Nero

Designating an existing server as RP wouldn't really work. The main issue is houses and FC airships. Anyone who has houses in Balmung won't move if it means losing those houses. What if an RP FC wants to move but finds out that they'll lose their mansion and that there are no mansions on the new server? What if someone got a small house by paying a house flipper 15 million gil but when they transfer they are only reimbursed 2 million gil? Giving FCs the incentive to move is the key. Individuals will trickle in for personal reasons, but if FCs face any loss of assets then they won't move. And of course the gil limit is dumb anyway.

From a business standpoint, Square Enix's best option is to do nothing. In this day and age, it takes some truly monumental and consistent fuck-ups (see: Wildstar) to change things that don't affect the majority of the customer base. Even if there was some kind of mass boycott or something, a few thousand (if even that many) wahoos playing pretend on the Internet is less than a drop in the bucket for Final Fantasy XIV. The likelihood that our suggestions have made a blip on the English CR's radars is miniscule. I will continue beating the "RP-tagged server" drum for as long as it is necessary, but it pays to be realistic about things as well.

Okay, everyone, play nice this time. Rule violations in this thread from this point forward will earn you a warning. Anything further may include temporary suspension of posting rights and up to a temporary ban if the violation is egregious enough. FYI: No post or thread has been removed because of the nature of the opinion (unless it's clearly something remove-worthy like...racism or something. Which hasn't happened yet). Posts or threads are removed for rule violations or for being off-topic in relation to the thread.

Alright, everyone, time to take a break. This thread will be locked for 24 hours to give everyone a chance to cool off. If you have more relevant discussion to add, please wait for the lock to be lifted tomorrow instead of creating a new thread.

Ugh, unfortunately I acknowledge that the biggest flaw with my ideal solution is Square Enix. I mean really, what can you expect out of a company that made three Final Fantasy XIII games? Christ.

I can understand where this is coming from. But even if they could increase and what not; as Kylin pointed out there's a lot of concerns already with very large events where many new folks can't even get too involved because it's so massive. I understand the idea behind those concerns, but I also feel that that's sort of a separate issue entirely and therefore not terribly relevant; I'm a bit confused as to why it keeps being brought up. New people being unable to make new contacts at huge RP events doesn't mean huge RP events--and by extension, large RP populations--are inherently stifling, it's just that the difficulty of making yourself known is inversely proportional to the amount of people. If a person is seeking smaller-group and more intimately involved roleplay, then I don't particularly have any idea as to why they're seeking such a thing at huge RP events anyway as opposed to making OOC connections first or initiating connections on a smaller scale. Again, the goal of a centralised RP hub is choice: if people want to immerse themselves in the largest RP community for whatever reason, then I believe they should have that choice. I personally want to be in the largest RP community because I enjoy being around large populations and there being a lot of people to meet. Even if I never interact with anyone new for years, I would still prefer to be around a larger community of relatively like-minded people than a smaller one. I get these concerns too, and they're valid. I would like to explain why I'm tentatively hopeful towards the viability of a new server though. Gilgamesh is full just because it has a lot of people, understandable, not really much you can do about that. However, Balmung is full because it has two full servers' worth comprising of two broad demographics: RPers and non-RPers. I understand that demographics overlap heavily, but they are still meaningful in population. I think the ideal solution would be the creation of a new server, and only limit that server to transfers from Balmung for like, the first week or so, or something. That way, all Balmung assets are preserved, including exact locations of housing plots (ideally). If you're Square Enix, your goal is to stabilise the populations of Balmung and Gilgamesh. Stabilising the population of Balmung in a non-stupid way would require addressing its noticeably different demographic, and I highly doubt that non-RPers would go to the trouble of exploiting such an incentive. And yeah, I guess you can call me a twat for advocating for some form of RPer-favoritism but isn't there a mutual benefit to such a thing? Part of why the Balmung Housing Rush exists is because RPers and non-RPers are competing with one another. Remove that factor, and I'm willing to wager that the housing market would be a bit steadier on both servers.

