Eternal Darkness

Also, lookit dem Chocobo's jump :3 Also, if you skip to about the 8:50 mark, you can see the new gameplay trailer. Everything is in German, so it's more just eye candy at this point :3

After reading the Letter from the Producer XXXIV, and taking a look at the beautiful screen shots of the Gamescon event, I immediately went to you tube and found this little gem, enjoy! Sorry the quality isn't the best, it was taken from a cell phone or some such thing.

SNOW!!!!! :cheer: Also...dat interface! *om nom nom*

Are you accepting applications for 2.0 characters? I'm rolling a male Miqo'te, so instead of trying to RP now, I'll start after 2.0 comes out. Just seems simpler that way.

Ok, lol. The code was different than what I was trying to use. lol I suppose I'll pay more attention to the text editor. ;p

The Development team is holding yet another competition, this time for gear design! Players with an active FFXIV account are encouraged to come up with a design for an in-game ring design and submit that design to the Lodestone for consideration. So get those pencils out, Wacom's ready and Photoshop primed! Official post and rules. Read over for complete rules and regulations and entry method. Event Period: Friday, August 10, 2012 (PDT) to Monday, September 3, 2012 11:59pm (PDT) Prizes: Grand Prize: Self-designed item and exclusive in-game item Runners-up: Self-designed item (2 winners) Honorable Mention: Exclusive in-game item (7 winners)

There are three BBcode tags that I was looking at and have tested that aren't working on the RPC; the aforementioned [edit] and [rule] tags, and the offtopic tag, [ot]. I took some snap shots of what each one does: Rule: Basically creates a divider line to separate bodies of text, you can change the size and color of the line. Offtopic: The off topic tag creates a white box around surrounding the body of text within the code with an "Offtopic" label. This might be good for anyone RPing on the forums for an OOC reference. Just thought it would by nifty. Edit: This tag works similar to the Offtopic tag but instead gives an "Edit" label. So if you edit something, like on a news post or whatever, instead of making a large "EDIT:", this box cleans it up and makes it more noticeable, so people are more likely to see it. And I just found the {indent} tag, I didn't know there was an icon for it I also noticed the ordered and unordered list tags don't work. Not really, detrimental, but I just tried to use it for a news post. the regular {list} tag works though, so that's just as good ;3 And thanks for taking the time to read over this Kylin. [ol] [li]Item one[/il] [li]Item two[/il] [/ol]

I was wondering if it were possible to add some of the other BBCode tags that are out there, such as the [edit] tag, [rule] tag and some others that could potentially add a new element to some of the posts made here on the RPC, especially for those who write articles or who want to spruce up their Linkshell or RP events even further with some extra code. I saw that there's an option to add more BBCode tags if you're an administrator with the proper permissions. I'm not sure how difficult it is, but if it's possible it would be a really nice addition! :3 For those who write stories, I found a particularly nice BBCode tag that IS active on the RPC: the {indent} tag. What does this do? It creates an indent on the first line of a paragraph, so there's no more strict left flushing of your text. It might add some character to future stories or articles, giving them that official look. Here's an example of the tag at work. Ailith bowed deeply at her waist, placing her right arm over her stomach, palm flat and fingers straight. âGreetings Elda Ezrith. I hope the night finds you well.â Ezrith nodded to her, a wide smile spreading across his lips. âWell met, Twin Blade.â He replied in his deep voice that Ailith had always found pleasant. It had a certain musical quality to it, magical in its roots, that carried with it a pleasant baritone. Here's what it looks like in code view:

