky to not have to rely on the world's worst EN localisation and does a masterful work of laying down the groundwork for the rest of the game.
I see so many posts where it's someone asking "hey! I've seen you talk about Shadowbringers a lot, is the game worth it?" and the answerer rightfully sings of the expansion's praise but then. Immediately goes into dragging the previous expansions like "the expansions are absolutely miserable to get through but you sadly have to play them in order to actually understand SHB's story" like!!! no!!! The expansions play off each other so well and even if there are certain stories that don't work as good, they are still good stories worth experiencing!!!
I also just think in general saying that the first three expansions—which at minimum takes about 300 hours if you're being thorough—are terrible while trying to convince someone to play the game is. a surefire way to make that person not play the game.
I'm inviting you all to come celebrate Arsay's nameday (aka my ffxiv anniversary) on Saturday, June 6th from 1 - 3 pm EST @ Materia, Bismark with a good 'ol Costa del Sol Beach Party!!
Come hangout, chat, draw, pose with friends, cast a line off the bloodshore, and if there's enough of us maybe queuing into some PvP??? in your best beach attire for 2 hours 🏖️
I started writing and then the more I thought about it the more I realized that it would be deeply unsatisfying to write the getting together scenes without first writing the years of development leading up to it so now I'm outlining that lol
I would've waited till October again, but I was too excited. 😌
As always, any and all ships/pairings are welcome! As well as any kid of media: writing, gposes, art, whatever you fancy. ♥ Just tag with #woliangerweek2026 !
"Gods, I'm starved..."
A hand rested at her stomach as she spoke, the gleaner braced herself against the white stone wall as the two made their way down on of the many poorly kept paths in Aleport. Arsay turned to face her current company, a bright-eyed Miqo'te of the Y and someone she knew since her childhood in the Drivianian Hinterlands, Y'shtola Rhul.
"Hey. Shtola. Don't suppose it's your turn treat me for a meal is it? I’ve only enough coin for the ferry back home..."
Were it any other by her side she'd not dare plead so openly, however, with this archon there was little reason not to be completely honest from the start. Even still, the instant feeling of regret rushed through Arsay as her walking partner's lips twisted into a mischievous grin and a particular twinkle in those aqua-green eyes flashed. There was no doubt the impending doom of being teased by a good friend loomed over her now...
"Curious. I seem recall our earlier conversation in which you boasted about being one of the most sought after gleaners in all of Sharlayan. One could only assume you would have the finances to back up such claims." said Y'shotla, her voice rich in a playfully mocking tone Arsay had grown all too familiar with. As fast as Y'shtola was on the attack, Arsay matched her speed on the defence.
"What I said is true! Factually, I've more unique clientele then the average gleaner! ...It just so happens said clientele aren't always very reliable at paying their due." Arsay added with a pout. A part of her knew full well this was only going to drag her deeper into trouble with her friend. But between that and withholding her circumstances it still felt like the better option. The overstuffed backpack acted as a cushion as she leaned further onto the wall, "One in particular has racked up quite the bill." She spoke with a heavy sigh hoping some visible distress could at least earn a few sympathy points. Go easy on me, was the plead that sigh carried out.
No, you asked for this, was the smug reply drawn from Y'shtola's raised eyebrow. Alas, Arsay had made the critical mistake of presenting her incredibly clever, thoughtful, and kind-hearted friend with a problem who's solution was so simple she would have had to been an outright fool not to see it herself. And because Y'shtola was so thoughtful, and so kind, and so clever, it was up to her to present the obvious to her fool of a friend.
"Right. And have you considered, perhaps, not accepting new requests until past debts are paid in full? Alternatively, prioritizing those who are consistent in their compensation?"
Arsay rolled her eyes in response to Y'shtola's expectant gaze. The gleaner could handle her fair share of patronizing sarcasm; who couldn't when most everyone you work for is some kind of scholar determined to sound like they know more then you regardless of subject. "I'm looking for that horn-key-thing on my side if things the best that I can. Not once has it left the docket. But let me just say looking for an Elezen with no shadow isn't as easy as it sounds." The seeker clicked her tongue to this as she always does when the subject it brought up. "And do trust that I've tried saying no! But then he looks at me with this hopeless expression- like a cute, little, lost kitten- and I feel compelled to help! It's all for his Archon thesis. You recall how strict the citation process was for that, do you not? Needing only, uh..."
