Side Blog for my characters in Final Fantasy 14: Mik'hal Zarasten, T'ikala Bhudi, Gale Bishop, Isobel Lancer, Kuroji Takatori, Lynea Angura, Gabriel Maerten & Ylaine Charlemond on Balmung. T'kalen Tia, Nicoletta De'Auvernay, Hotaru Yumitori, Akihiro Miyamoto, Zachariah Nelha, L'ahja Vanih, Subaru Shimada, & Caine Faulcon on Mateus. L'devah Fhey, Troy Maerten, Duq Tribeless, Edelwiess & Clematis Journey, Blu Dalmasca, Garaav Nioremont, & Billy Lee Black on Goblin server Follows & Likes come from my main blog: Runic-Keyblade
ffxiv is awesome because within the game's community it's widely known that there's an entire datacenter occupied by people with max level characters who don't know how to play the game and also taylor. and there's another entire datacenter occupied by people with max level characters who don't know what the game is about and also kessel
ive been doing roulettes on crystal since my criterion static is there. cross datacenter matchmaking is going to destroy these people. im playing paladin, a class i havent bothered to learn the exact rotation of because im not max lvl yet, and getting second on the damage chart in trials as tank. first in dungeons. im seeing mechanics i never knew about. im watching the same people get blasted out the ring four times in a row. mixing crystal and aether players is dumping baby seals into an orca tank. this is an arcane ritual. this is human sacrifice. rivers of roleplayer blood will stream from the altar to get dynamis queue times under 20 years
did you guys know that king thordan has a tower mechanic. no not the one during the add phase. I mean the first phase where it's just him swinging the sword. yeah there's a tower mechanic. ive seen it happen once and I think ive been a broken person since then #crystaltrialroulette
Urianger has a relatively small role in Stormblood, and yet looking at his part in it and in particular his interactions with Alisaie, there is something really touching in how deliberately he is trying to make amends, and the marked shift in their relationship. I've seen it said that Alisaie will never look at him the same way after his involvement with the Warriors of Darkness, and strictly speaking I don't disagree; it does represent a seismic shift in their relationship, and it will never be the exactly the same as it was before.
That said, I do think there is a reconciliation happening there over time.
When you look at how Alisaie speaks to Urianger in early Stormblood, she is downright chilly. Her "I trust you have no objections?" confirming that Urianger will stay behind on the diplomatic mission to Ala Mhigo is clipped and short, and Urianger's response is acquiescent.
When Urianger meets the eastern-bound Scions on the docks at Limsa Lominsa, Alisaie responds brusquely to his offering of prophecy, with a touch of annoyance. However, there is a shift in her tone when he presents her with the aetherial blade designed to allow to practice red magic in her unique manner without taxing her aether. The gift represents not only Urianger's concern for he safety, but his recognition of how Alisaie has changed since coming to Eorzea. There's a fitting symmetry to the fact that Alisiae's previous weapon, her grimoire, was given her by her grandfather (with a matching one to her brother) when the two of them enrolled in the Studium, an event of which Urianger is surely aware. Then, like now, Alisaie was about to embark on a new chapter of her life.
And indeed, I think there is significance to the fact that it was Alisaie's actions in particular that Urianger's machinations failed to account for. He failed to notice her following him, and I certainly don't think he predicted how instrumental Alisaie's new magical skills would be in holding back the Warriors of Darkness long enough for him to bring his plan to fruition. He therefore recognizes, in the aftermath, that Alisaie has grown in ways he had not seen or acknowledged. Now this gift represents his recognition and support of Alisaie's growth, her own ambitions and accomplishments.
Of course, a gift alone, even a meaningful one, is not enough to repair what's been broken. But the softening in her tone when she says, "And… take care."
In "The Seeds of Despair," while scouting for imperial patrols with the Warrior of Light, Alisiae will confide in them. If the Warrior of Light tells her she's gotten stronger, Alisaie will confess, "Urianger's gift was a godssend, to be honest."
After Alisaie is wounded by Fordola, Urianger comes to visit her at Rhalgr's Reach. This visit happens offscreen, so we don't know exactly what kind of conversation they had, but we do know that Alisaie told him about what happened to her. Other dialogue from Alisiae indicates that she blames herself for her recklessness, and regrets not being able to be present for the next push. But from Urianger's actions, it is clear that he understands there is more at play than Alisiae simply making a mistake. "When Mistress Alisaie unfolded to me the tale of her defeat," he later says, "I was much intrigued by the apparent ease with which Fordola, a theretofore unexceptional warrior, defied my lady's every attempt to do her harm." That he gleaned this from Alisaie's account alone suggests that he maintains great faith in her abilities, and he not only grasps the significance of what happened but is moved to act. Not only to protect Alisiae, though that is certainly a factor, but to unravel the curiosity of Fordola's newfound speed and skill. From there, he crafts a device based on Moenbryda's aetheric siphon, to help the Warrior of Light counter Fordola's abilities.
Words will not mend what has been broken, but I think Alisaie recognizes in Urianger's actions an attempt to make amends where he can. Interestingly, here in particular we have another instance of Urianger purposefully witholding information—but also being upfront about the fact that he is doing so. "To say more would endanger the plan, for ignorance is your shield." Once the critical battle is over, he readily explains himself—he dared not explain the function of the device, lest Fordola's synthetic Echo allow her to anticipate it. Between his relative forthrightness, and the success of the stratagem itself, no one seems to take issue with this particular gambit, including Alisaie.
