Honoring the Past (Steel Vigil Lore)

House Haillenarte Knight Wrote:Several moons ago marked the anniversary of the passing of Ser Chlodebaimt, son of House Haillenarte. He was lost to us in a horrible battle at the Steel Vigil. His sacrifice saved a great many lives that day, and so every year a memorial service is held in his honor. However, the Rose Knights of Camp Cloudtop, defending their post against the Vanu, were not present. Needless to say, their attendance was sorely missed. We've received no missives from Camp Cloudtop regarding the ceremony, but at the very least, I am certain Rontremont wished to pay his respects. He is a good friend, and once served under Ser Chlodebaimt. This was the battle standard raised during the ceremony. It would mean a great deal to me if you would take it to him. Considering he was unable to attend, I think he would be pleased to have it.

Rontremont Wrote:Good day to you, adventurer. What can I do for you? This a battle standard from the memorial service? But it's so tattered, ravaged by flame and stained with the blood of battle. It brings to mind memories both dark and lovely. Never again will I experience battles so grand. We thought ourselves spared having survived the Calamity, but then came the likes of Svara and Safat... Had it not been for Ser Chlodebaimt, the list of casualties would have been endless. He was a quiet man, but the boldness of his actions spoke volumes. One only dreams of serving under such a fine commander. I appreciate the sentiment with which this was sent, but I am not worthy of such a precious memento. Lady Laniaitte is his sister, and her heart must surely ache for missing the service. If anyone should have it, it is she.

Laniaitte Wrote:Hello there, Sounsyy. Is there something you need?
...The battle standard from Steel Vigil. You are too kind. This is a most unexpected gift. My brother was a good person. Insightful, deeply caring, and a man of great integrity. Since taking command here at Cloudtop, I see that more clearly than ever. He was loved and respected by everyone, his subordinates perhaps most of all. Our dear brother Francel even transferred to central Coerthas hoping to avenge him someday. I thought if I left, transferred to an outpost far removed from that tragedy, the past would simply fade away and I could move on. But to see this... I sometimes wonder if his death was the catalyst to spark the decline of our house. But for his sake, I will not let our name be besmirched. I shall always be proud to be of House Haillenarte.

Dusk Vigil Journal

Quote:To whoever reads this - if there is anyone left to read it - let it be known that I, Ser Pascaleret Neurtaille, born witness to Dalamud's fall. The lesser moon's descent, the black doom which emerged from within, the flames which spread across the horizon, turning night to day - it shall haunt me for the rest of my days.

It is the dawn of the "Seventh Umbral Era," according to some of the men. I told them to put no stock in the ravings of the prophetess, but even I do not know what to believe anymore. The engineers are still surveying the damage, but anyone with eyes can tell that the Dusk Vigil is beyond repair. Some walls are hardly fit to be called as such, piles of crumbling masonry as they are.

The officers have been pleading with Ser Yuhelmeric, asking him to order a withdrawal. He knows our position is untenable, yet he refuses. "We will hold it to the last, for we are the shields on the wall - the defenders of the Holy See," he says. He is a brave, pious man. Less so, we who serve under him.

The men we rescued from the collapsed wing have no fared well. Given our dwindling supplies and this seemingly endless blizzard, we may be forced to make difficult decisions soon.

This unseasonable weather grows worse with every passing day, and the toll it has taken on morale is plain. We have yet to receive reinforcements from the Holy See, and I fear none shall come. Nevertheless, Ser Yuhelmeric remains steadfast in his decision and will suffer no talk of withdrawal.

Ser Yuhelmeric's steward tells me he passes hours in the chapel, praying to the Fury for guidance... But I chanced to see him once, as he knelt before the statue. His eyes were transfixed upon the jewel in her crown, and he was whispering things I dare not write.

Ser Yuhelmeric has taken men into his confidence. He says I am an honest man. I wish I were a braver one.

The mutiny has been quelled. Among the starving, half-mad knights were Ser Yuhelmeric's most trusted officers. He wielded the axe himself. Ser Yuhelmeric received me in the chapel afterwards. I told him we will not last a fortnight without food. He smiled and told me that the Fury has blessed us with a bounty of fresh meat, then returned to his prayers. I joined him.

"O Halone, pray forgive your humble servant. For too long have I let fear rule my heart, and in my cowardice I have been party to unspeakable acts. I know now I shall never see my children again - nor would I want them to look upon their father's face... and what it has become. I am outside Her grace."

For those curious, here's the backstory of why Ser Yuhelmeric (who was a pretty cool guy in 1.0) went mad and kept staring at the jewel atop the Fury's head in the Dusk Vigil.

Wealdtheow Wrote:At last, it is ours once more... My parents presented this sapphire to me on my wedding day, as my wife and I presented it to Yuhelmeric on his. One day, they would do the same for their son... But for that disgrace of an inquisitor! Suspicion of heresy, what rot! He knew what he wanted from the start.

...By the time I secured her release, they had interrogated her for days. She...she was a shadow of her former self. But the final insult─the final twisting of the knife─was when my son took command at the Dusk Vigil and found the ice rondel to be the centerpiece of the newly commissioned sculpture of the Fury. He couldn't prove it was the selfsame one which had vanished, but, oh, he knew... But no more, no more! It is back with the family, where it belongs.

Wealdtheow de Brillelame is Ser Yuhelmeric's father. Ser Yuhelmeric appeared multiple times in 1.0 and before the Calamity was the Lord Commander of House Durendaire's Knights. However, as outlined above, when a corrupt Inquisitor accused the man of heresy, he was shamed and banished to serve on the Dravanian Front in the Dusk Vigil.