From the pen and ink of Kipih Jakkya comes the latest report: Travelers and militia alike have reported seeing imperial airships flying in formation over Mor Dhona, as well as reports of a massive Garlean fortress appearing in the western area of the region, seemingly overnight! I wont say too much on the matter, as even remembering the details sprouted goose flesh on my arms and shocks of uneasy nerves up my spine! Here is the full report. It's too early to know for sure, but the threat of an all out invasion seem imminent. In another, seemingly unrelated event, an article written by Oliver Goodfellow of Gridania's tabloid, The Raven, talks about a meteor storm that took place over Coerthas that caused a fairly goodly amount of destruction to the region. It is still unsure what caused these celestial objects to crash to the earth in this manner, but concerns have arisen; a Twin Adder scouting party in the region has failed to report in, creating unrest in the Adders Nest Here is a copy of the article for those who wish to read further into this matter. Signed, X

The thirty-third letter from the producer is up and ready for your reading enjoyment. This letter mainly discusses the new trailer for the game, the on that Kylin previously posted in the headlines section which can be viewed here. Yoshi-P briefly talks about his next trip: to Europe's Gamescon next week. Pour over the complete letter. Again, I'll be keeping my eye out for a stream.

Yay Ishgard! \o/

Well, this may not be news to everyone, but I figured I'd share it anyway. On August 15, Square Enix will have a booth at Europe's equivalent to E3, Gamescon. At this booth, the world will receive it's first view of live gameplay of FFXIV v2.0. That's exactly one week from today. I'm not entirely sure if this event will be streamed, but I'll be keeping my eye on it for the next week and if there is a stream, I will be sure you let you guys know. I don't see why there wouldn't be a stream... but you know how these tech shows can be. You can see Square's full lineup at Gamescon here: http://eu.square-enix.com/en/blog/gamescom-2012-line On a side note, I am interested to see Final Fantasy VII's return to the pc with some added features. Yes, I said Final Fantasy VII. Now, before you get your skirts all up in a knot, nothing graphical has been altered and no additional gameplay mechanics have been added. The only two things I saw, so far from the website anyway, were that they added achievements (36 of them) and the ability to save your game to a cloud, so no matter where you are, you can access your save from any computer you're on. Here's the official website for it: http://finalfantasyviipc.com/en It basically doesn't have anything we already know or haven't seen. Same old artwork, CG screen shots and wallpapers. But now, you can get the wallpapers in glorious 1920x1080!

I can't wait for this. They should have included male Miqo'te from the beginning. It's hard to RP a female character, being male. Then again, I haven't been doing much RPing... Oh yes, by the way; as far as a female Roegadyn goes, this is about as good as you're going to get: http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-19 ... female.jpg at least until Gamescon next week when Square will be showing exclusive gameplay for v2.0

I thought it was just me. No worries, I'll fix it ASAP. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I'm not sure why it started doing that.... Edit: It must have had something to do with my signature picture, I know it wasn't updating for a while, I'm a lvl 48 gld now, not 35. And I've leveled up a few other classes. But I removed it, so problem solved. Again, thanks for bringing it to my attention. I wish Enjin would hurry up and get on board with the server change and adapt their signatures thing

Even though I'm a Gridanian, I really like the one for Ul'dah. Some of the runner up one's aren't bad either. But I really do like the Gridania winner. :3

Last call to get your Goobbue mount before patch 1.23a arrives! If you don't have one, I would recommend you get one so you can stroll around 2.0 in style! EDIT: Patch 1.23a will go live on Monday, August 13, 2012. So grab that Goobbue while you still can! Obtain your mount: http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com/pl/topics/detail?id=d52b807ce88001620d7fe29038db74c478bf55ee Also, the winners of the previously posted event, "These Grand Company Colors Don't Run!" Have been announced and the winning banners, and the runner-ups, have been posted to the Lodestone and they're rather good! You can see all the banners here: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/50836-These-Grand-Company-Colors-Don%E2%80%99t-Run%21-Winners%21?p=772968&viewfull=1#post772968 Winning Banners: Order of the Twin Adder - Gridania Maelstrom - Limsa Lominsa Immortal Flames - Ul'dah

"False Festival Set to Snare Unsuspecting Once More!" They're back, and with a vengeance! The event last from Monday, July 30 until Monday, August 13. Details and more information can be found on the official Lodestone post: http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com/pl/topics/detail?id=2249a4597b4aeab411f27a8bbeb1c214d4cee7b9 Also, I really like what they did with the poster for this one:

A list of content that will no longer be available once the transition into A Realm Reborn begins has been posted to the Lodestone. This list includes the Goobbue mount, battles, cut scenes and guild marks. Take a moment to read over all the changes. http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com/pl/topics/detail?id=5abd95cb77c6c3a36511f99f700c9127bfe4e624

While perusing youtube, as I am won't to do, searching for guitar stuffs, I came across this little gem: [bBvideo 425,350] [/bBvideo] Thought I'd share it because it's Final Fantasy and it's awesome :3

Aye, as stated before hand, welcome to the RPC!

Edit Okay, in the ten minutes after posting this, another post was made to the Lodestone announcing that patch 1.23 has gone live, a day ahead of schedule if I'm remembering correctly. Doubled up the post for this one. The Grand Companies pages has been updated with Skirmish information giving some details about the locations, Turtleback Island and Locke's Lie, as well as some other tidbits. The patch update page is the same old same old, with links to what's being changed. I won't list it here because there's a lot of stuff. An interesting thing I will add is a new emote: /pray. Players can now take up a pray stance. The only thing missing is more story information, but I'm sure that will come with time! Links to the individual pages are as follows: Grand Company page: http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com/pl/company/maelstrom/index.html#news Patch 1.23 notes: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/50278?p=763502&viewfull=1#post763502 Edit: Oh yeah, with the new version update this week, the Goobbue mount will become unobtainable, so if you don't have it: Get it now! (the patch notes has a link to how to get one. There's no super long quest, just get to lvl 30 and go get it!) /pray emote:

Yoshi-P's 32nd Letter from the Producer is live for your reading enjoyment! A few things are detailed, as well as a July 26 release date for v1.23, the last version update until 2.0! Also, its summer time, so grab your yukata while it's hot! Pour over the complete letter here: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/50143 (I kinda took it upon myself to post some updates for those who don't regularly visit the lodestone, the last three posts on it weren't posted here. So, just keeping up with the times! )

A contest is being held by the Grand Companies of Eorzea, open to all adventurers, to show their pride in their nation as well as to rally against the impending Garlean threat by creating their own Grand Company banners! Official artwork is provided for use in creating your banner. Artwork download and rules can be found in the following link. Event period is from July 20, 2012 11:59PM (PDT) through July 27, 2012 5:59AM (GMT). http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/49973

Alright, it's finished and posted. Enjoy the read! Leave comments if you want to or contact me by any other means. Thanks.