By patch 4.3, we have Alisaie herself calling Urianger by linkpearl to give him updates on the situation. A subtle change, but in context one that I think speaks to an improvement in their relations. By 4.4, Alisiae is not only calling to update him but in hopes that he can offer some insight. Gone is the chilly tone of early Stormblood, gone her annoyance with his prophetic utterances. Now, with seemingly renewed confidence, she turns to him hoping for answers.
And when she greets him in "Prelude in Violet," it is with the words, "Urianger! Gods it's good to see you!" Only to see him collapse before her, and there is no mistaking the terror and distress in her response. And in 4.5, she laments, "Why did it have to be Y'shtola and Urianger, and not me? Out of all of us, they are the ones who could feasibly have solved this puzzle." Again, I think this speaks to a renewed faith in Urianger, and that over the course of Stormblood, a good deal of trust has been rebuilt between them. (And of course, Shadowbringers will bring its own developments! but that's another post for another day.)
Just after Urianger and Y'shtola's collapse, Alisaie makes a visit to Limsa Lominsa to see Ga Bu, the kobold boy whose parents were sacrificed to Titan in the Heavensward patches. It's a brief visit, and Alisaie recalls her heart-to-heart with the Warrior of Light back when she first met him. It's a significant callback not just for Alisiae's relationship with the Warrior of Light, but with Urianger. I wrote previously about how Ga Bu represents for Alisiae the worst of what Urianger did. It's not really about the fact that he lied, or even that the Warriors of Darkness hurt her, but that they brought harm to a lot of others with their misguided actions, and Urianger had a part in that even as he was ultimately aiming to thwart them. It was that, I think, that she really couldn't condone. And this visit to Ga Bu reminds us—and no doubt Alisaie—of that fact. That the damage was done, and cannot be undone.
Even so, Urianger has labored to make amends, and even so, Alisaie seems to have found herself open to reconciliation.
This 5.0 moment's so important to me because it thickly hints at soulsight/aethersight giving Emet free access to emotions. An empathy shortcut, lie detector, every perk that comes with a built-in scanner of living matter. He needs but take a look, and he knows how someone feels.
Emet-Selch: But it plainly concerns you. Which is why your heart is ready to burst out of your chest.
Emet-Selch: Despite the raging tempest in your bosom, however, you have never once opened up to your young charge. Now why would that be?
Emet-Selch: Love…?
Now that alone gives us a lot to work with, but I particularly love to think about Hythlodaeus having an even sharper soulsight. Together with Emet they could literally see what happens within each other's heart and soul, see when they're calm or excited or hurt or scared. Perfect understanding of each other. Perfect match.
Whether Azem did have soulsight or not is ofc up to personal hc, if not that's quite the reason why he evoked frustration in Emet. Imagine growing up (Hyth and Emet are canon childhood friends) with the default perfect understanding of your friend and then lover, and Azem's nothing like that, he can't SEE what's happening. Surely not every ancient had soulsight, it was a rare gift (at least as keen as Hyth and Emet's), but viscerally, deep down, growing closer with Azem must've still felt jarring. Emet loves this idiot so much, but there's always a subtle disconnect between them. As for Hyth, I suppose he's just used to Emet Feeling the Feels on a more intense level than most people, so he has to be the counterweight, the chill and reasonable guy in their throuple. Maybe he did feel frustration at Azem too, but assuming the role of the anchor always took priority. Someone had to be The Adult.
Am I just not following the right people or did the other Fanfest Berlin news overshadow the BIG news that we might soon get about HOUSING??
Like... Yoshi-P is implying some possibly insane stuff to happen that we will "be much happier about". I feel like, if it were just more wards, he'd simply say so. And for simply a new area, he wouldn't have mentioned WoW.
Am I the only one outside of some people on Twitter being all 👀👀👀 about this?
nero tol scaeva may not be my favorite ffxiv character but he's definitely one of the FUNNIEST ffxiv characters
highlights include:
killing the lights and fucking booking it when you defeat him, and then just straight up deserting the garlean army with absolutely no remorse or hesitation
leaving the praetorium and almost immediately posting up under a streetlight in a stupid outfit in revenant's toll like some kind of clown hooker, waiting to direct wol to the crystal tower questline JUST so he could involve himself, too
showing up in the middle of a major city not even slightly in disguise to walk up to a meeting of world leaders and say "now it's clear the problem you're having is that you haven't involved MEEEEEE"
accepting wearing an ironworks uniform but dying it red because #aesthetics
magical girl armor transformation
bonus: cid keeping his sunglasses and then just silently handing them back afterward as if they do this all the fucking time
getting attacked and injured but just refusing to tell anyone about it until he literally collapsed
sneaking out of the infirmary but not before forging cid's signature on his expense report
telling his fellow garleans that if all they were gonna do is whine and refuse any solutions to their problems they could just fucking die for all he cares
truly one of the characters of all time. he's like a horrible beetle man. i love him.
theartofmadeline
ellievsbear
prguitarman
gracieabrams
romaincrisis
snowghoul