First things first, please keep the tone civil. Disagreements are fine, disagreements via insults are not. One point that's been glossed over is the lack of warning. A lot of the controversy is rooted in the fact that people were completely blindsided by the restrictions. And you could argue that Balmung has been character restricted for forever, but I don't think it's fair to say "you should have seen this coming" when transfers to Balmung have remained available since 2.0 released way back in 2013 and there has never been any indication of impending population control otherwise. Regardless of whether you are for or against the restriction, it's a pretty shitty brand of band-aid damage control no matter what way you spin it, especially since it doesn't seem that Square Enix is willing or able (bets on the latter that they're making this up as they go along in the wake of the impending expansion) to announce the details of the transfers to soften the blow that is the restrictions. Now with that said, I'll continue to be really annoying about the solution: the creation of a new server that is specifically designated as RP, and free transfers with no loss of assets. There's no such thing as a perfect solution, no, but the crux of this issue is the lack of segregation between RPers and non-RPers. Balmung already had a fairly prevalent population due to being a Legacy server merged between Besaid and Fabul, and the growth of the RP community has only grown since then. I'm willing to wager that the RP community comprises of up to a third of Balmung's active population, if not more. In the wake of things like megaservers and cross-realm zoning, roleplay is one of the only activities in an MMO that majorly depends on players sharing the same in-game space. Things like PVE is easy enough to facilitate with cross-server tech and the prevalence of software like Discord. Creating a new server specifically to facilitate that need for roleplayers to share the same in-game space would alleviate the biggest issue with splitting the RP community. In addition, a new server would also facilitate the retention of important property, most notably houses. As many others before me have stated, it takes a decent population for it to become self-sustaining and reaching that population is an uphill battle. I think it'd be great for a new server to be able to combine at least the NA RP population so that fragmentation would be limited, though I know the issue is a beast of a different nature for EU given that they have to deal with ping. Of course it's unfeasible to expect everyone to transfer off of Balmung, but that's not really the purpose of the solution anyway. The purpose of this solution is to provide a centralised hub of roleplayers that's not population restricted, for people who want a centralised hub. I'll paraphrase one of my older statements by saying that people who want to roleplay on the largest roleplaying community should have the option of roleplaying on the largest community. The Balmung restriction completely neuters that option without providing a feasible alternative. And yes, I'm aware that free transfers will be incentivised eventually, but part of my issue with this is that Square Enix either wasn't able or wasn't willing to produce a viable solution in simultaneous conjunction with the restriction. It's the equivalent of changing the locks to an apartment building and forgetting that you have the only key. So hopefully a year from now we'll be able to comment on this event wistfully. If a new designated RP server is created with adequate transfer guarantees, I will be more than willing to support RPers moving there away from Balmung so that there'll be a healthy community on both sides. EDIT: In addition, demographics exist and they matter. While I get that they overlap between, say, PVErs, PVPers, RPers, whatever, ignoring that there's an observable divide is not the best attitude either.

More than halfway there! Thanks to everyone who's donated so far. The license cost is really the only major hurdle we have; everything else is just a matter of time.

Good news, everyone! Thanks to the support of an extremely generous anonymous donor, for every dollar donated up (on either PayPal or Patreon) to $50, our anonymous donor will contribute an equal amount. The staff is determined to get this upgrade through even without donations, but anything you can spare would be very much appreciated!

I'm afraid people will be more intimidated if I post that bar and it turns out empty ^^;;; That said, I'd be more than happy to keep a running tally. The staff is quite determined to get these upgrades done. I'll be ponying up a bit for the upgrade and the recurring costs as well; we're just looking for a bit of help to offset that rather monstrous up-front fee.

Mod note: Thread being hijacked to serve as a megathread for this particular topic, with relevant links on the original post, including a link to the Official Forums discussion of the subject.

Anyone who makes fun of my OF username gets banned. No exceptions. Kidding, of course. For those interested, here is a relevant thread from two years ago that sort of addresses this topic. In short: transferring is too expensive with not enough incentive. A mass exodus doesn't really need a coordinated effort, honestly. The key to this is twofold: transferring needs to be completely free with no loss of any assets except for time, and there'd need to be some kind of official designation in order to facilitate the segregation of RPers and non-RPers. That means transferring needs to be completely free at the minimum. Housing needs to be guaranteed. Things like FC airships need to be guaranteed, or adequately compensated in gil and materials. At the same time, they should offer free transfers away from whatever the designated RP server is so that non-RPers can choose their environment. I really don't see any downside to this, unless you're a corporate executive that only cares about quarterly profits and want to milk transfer money as much as possible. Which, I mean, it's Square Enix so...

Probably could've done without the intro joke though. =/ Still, thank you for posting something up, Nero! I blame my English professor who subconsciously implanted the idea of "persuasion is helped by acknowledging self-deprecation" in everything I write.