[spoil]Fully written and posted.[/spoil] âThere, there. Itâs alright.â Ailith patted the top of the Goobbueâs head. It was nervous and anxious. She smiled slightly, rubbing the dark blue, leathery skin in an attempt to pass along some measure of comfort and looked up from her perch at the beastâs head, scanning the horizon. It was a clear, warm spring night with a slight westerly breeze that tussled her hair. The taste of the wind was sweet with new life, sounds of the night cascaded all around her in a pleasant cacophony. The soft glow of moonlight spread out over the green fields, giving it an ethereal, teal glow that was both warm, and inviting. All in all it was a beautiful night, almost perfect. Except for the lingering heft of uneasiness in the atmosphere. It started a little over a week ago. Ailith had been wandering the Twelveswood, going about her duty, when she felt a thickness fall about her like the humid air of a swamp on a hot summers day. It was palpable and thick. She felt a few times like she would choke just breathing in the rancid air, the thick warm moisture wadding up in the back of her throat and filling her lungs, making it difficult to breathe. At first, she panicked, thinking she had eaten something poisonous or perhaps someone had poisoned her. Those thoughts had passed when she didnât choke or suffocate and the air began to thin, only slightly, allowing her to breathe normally again, though what ever it was still hung heavy all around her. What ever it was, it thinned out over the next few days, but still left a foreboding weight clinging to the atmosphere. The next day she had received her summons, the way she always did, by a black Goldfinch. The tiny bird was conjured by the use of magic and sent out to all members of the Order. Each member was taught how to send the magical bird so contact with the others could remain as constant as possible without having to call a gathering. Ailith was somewhat surprised at the calling for a gathering in the missive. They usually only met twice each year, and their next scheduled gathering wasnât for another four months. The letter was short and to the point, five words only: Gathering. Foothills. Two weeks. Urgent. Ailith had recognized the handwriting to be Melfinaâs, the Night Mage, who rarely sent missives, let alone urgent oneâs. Whatever it is Melfina had needed to speak about must be extremely important, Ailith thought, and not giving any indication about what is more than just a little frustrating. She sighed as the Goobbue let out a low growl of impatience. Ailith understood the beasts uneasiness and wanting to flee this place. She had gotten gooseflesh more than twice sitting here, waiting. She had arrived at the foothills nearly two hours ago, less than twenty minutes before their normal meeting time as the moon reached its peak in the sky. Now it was well on its way to the horizon and still no one had shown up. Ailith was usually the one late to the gatherings. Not even Isaac, her brother, which she thought odd, had arrived on time. He was always punctual and arrived early along with Azrith or Tauten. But not tonight. Tonight it was her turn to be early. She was about to give up and head home when the familiar sound of a Goobbueâs heavy footfall came within earshot. Ailithâs ears twitched as they perked up to better hear the faint sound. It was coming from the east. Her own mount had stopped skittering, trading nervousness for momentary curiosity as it sniffed the air, aware of the approach of its own kind. Ailith gazed out over the horizon to her right and after several agonizing minutes of the steady stomping, growing louder as it approached, the blue beast crested the rise of the hill. Atop the Goobbueâs head sat an elderly Hyur Highlander with carefully plaited white hair and a long beard. He was garbed in a simple white cotton robe with no sleeves, leaving his still muscular arms bare to proudly display the tribal markings of his clan. She smiled and stood as the Highlander and his mount came to a stop before them. The two Goobbueâs moaned with joy to each other, reaching out with their spindly arms in greeting. Ailith bowed deeply at her waist, placing her right arm over her stomach, palm flat and fingers straight. âGreetings Elda Ezrith. I hope the night finds you well.â Ezrith nodded to her, a wide smile spreading across his lips. âWell met, Twin Blade.â He replied in his deep voice that Ailith had always found pleasant. It had a certain musical quality to it, magical in its roots, that carried with it a pleasant baritone. âI was beginning to think I was the only one who was going to show up,â Ailith said, rising to her full height, which, in comparison to his, was rather short. Azrith sighed and shifted his position slightly. âEvents out of my control prevented me from arriving in a timely manner.â He looked at his surroundings, his thick brows furrowing. âAre we the only two here?â âAye,â Ailith replied as she sat down, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around her shins then resting her chin between her knees. âIâm beginning to wonder how urgent Melfinaâs message really is.