Y'shtola's tail flicked, "Primary sources." She finished.
"Exactly!" Arsay snapped her fingers, "Anyroads, seems like every other day he's asking for some relic or tome that gets me travelling all ends of Hydaelyn. The travel expenses alone... whew."
Arsay forced a laugh hoping to bring some levity to the conversation. The chuckles quickly trailed off when all she was met with was a very serious frown. She wasn't sure what part it was exactly, but something in what she just said certainly did not sit well with her friend. The seeker's ears were ever so slightly tucked back against her head and something decidedly more vicious had replaced the playfulness in her expression. Not a moment longer passed before the archon released that ever sharp tongue of hers.
"The path to archonship is not one to be tackled by the ill prepared. If his sources are so difficult to obtain that it has run you into the red, then the issue lies in his faulty arguments. Were I in your shoes I would suggest he quit this frivolity and turn his focus to matters more within his academic means." snarked Y'shtola, barely disguising her sudden indigence for a man she'd never met for authority over this situation.
"Oh come now, Shtola, don't be like that. He's really quite smart! It's a difficult topic is all." Arsay was quick to object as she crossed her arm unimpressed. "Lest you forget I helped shuttle tomes and materials to you during your own thesis writing days; more then you could reasonably keep track of by the end of it. Not once did I ask you to open your coffers."
"Because," Y'shtola hissed back, "you are a dear friend, Arsay. This, however, is a different case entirely. This would-be archon of yours, he's but a-"
"A stranger? I seem to recall a dear friend telling me I aught to help as many of those as I can, just as she sailed away from home to do the same."
With a tilt of her head the gleaner's interjection fell upon Y'shtola like a bucket of water taken from the docks of Old Sharlayan. Frigid enough to shock the Seeker in her place. She drew a sharp breath, eyes glued to the uncommon sight of Arsay's frown as she denied her lungs their function. Slowly as her better senses had seemingly returned to her Y'shtola exhaled, "Yes. I suppose I did." Oh how she hated to lose an argument.
The gleaner put a consoling hand on Y'shtola's shoulder and smiled, "G'raha may be a stranger to you, Shtola, but to me he's a likely new friend. I trust him to make good on his word eventually. Even if he doesn't I'm satisfied enough I played some part in aiding someone achieving their dream."
"And what of your aspirations? To save enough coin as to become a free agent who can roam regardless of procurement contracts. That you would so quickly stray from that goal upon my absence would be," she averted her gaze as the words shamefully fumbled from her mouth, "...disappointing. For me."
That was it, wasn't it? The fear that she might lose out on a future they once spoke about as children- the two of them taking on the world together- that's what drove her to lash out just now. It had to be. In an instance Arsay felt her heart fill to the brim with warmth. So much so it threatened to overflow.
She took the archon's hand in her own. "Pray Shtola, don't doubt me so. I'd never dare break such an important promise." Arsay beamed. "We've our whole lives still ahead of us! More then enough time to even out my balances." The seeker looked up at her and smiled in return. "I don't mean to you keep you waiting too long," the gleaner continued, "but I know you'll find little trouble keeping yourself busy in the meanwhile. Though I ask you leave some of this realm's greater mysteries until such time that we can tackle them together." The gleaner's enthusiasm was as sincerer as it was infectious; and it was enough to reassure her friend.
"Hm," Y'shtola hummed as she mulled over Arsay's words. Her eyes drifted down towards her hand still cupped in the blue leather glove of her friend's. The archon's smile softened before she gently pulled it back and released it from Arsay's grasp. "I suppose I could make an attempt. Though I will not guarantee for how long I'll keep it up." She smirked and turned forward ready to put this whole conversation behind them.
"Are you still hungry?" Y'shtola asked.
Arsay perked up, "Famished!"
"Good. I could stand for some lunch as well. Come, there's an tavern some ways north of here." Y'shtola chuckled back as she began to make her way to their new trajectory; her closest friend right behind her.
it would be really funny if the elfs from sharlayan werent nearly as fake french as the elves in ishguard so they would say their names with all the letters that would usually be silent and the ishguards fucking hate it
Fuck Meyer-Briggs whatever typology. This INTFP shit is only for redditors up their own asses to substitute for a personality. Use my new typology instead!
origamiaround
theartofmadeline
prguitarman
baratheonpilled
ellievsbear
amandla
discoholicmusic
romaincrisis
snowghoul