OF thread is here: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/324942-Transfer-Restrictions-and-Roleplayers?p=4143635#post4143635 I tried to keep it to-the-point since the OF has an utterly bonkers 1000 character restriction on posting. Re:Mateus As Unnamed Mercenary said above, we have a fairly large host of plans to expand the RPC's ability to accommodate multiple communities on multiple servers. At the moment we're restricted by a painfully old website (2010 material!), but once the planned upgrades go through it should be much easier for roleplayers to find a community they like on a variety of servers.

So it's come to this... I have no problem posting. I figure if anyone it should be me on this particular issue. The future is at stake etc. etc.

I'd make a post, but then you all might see my really stupid OF username which I created when I made this account back in 2013 and didn't realise you couldn't change it... Spoilers: It's a Kingdom Hearts character. I didn't even know it was a Kingdom Hearts character at the time, I just thought it sounded cool and that I could change it later.

What a dumb and heavy-handed way of dealing with server congestion. I'd like to remind Square Enix that the fact that it took a hard restriction of transfers and character creation just means that they've already failed multiple times as far as spreading out server populations. Firstly, there's not even a generalised indication of a server's population, like WoW's "Full", "medium", "low" realm population indicators. People transferred or waited to create characters on Balmung or Gilgamesh because the locked-server status was the only guarantee they had that the community wasn't too small for their tastes. People who are just looking for a different community regardless of size can pick whatever server they want, but if your main concern is having a lot of people to do things with whether its PvE or RP or whatever, you have no information to go to any other server without doing a lot of surveying on your own...which as a player you really shouldn't have to do. Secondly, I'm still a bit miffed that Square Enix has yet to acknowledge that the Western RP community is even a thing. There was a vague one-off mention by Yoshi-P being surprised that "roleplaying" was even a thing among Westerners--which by itself isn't a huge surprise given that Asia in general, to my knowledge, doesn't roleplay at all to any significant extent--but Balmung's population issue could be solved entirely by just accommodating that portion of the community, either by designating Balmung or another server as a sanctioned RP server and offering free transfers. I dunno, this whole thing reeks of "We could have prevented it from coming to this if we actually understood the numbers of our metrics", which is a pretty bad smell overall.

Definitely what this game's story needed was more large-scale action. Heavensward only had a single large-scale battle depicted (the Final Steps of Faith) but these prospects look good. The only thing I'm not particularly interested in is the Doman Prince because design-wise he's totally uninspired and I'm afraid he'll be fairly lifeless, but maybe they can give him some nuance yet.