â âDonât be so quick to dismiss, child. Iâm sure that whatever Melfina has discovered is of enough importance to call a gathering or else she wouldnât have sent for us.â Ailith could only nod at the short lecture. The next half hour was spent in companionable silence, the minutes dragging out like hours. Ailith contented herself with picking strands of dry grass out of the soft carpet that was laid over the top of her mountâs head where she sat, thinking about nothing in particular. She pulled a rather long, however thin, blade of dry grass free from the carpet and pulled it close to inspect it. Upon her inspection, she noticed dirt underneath her fingernails. Sighing, unable to do anything about it, she tossed the dead blade over her shoulder and again rested her head upon her knees. She looked over to Azrith, finding him in a comfortable state of meditation. Ailith knew he was doing more than just clearing his mind; he was searching, trying to find the other members of the Order through deep magical bonds that allowed him to sense life signatures from a distance. He had told her once that it was like a spiders web, he sent out thin silk like strands of magic across the land with his mind, touching everything in their path allowing him knowledge of their location. It was also sensory; anything it had once touched, they could seek out until they found it. There were, however, limits. Itâs an exhausting task taking a toll not only mentally, but physically as well. Ailith had seen Azrith weak and unable to move for several hours after an extensive search. There was a large flash to Ailithâs left that lit the area as if it were day, casting everything in a brilliant white light. It was gone as soon as it appeared. Though both she and Azrith knew exactly what the flash was, that didnât stop them from becoming tense at its arrival. Ailithâs hand had absently shot to the hilt of one of her swords resting beside her, ready to draw at a glance. A moment later, yet another Goobbue arrived on the hill carrying not one, but two riders. Melfina was standing, gripping one of the tree-like protrusions sprouting from the top of the Goobbueâs head, a nasty look spread across her face. A nasty look directed directly at Ailith. The other rider was Tauten, a highly skilled Lalafell bowmen from Limsa Lominsa who had been given the title Raptor Eye due to his extraordinary accuracy with his bow and his fearsome prowess while on the hunt, never missing a target. Ailith liked him the most, mostly due to the fact that he was closer to her age. He was the youngest of the seven members at sixteen summers, but also his personality was the more spritely of the group, always in good cheer. Now, however, that was not the case. The look of utter defeat upon his face made the smile she had put on fade almost instantly. âWhere is your brother?â Melfina demanded, her voice harsh and rough. Ailith looked up to her and shrugged. âYouâre late to your own meeting.â The Night Mage scowled, a low guttural growl escaping her throat. âDo not test me Twin Blade. Now answer me! Where is Isaac?â Ailithâs brows drew together in calm fury and she rose to her feet, meeting Melfinaâs gaze. âI am not my brothers keeper.â She replied icily. âI havenât seen him in nearly two months.â âYou expect me to believe you havenât had any contact with him since our last meeting?â Melfina scoffed. âDo you take me for a fool?â Ailith was taken aback. Melfina was most always in a sour mood, but tonight she was borderline violent with a murderous intent Ailith had only seen on one other occasion. âAnd what do you want with him?â Melfina stood up straighter, putting her hand to her side. âThat is none of your concern.â âYou come here and immediately demand information of me with the intent of visiting violence upon me, I can see it in your eyes, and you wonât even proffer an explanation as to why?â Ailith laughed. âYouâre more delusional that I first thought, Night Mage.â The title seeped out like venom between her teeth. If possible, the fury in Melfinaâs eyes increased ten fold and she took a step forward. âHow dare you! If it werenât for me, you and-â âEnough!â Azrithâs voice boomed out over the open expanse, silencing even the wild life leaving only the slight rustle of the wind. Even the Goobbueâs froze in place. âThe night is late and it is apparent that the other three are not going to be in attendance. Let us perform the right and officially call this meeting into session so we can get this over with. I can tell you I am eager to return home.â Melfina turned a sharp eye towards Azrith, who returned it in kind, then visibly cooled and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. âYouâre right, Elda.â She turned back to Ailith. âApologies Twin Blade, I spoke out of turn. The last week has been⦠trying.