Dalamud Nigh
-Dalamud Nigh: Fear Spreads as Lesser Moon Burgeons, Reddens

Quote:High above the Twelveswood, the raven circles, evermore seeking out truth hidden amongst the shadows of the trees. In today's edition, field correspondent Oliver Goodfellow examines the social upheaval that has come about on account of the recent changes exhibited by the lesser moon Dalamud.

Consensus Eludes

For those who are unfamiliar, legend holds that the greater and lesser moons are respectively the goddess Menphina and her loyal hound, Dalamud. Since time immemorial, the two have been engaged in an unending dance across the heavens.

Although there was never any doubt that Dalamud has been growing larger and redder in recent moons, till now most folk had been going about their lives without paying the celestial body much heed. However, so great are the changes the lesser moon has exhibited of late, one can no longer gaze up at the sky and fail to be racked by a sense of foreboding.

Ever since Dalamud began taking on a crimson hue, countless theories have been in circulation seeking to explain the anomaly. A great many believe that Menphina's hound is bathed in the blood of a vile fiend who had designs upon his mistress's life, even as others swear that the changes portend the Seventh Umbral Era. Yet another theory, originating from the Holy See of Ishgard, claims that the phenomenon signals the awakening of the great wyrm Nidhogg, who has lain in deep slumber for the past two decades.

Over in Thanalan, the wealth-minded Ul'dahns can be relied upon to turn any situation into profit, and that is precisely what they are doing at this very moment. Wares of questionable utility, the sale of which could only be described as fraud, have emerged in such numbers as to fair flood the market. It is difficult to decide whether the Ul'dahns are deserving of admiration or contempt for this peculiar brand of stoicism in uncertain times.

Were it only coin that folk are being deprived of, there would not be so much cause for complaint. Alas, the present climate of fear has given rise to doomsday cults, the most prominent among which is called the Lambs of Dalamud. The cultists hold the lesser moon as their god and savior, and dark rumors run rampant of live sacrifices being offered in the name of their twisted faith. Reports of missing persons grow in frequency, and citizens are urged to refrain from wandering the streets unaccompanied between dusk and dawn.

Revisiting the Past

“The future is but a reflection of the past”—so wrote Saint Coinach, who dedicated his life to excavating the ruins of the ancient Allagan Empire that the wisdom of ages past might be recovered. Inspired by his words, this reporter paid visit to the Quiver's Hold and requested permission to peruse the records of old.

For over 150 years, the men and women of the Gods' Quiver have held vigil over the Twelveswood's skies for Ixali dirigibles. The logs which they keep are so meticulously detailed as to include mention of the weather. Browsing through the nigh endless piles of parchment bearing such information, I finally came upon that which I sought: a reference to a blood-red Dalamud from ten summers past. On the night in question, an archer on duty at a guard station in the East Shroud noted that the lesser moon was giving off a reddish glow and promptly reported the development to Stillglade Fane. This anomaly, however, proved to be fleeting; by the time dawn broke, Dalamud had reverted to its normal hue, with scarce more than a handful of souls having borne witness to the baffling occurrence.

Only once before in living memory has the lesser moon been observed undergoing this phenomenon of sanguineous swelling. What was it that triggered that first recorded case, and is there any common ground between then and now? Despite the best efforts of Eorzean scholars, the answers to these questions yet elude our knowing. In the meantime, I shall join the citizens in the collective prayer that those subscribers to the apocalypse theory will be proven wrong.

Oliver Goodfellow

Coerthas Pummeled!
-Coerthas Pummeled: Mystery Meteors Fall En Masse

Quote:High above the Twelveswood, the raven circles, evermore seeking out truth hidden amongst the shadows of the trees. In today's edition, field correspondent Oliver Goodfellow examines the social upheaval that has come about on account of the recent changes exhibited by the lesser moon Dalamud.

Meteor Storm
The region of Coerthas, situated in the central area of Abalathia’s Spine, is reeling from the destruction wrought by a violent barrage of meteors. We have heard similar reports of meteor impacts and their effects on the native monster population, but never before have these celestial rocks fallen in such numbers within such a brief time, and never with such devastating focus on a single area.

The utter confusion left behind in the wake of this disaster can be no more evident than in the account of a local shepherd, who claims to have seen a great chunk of stone tear itself from the ground and fly straight up into the sky. Can we attribute this unlikely tale to a mind suffering from shock? Or might a force even more unnatural be at work here?


Scouts Lost?
News of the Coerthas meteor storm has sent the Order of the Twin Adder into a frenzy of activity. According to our sources, a squad of Eorzean Alliance scouts previously dispatched to the region has failed to report back. Efforts to ascertain the squad’s fate continue amid fears that the soldiers perished in the sudden, brutal downpour.

Putting thoughts of this tragedy aside, one might wonder why the Eorzean Alliance felt it necessary to send a reconnaissance party into what is ostensibly Ishgardian territory. I suspect an “imperial concern” featured prominently in the decision, though liaisons for the Order remain resolutely tight-lipped on the subject. As I pore over reports detailing the ever-increasing number of imperial warships on course for Mor Dhona or Coerthas, I am unable to suppress a mounting sense of dread.

One can only pray that the Order gains swift control of the situation, and sees fit to release a statement free of alarming obfuscation.

Oliver Goodfellow

To find out what happened to those Scouts, feel free to watch this first cutscene from the 1.0 GC Quest "To Kill a Raven"

To Kill a Raven