Hello, hello. Happy mega maintenance, everybody. For a while now, the RPC staff has been preparing for a migration and upgrade of our website and its features, an effort that has only been spurred on by the recent feedback survey. We'll be upgrading to newer software that can better facilitate our needs and give us more possibilities to support the ever-evolving RP community in Final Fantasy XIV. We'll be upgrading to InvisionPower, the newest version of which will be released mid-2017. New features will include: Brand new calendar, with the capability to import directly from a Google calendar Multiple calendars, so other servers don't have to fight with Balmung for calendar visibility. Front page portal, allowing for user-submitted content like news articles, short stories, character spotlights, and screenshots on the front page. Custom pages. Users will be able to create customised individual pages for things like character info, Free Companies, or NPCs, with easier functionality than the wiki. (The wiki's not going anywhere!) Group pages. Each group will have access to their own sort of mini-forum. Improved Linkshell and Free Company functionality. It'll be easier to advertise and easier to find! Improved gallery Updated website theme and design, with easier site navigation. Multiple tags per post, so you can tag open/closed, timezone, story/journal, and server on a single thread. Our current system only allows for one tag per thread! And more quality-of-life improvements! These are all things that our current software is unable to handle, as it's quite dated. We're itching to give the RPC a much needed upgrade, which will enable us to better support the growing roleplay community on all servers. -- Upgrading to IPS 4.2 and purchasing all of the features listed above, however, does necessitate an upfront cost. We are looking to raise a one-time sum of $450 USD to facilitate this upgrade. Again, this is a one-time sum; all recurring costs, including license renewal and webhosting are much lower and can be maintained with the continued support of our patrons. You can help us by either: visiting our Patreon page or Donate via PayPal using this link! Q&A When will the migration happen? --We have no fixed date as of yet, but will let you know well ahead of time. Will I lose any of my threads or posts? --Nope, every thread and every post will be kept in the migration. Will I lose any of my content on the RPC Wiki? --The RPC wiki and its content will not be affected by this upgrade, save for some cosmetic changes. All wiki data has already been imported in tests. Will I have to reformat anything? Custom BBCode and certain visual extensions such as the tabs in Free Company and Linkshell Halls cannot be converted. You will most likely have to make small adjustments to old posts to update formatting once the migration is complete, and we encourage you to report any threads or posts that are behaving oddly after the move. Will I lose any of the content I have uploaded to the RPC Wiki? --Your uploaded screenshots and art work will also be kept safe in the migration! What amount do I have to donate? --You don't have to donate anything. This is not compulsory and we appreciate every penny that we receive. I'm already donating to the RPC via Patreon. Where's that money going? --The Patreon funds are spent towards paying the webhosting costs. Any runoff from Patreon is sent into reserve, where it's used to pay for the next billing cycle. Is there any other way I can help besides donating? --The RPC is in need of technical staff. If you're familiar with PHP, PHP templates, IPS, or other relevant expertise, please contact Unnamed Mercenary here on the RPC. How long will this take? --As of writing, the RPC staff is waiting on the release of IPS 4.2. While we've been conducting some internal tests and demos on IPS 4.1, many of the upcoming features appear to be well-geared for our forums. We'd like to keep major chages to organization and layout to a minimum. If the new functions do not turn out to work as well as we'd hope, we'll provide updates. What's going to happen to the old/current site? Will there be a preview available? What about for Patreon users? --We plan to offer access to the newer site in phases. First, we'll be making a full backup of RPC as it is now. From there, the staff will be working on some quick configuration adjustments (forum permissions, user groups, cleaning up some boards/posts/etc). Once we've got the site working mostly, we'll be opening it up to users in the Patreon group to help us iron out some features and catch any issues we may have missed. After that, we'll be putting the old RPC into a read-only state and opening up the new forums to all users. Both sites will continue to run to ensure that any posts and threads that were missed in conversion can be reposted. A final announcement will then retire the MyBB site and Coppermine Gallery. Feel free to ask any further questions below!

There was a similar thread on this subject a few years ago that might help here. That said, the best and most foolproof way is to engage OOCly for connections and to come up with premises that force your character to interact with others. For example, someone accuses your character of a crime, which forces your character to respond to the information and engage. Or, your character needs a particular thing and the other person's character is the only one who has it. Regular walk-ups and RP interactions can work but generally don't pan out for characters who are withdrawn or reserved unless there are other characters present who are willing and able to force your character to interact. Once you have a few connections going then you can gradually start to rely on being approached rather than doing the approaching, but otherwise the solutions are either A). figure out a way for your character to seek information or initiate, B). form OOC connections and arrange for RP in such a way that is conducive to both characters, or C). find or create a plot or storyline that will place external pressure on your character to interact.

The survey is now closed. Thanks to everyone who participated!