â Ailith nodded as the Night Mage moved her seedkin back, forming a triangle between the three beasts. Tauten gave Ailith an encouraging smile and nod as he stood. The smile returned to her lips. âLet us begin then,â Azrith said as he stood. The four of seven in attendance raised their arms out to their sides and lifted their heads back, greeting the night sky and the moon that would normally be overhead, and closed their eyes. It was an appeal to the Gods they all served, individually and as a whole, representing neither as a singularity but rather all of them together. Each member held their own beliefs, was born under a different Godâs moon or sun, yet all held reverence for the collective. This is what made them strong, what put steel behind them to reinforce their will. The Order of the Twilight Guardians is servant to no man, woman or God alone, yet live to serve all races and creeds, to protect those that could not protect themselves from nefarious magiks and the ones who attempt to wield it. The Order itself dates back many millennia, back to the time of its original creator, who had died at the very hands of the magic he had sworn to rid the land of, an Ishgardian mage of renown power, Nedral Crenl. It was he who first led the battle against an ancient evil that wished to consume the world of Eorzea and condemn its inhabitants to an eternal abyss of suffering and darkness. The battle was waged over many years against the darkness, at its end it was Nedral who had drawn the demon into himself then drove his own sword through his heart, ending his, and the demons, life. The members of the Order have since upheld his beliefs and convictions against the improper usage of magic, have watched over the population from the shadow of twilight. The sounds of the night had returned by the time the ritual had finished and the session officially called to order. Azrith once again took a seat, groaning in exaggeration, as did Tauten. Ailith and Melfina remained standing. Azrith let out a loud sigh, then peered over the distance to Melfina. âNow, Night Mage, if you would so kindly explain the purpose of this meeting.â She nodded respectfully, the earlier malice in her eye replaced by tempered purpose. âTwo weeks ago I received a missive from Isaac,â she looked to Ailith. âHe said he had come across an ancient magic while traveling through Mor Dhona. Isaac took this magic to Elria, who knows more about the arcane and evil than either of us here. What she discovered was beyond horrifying.â She took a breath and rand a hand through her long black hair. âTogether, the two of them located Gaiuus and set out to destroy the magic. That was the last I heard of it.â She looked to Ailith once again. âThat was why I was curious if you had heard from your brother.â âDid Isaac happen to mention what type of magic he had found?â Azrith asked. âYes,â Melfina responded distantly. âHe described it as a black liquid,â she paused for a long moment, looking down to the ground below her. She raised her head and looked each one of them in eye before continuing. âContained in a plain, crystal vial.â Ailithâs blood turned to ice as it left her face, gathering in her stomach, making her queasy. After a quick glance around, she saw each member in attendance experiencing the same dread. She swallowed hard, trying to force the lump in her throat down, her mouth having gone dry. âAbaddon,â her voice was barely above a whisper. The others regarded her icily. âWe do not speak his name,â Tauten said from his perch next to Melfina. âTo do so may inadvertently call him back into being.â âPoppycock,â Azrith waived his hand dismissively. âAn old wives tale, Raptor Eye, to keep children fearful so that they may stay in their beds at night.â âBe that as it may, Elda, the issue remains; the demons blood has been found and it must be dealt with.â The young Lalafellâs voice was larger than his stature. Ailith shook her head. âYou already said my brother, Elria and Gaiuus have set out to destroy it. Surely they have done so already. My brother would not fail in a task such as this, even if it were the actual blood of the demon.â âTwo days after I received the letter from your brother,â she gave pause to emphasize her next words then swept her arm in a wide arch. âThe atmosphere changed. You cannot tell you havenât felt the change.â âOf course I have, but that does not mean that-â Ailith was cut off as a loud whoosh of air swept by over head, causing all of them to duck and lower their heads, followed by a large thud. Ailith had already found the hilts of her swords before it was over. âWhat in the Godâs name was that?â Melfina said under her breath. She looked sharply down to Tauten. âRaptor Eye,â Tauten was already halfway down the arm of the Goobbue and well on his way over to where the noise had come from. His tiny feet shuffling through the grass made a soft crunching sound as he went, disappearing into the darkness. Several moments of silence went by, no one talked, too afraid to even breath. Ailith couldnât take it anymore and called out to him. âTauten. What do you see?â Silence answered her and her blood once again froze. The tension was alleviated a moment later by Tautenâs voice calling out from the darkness, only to be replace with another fear. âItâs Isaacâs seedkin.