After leaving the passageway, the pair made their way out of the city proper as quickly and inconspicuously as possible. They exchanged very little words, just a nod and gesture now and then. It was only after they were a good ways away from the Gates of Judgement that they finally stopped in their tracks. His journey close to its end, Kasrjin made a mental checklist. Karadwr had been sold to a reputable chocobo breeder, and any excess funds that he'd had, the Xaela had already given to the children he had been training in the Brume, along with any new equipment he thought they might need. Roen glanced around before looking up at him. "I hope you had some success. We could not stay there much longer." A short nod served as a confirmation. Kasrjin maintained his habit of reaching into the bag where the sphere lay, checking every few minutes that its presence was still there. "I did. And if what Valencourt told you was correct, then I also have the truth behind my kinsman's death, as well. With this, my endeavour is complete. Or will be, once I return." In some way, it was a bit gratifying. While losing Kaizhan was unfortunate, Kasrjin was inclined to believe that it was pure circumstance. There was some small comfort in that. Roen nodded, although there was a slight crease to her brow. "Good. I am... glad." She glanced toward the direction of the gate. "I suppose sooner the better. They will be looking for you soon, I am certain of it." She gave the Au Ra a sidelong glance. "How do you plan to return?" Kasrjin pulled off his left gauntlet and rolled up the sleeve of the tabard as far up as he could. Tied to his left forearm was a slim piece of obsidian, fastened with twine. On its surface was a glowing rune that pulsed softly with a dim, warm light. "I've kept this with my person, and it will lead me back to my vessel within the forest. After that, it is nearly one moon to return to Othard." Roen glanced at the rune up his arm, her gaze lingering on it. Her expression grew solemn. "Will you leave right away?" Another nod as Kasrjin replaced the sleeve and gauntlet over the rune. "I must. Bearing in mind the nature of my mission...keeping this object with me is also discomforting, in a way." As if to illustrate his anxiety, he reached into the pack strapped to his waist to feel the sphere again. "And you? Will you...return?" Roen nodded, almost sternly. "Aye, of course. We cannot risk them finding you as they did your kinsman." She pursed her lips to one side. "Return to Ishgard? Perhaps, with care. These people still... remain. We may have foiled their plan, but they still want what they want. And who knows what they are willing to do to achieve their goals." She looked toward the gate again. "Besides, I think... I may know who their alchemist is that is working on this." Her tone lowered. "If I am right, I cannot let her be." Kasrjin shook his head. "I did not refer to Ishgard. I mean the place that caused you to come to Ishgard." The paladin blinked and looked back at him, remaining silent for a short time before answering with a nod. "I believe so. I too... was shown things, in Ehs Daih." Her words were quiet, but her expression had softened, her lips curling slightly. "It gave me some answers." A small grin graced the Xaela's face. "Then my presence here was not wasted. Nor were the apparent secrets of my people. That is good. I understand that duty is not the same cornerstone to your people as it is to mine. Nonetheless, it grants a certainty that few things can match." He nodded in approval. A sharp glance towards the city turned his expression somber. "You had best be careful moving within that city going forward. Doubtless there are new enemies to be made there." A long released breath plumed in front of Roen's face. She nodded and then stepped closer to him, bringing her gaze upwards as she stared intently into his shimmering eyes. "Your presence here... has helped me greatly. Thank you." Her last words were nearly whispered, and would be lost to the winter gales if it was at its full force. But it was a quiet offering, as the snow drifted down around them peacefully. "There is one more thing." She glanced down for a moment, as if to collect her thoughts. "You said something in the cave. That happiness meant nothing." She shook her head, a small frown drawing her brows. "I know your people live different and very directed lives, but I hope when you return, if you find your place with your people again, that you also find... and seek happiness. I believe in the end, it is something that everyone should seek. In their own way." Kasrjin tilted his head. "I expect that the seeking of something so transient will remain a point of contention between your peoples and mine. Nonetheless, I accept the sentiment." Roen curled a small grin in response. "Very well." The Au Ra glanced south, towards the Shroud. "It would be best of we parted before we lost whatever lead we had upon our pursuers." She nodded again and glanced to the ground. She glanced back up at him, before frowning again. She was hesitating. She looked back at him once more. "Stand still for a moment." Though a puzzled look crossed Kasrjin's face, he did as instructed. She stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his torso, and laid her head against his chest. It was a firm embrace. "I will miss you." Roen whispered. "Stay well." He was not sure how to return the gesture, but placed his hands atop her shoulders briefly, before she stepped back and looked up at him intently. "I do not know if I shall see you again, so I am committing your face to memory." Roen reached into her pouch and held up that linkpearl they shared. "And if you ever return south, you can always contact me." Kasrjin pursed his lips in thought for a brief moment, trying to recall some lessons of the Aljai. "There is a place on Othard, where the tribes of the Xaela meet, far from our glaciers. Look for the Xaela wearing adornments of obsidian, and you will find those of my people." He paused momentarily. "...you may tell them of your association with Kasrjin of the Khadai, and should it please you, we may meet again." She nodded at his instruction, then paused. Her lips broadened into a smile. "Kasrjin... of the Khadai," she echoed softly. "It is... good to know you, Kasrjin." And with a low nod of his head, Kasrjin