â Ailith felt as if she were struck by a bolt of lightening for the second time in her life. She unsheathed one of her swords and leapt from her mount, ducking and rolling over her left shoulder as she hit the ground, transferring the motion of her fall, then sprung off her feet in a dead run to where she had seen Tauten disappear. The otherâs in close pursuit. It appeared first as a large blot of darkness against the indigo sky, like a rock formation. It wasnât until it let out a deep, shaky breath that Ailith realized the beast was still alive. She waved her hand out in front of her, summoning a light orb and sending it a few feet above the scene. What greeted her nearly made her sick. Her brotherâs Goobbue was badly injured; one of its eyes had been ripped from its socket by what looked like the claws of a large wolf, half of its lower jaw was missing, having been torn violently away. Its giant tongue lobbing out of the abscess, blood staining the grass as it dripped to the ground. There was a hole through its left side and she noticed half of its left arm had also been torn away. The other arm was badly mangled and broken. She could see several ribs on its other side jutting through its hide in jagged spikes. The creature was bleeding to death as much as it was dying from its grievous wounds. âGodsâ¦â Ailith placed a hand upon the creatures head as its one good eye looked at her. She could see fear in the gentle beasts eye, fear and intelligence. It knew it was dying and it was scared. Tears welled up under her eyes and she laid her head upon the seedkinâs cold brow. âHere,â came Tautenâs voice. âA note!â Ailith and the others raced down to the creatures feet where a piece of parchment had been pinned to the Goobbueâs leg with a curved dagger. One of Isaacâs, Ailith noted numbly. Tauten pulled on the blade, having to shift it up and down to loosen it, then freed it, removing the note from the blade. He unfolded the note and read it silently. His face lost all trace of expression and he distantly held it up to Melfina as she approached him. After reading it, she looked up to Ailith, who was waiting with eager fear to hear what it said. âIt was the blood of Abaddon.â Ailith fell to her knees. âElria has taken the blood into herself, become one with the demon.â She passed the note to Azrith, who took it and read it quickly. âGaiuus is dead and Elria has disappeared.â His eyes had sympathy in them as he regarded Ailith. âWe are not to pursue either of them.â Ailithâs tears flowed freely down her cheeks. âBut why?â She demanded. âWhy would we not help him when he is clearly in need of our aid?â The three standing shared a knowing look, then Azrith walked over to Ailith, standing over her, his back straight, and held out the letter to her. She looked up at the elderly Highlander then stared at the note a moment before taking it with a shaky hand. As she read over it, her heart skipped a beat as she passed over the last part of the letter, written for her: To Ailith, I know you will want to come after me, sister, but understand that by the time you read this, I will already be dead. I will always love you and no matter what happens, I will always be with you. Ailith droped the letter, fell forward onto the ground and gave into her pain and wept. Prologue Isaac stood over the dead Roegadyn that was once Gaiuus, his arms and sword covered in gore, a deep cut on his left cheek oozed blood down the side of his face and neck. He took in a deep breath, ignoring the pain from the slash wound across his chest and sheathed his sword. âI am sorry, my friend. May Althyk keep you safe.â He bowed his head in silent prayer. When he was finished, he looked up at the surrounding carnage. Elria, a Hyur Midlander who had made a name for herself in the teachings of the darker arts, had taken the blood of the demon Abaddon into herself, becoming one with it. Absorbing the evil contained within the ancient crystal vial. The battle had been harsh and quick. If it hadnât been for Elriaâs overconfidence in her newly acquired powers, if she hadnât been blinded by it, Isaac knew he would not be standing right now. It was all he could do to shield himself and Gaiuus from her initial release, consuming all in her wake, but it wasnât enough. Her dark power had touched Gaiuus, had turned him into something he wasnât. Isaac had to end his friends suffering. There was no way to save him from the edge of madness. Isaac looked off to the north. That was where Elria had gone. Even if he hadnât seen her, he knew exactly where she was headed. He quickly gathered his things, threw his cloak about his shoulders, then pulled a horn from his pack and sounded it. It rang out with a deep bass that pierced the air. A few moments later a large Goobbue emerged from the dead trees and stopped before Isaac, offering up one of its arms. He quickly climbed up to his perch on the seedkins head and patted its blue skin. âAlright, my friend. Let us be off.â Isaac looked to the horizon as the beast began running down the path, north to Ishgard, preparing himself for what was to come.