turned to leave. "Henyn il enfath dwyr. May your suns find fair weather, Roen." His sabatons crunched in the snow as he marched south, towards home. -- Some time later, amidst the glacial valley... "Who was Tsuven?" Tsanai was startled by the presence of a sharp, feminine voice at the entrance of her yurt, causing her to drop the chisel she had been using to carve another rune into a piece of Karaad-El's obsidian. Standing with her arms folded was Alaqu, the latter's crimson hair having grown somewhat longer since the departure of the expedition. The Tsenkhai breathed deep before turning back to the piece of obsidian. "Someone not of your concern," she huffed with some indignation. "It does concern me when it causes you to interfere with my role," Alaqu snapped in a severe tone, sauntering over to Tsanai's workstation and dropping a small tablet upon it, causing the slight wooden frame of the desk to shudder from the impact. Inscribed upon the tablet was a series of runes, conveying a discrepancy in the materials needed for the expedition to the Western Continent. There was more information inscribed there, but Tsanai dare not glance at it, for she had an idea of what it was. "Logistics is the duty of the Aljai. I was suspicious of you from the start when you proposed this, so imagine my surprise when I find that you saw fit to needlessly appropriate extra resources for the sake of one lone Khadai. Your favourite Khadai, Kasrjin." The Aljai raised a hand to stop Tsanai from protesting. "I also know that...you lied about having been to the Western continent. The other Tsenkhai said Karaad-El's memories had no record of you, one of its own Tsenkhai, ever leaving our shores. And you lied to the Erdegai to convince them to make Kasrjin a sword. That you stole in order to have it made. The conclusion I had to draw is that the expedition to the Western continent was...nothing but folly, based only off of your fabrications. And that for some reason, you did it for Tsuven." Tsanai sighed again, moving the tablet off to the side. "If you have spoken to Albei, then you know who Tsuven is. Was. He was a...traitor, one who conspired to destroy everything we held dear." "And you truly believe that, do you?" Alaqu frowned. "Which is why you spent so much time favouring his former vessel. Which is why you lied to the Erdegai to make that sword for him. And you lied to the other Tsenkhai about what he was to you. Why you lied about having been to the Western continent!" Alaqu uncrossed and recrossed her arms, foot tapping the ground with impatience. "I have let your transgressions pass out of...some twisted form of respect that you knew what you were doing, and because you are Tsenkhai. If you do not confess before me, I guarantee that I will have you confess before Karaad-El itself if that is what it takes." "You step outside your role, Aljai," Tsanai snapped, standing up and turning to face her, her dreadlocks flying with indignation. "My role is the welfare of my people!" Alaqu shot back. The two Xaela were of similar height and build. "I believed that your role, the role of all Tsenkhai was the same. And yet you did so much just for a vessel!" Tsanai bit her lip. Alaqu exhaled, as if trying to expel whatever anger she felt. "I am coming to you to let you speak because...my instincts tell me that you must have done all of this for a reason. And having you dragged before the Tsenkhai and forfeited to Karaad-El will not help me understand that reason. The reason why you sent so many of our people on such a wild chase, a chase they might not return from! Not your precious Kasrjin, not Jalaq, not...Kaizhan." Alaqu winced. "For all I know, you may have just killed all of them. So I need to know why." The Tsenkhai could do nothing but turn away. She was biting her lip hard enough to draw blood. "Tell me who he was," Alaqu repeated with a combination of solemnity and exhaustion. "And why you did this, and mayhaps we can think about repairing the results of your crimes." Tsanai took a deep breath, her hands clenched to her elbows until her knuckles turned white. She didn't turn to face Alaqu, speaking slowly, softly. "I...wanted to change things. I was sick of it. Being locked inside that temple, for years, doing nothing but interpreting the Correspondence. I was told it was my role, my duty. It was more than fifteen cycles before I ever saw the sun. The true sun, not some mental fabrication that Karaad-El devised to keep me docile." "Tsuven, he...followed me. I showed him what I wanted and convinced him that it was what he wanted as well. Freedom. Not being tied to this role, this name, but the freedom to..." Tsanai trailed off, as if she didn't know what to say. "I conspired to...break Karaad-El. To burn away the Correspondence, so that we would be free of our role. A naive plan, one that I was so sure would work. Tsuven helped me. And when the time came, it failed. The Tsenkhai caught on, and they warned Karaad-El, and Karaad-El was...angry." Tsanai sank to her knees, arms curling around her legs. "He took the fall for me. They didn't know what I had done, what I had planned. And Tsuven forfeited himself, for me. And for my crime, they devoured his essence until his vessel was hollow and empty, and saw fit to replace him with a mindless warrior from a hundred cycles ago. Or, at least I thought he was mindless. He was more like Tsuven than I could tell him. And he had...his face, his voice, his mannerisms." "Tsuven was the one who had been to the Western continent, but those memories were banished when he was devoured. It was his knowledge I was using to convince everyone that the expedition was needed. And I sent his vessel so that...he might be free. Even if he spends the remainder of his life searching for a fabrication, he would at least be someplace where he could be a person." Alaqu's lip quivered. "All of them? You decided to strand all of them there...for him?" Tsanai only nodded slowly. The Aljai let out a low exhale. "Even with what you have told me...the lives you have cost, the sedition you have committed. I cannot let this pass. It was foolish of you to think that you could pay penance to Tsuven by saving his vessel." The Tsenkhai didn't move. As Alaqu turned to leave. "May you find some redemption for the ruin you brought to others," she murmured softly.

...and once again, all of the side characters look and sound miles more interesting than any of the Scions.

I was falling asleep during the last fight scene. I just wasn't interested. The visuals were there, the choreography was there...two dudes knife fighting on top of giant statues fighting a huge demon? Well that sounds awesome! The worst part is that the movie wasn't even bad, because even bad movies can be completely entertaining. It was just mediocre and completely failed to engage.

The location marked on the map was not actually outside the city; it was, however, outside the Pillars. While reconstruction was a ubiquitous sight in the Foundations, some rubble on the outskirts of the Saint Reinette Forum had been carefully arranged to conceal a blank spot of stone wall. A wave of Kasrjin's hand on the wall revealed that it was a glamour; if nobody knew to look at this exact location, it was highly unlikely it would ever be found. The passage within was dimly lit, but it mattered little, for it was more or less a completely straight corridor. It was impossible to tell for how long they walked--Kasrjin stopped counting the seconds at around three hundred--but they eventually reached what could vaguely be called an intersection. According to the map, they should be close to directly underneath Saint Reymanaud's Cathedral. Straight ahead was an unremarkable steel door. To the left was another long hallway. There were no guards and no personnel present in general. While suspicious at first, the more the Au Ra thought about it, the more it made sense; constant ingress and egress to this secret passage would only draw more attention to it, so it was likely whoever came here only came sparingly. Second, they relied almost entirely on secrecy to protect its location. Had Roen not been given such valuable information from the dragoon, the likelihood of them finding this location was likely close to zero. "I will go straight ahead," Kasrjin said, pushing open the steel door. "We will meet at the entrance, if we do not encounter one another." A part of him was wary about finding his way back given his sense of direction, but it should theoretically be impossible to get lost in a completely straight hallway. Maybe. Behind the door was what appeared to be nothing more than a modest, circular chamber. What Kasrjin saw, however, was very different; colours and shapes of all sorts and sizes, nearly incomprehensible to him. The myriad reflections of light sent his mind reeling as they flashed upon the walls of the chamber. The Correspondence burned, and each time he blinked he could feel each character marking itself within his eyelids. Sitting on an unimpressive pedestal in the middle was an obsidian hemisphere. Or so it seemed; with every second that Kasrjin stared at it, it seemed to change. One second it was pitch black, and the next it was dark red. From being a smooth hemisphere it because a long cone-shaped object. Instinctively, he reached behind him to touch the keystone's counterpart. It felt warm, the heat pulsing upon his hand even through his metal gauntlets. The resonance was unmistakable. His left hand was firmly fixed on the stone in his pack, while his right hand gingerly reached out to grab the stone on the pedestal. Images and sounds flashed before his eyes. Dialogues and sights. They cannot know your part in this. It was a voice. His voice? Or Tsuven's voice? Kasrjin felt the chains around his wrists and ankles, staring up at the obsidian pillar within Karaad-El. He saw Tsanai, biting her lip, as if on the verge of breaking into sobs, her hands curling into fists as she stared at the temple from afar. The chains tightened. A white hot light brighter than a sun, brighter than a thousand suns, seared his eyes. He felt it digging into him, into his skull-- YOU WOULD STILL SEEK IT, KNOWING WHAT YOU KNOW? YOU WOULD RETURN IT TO HER KNOWING OF HER BETRAYAL? And it was over. Almost unconsciously, his right hand scooped the keystone off of its pedestal and placed it in the bag with the other piece. The myriad colours of the Correspondence flickered out, one by one, leaving the Au Ra in complete darkness. He collapsed, briefly. When his hands opened his pack to make sure of the keystone's presence, the hemispheres were gone. In its place was a single, perfect sphere, roughly the size of a melon. Its smooth obsidian surface pulsed and streaked with lines of myriad colours. Kasrjin took a deep breath. That was enough, for now. Just a brief rest.