Significance of the Legacy Mark?

[Vryn]

Hello! I'm Vryn, seasoned RPer but new to FFXIV RP. I had a question pertaining to this symbol on the back of my character's neck and the events surrounding it before I considered using it in RP or not.

 

Now, by my understanding, it's a delightful little symbol to indicate that my character was at the Battle of Carteneau and then catapulted into the future after Louisoix saved my bacon. Is that correct? I assume it's irrelevant other than saying 'this guy is technically five years younger than the calendar (which reset) would dictate'.

 

What of the ramifications of the event, though? Am I right in thinking the rest of Eorza was fine after Bahamut's escape? I mean, there were obviously people about who maintained the cities in that five year space, and Bahamut ends up being 'defeated' shortly after Louisoix flings the survivors into the metaphorical DeLorean, doesn't he? Are the people there just basically saved from death by being given a temporal shunt, or is there other significance I don't quite understand?

 

Moving on from actual facts to creative ideas - was there any implication anywhere that this magic used to fling folk wasn't entirely predictable, or stable? Would it be unreasonable, say, for certain unforeseen factors (honestly not sure what to suggest, ideas welcome) to result in other people getting launched further forward than others? An idea I was mulling over was that theoretically my character could've shown up more recently, as opposed to when the others landed. What about possible side-effects of the jump? Did anybody end up coming out with something akin to scars or some kind of unusual trait-imprint of the spell other than the Legacy Mark?

 

Enlighten my naive mind, experienced players!

[Warren Castille]

The MSQ lays out a couple of ramifications of being flung forward: Legacy mark aside, you're also completely forgotten about by everyone you knew and loved in your old life! Barring extremely few specifics, all anyone can recall is a gleaming figure in their memory. Being cast forward effectively ended your old life, and no one even misses you.

 

As far as I can tell, Uncle Lou threw everyone forward because he wasn't convinced he'd have it in him to actually stop Bahamut and that was his contingency: People able to fight tomorrow if he failed today. It's a bit more complex than that, but that's the gist.

 

I don't think that Lou cast forward everyone who was present at Carteneau, but I might be wrong on this and don't have the resources to fact-check myself. I know for certain that the Legacy Warrior of Light coming in from 1.0 is a confirmed member of the Path of the Twelve and Circle of Knowing, and that pays forward to becoming a Scion in 2.0, but I'm not sure if the tattoo is supposed to reflect the entirety of the adventurers present then or just the ones "actually" in the main story.

[Virella]

From what I recall, even SE doesn't know to make up their mind. At first it was a thing for the WarriorS of Light, then THE Warrior of Light. I know a few friends who have retconned their character's being teleported due to SE handing out new and different information every so often (what is a shame, one had a tragic backstory about their family thing he was dead or left them to rot and wanted absolutely nothing to do with the character when he found them again).

 

That said, there's 'regular' people who survived the Battle of Carteneau as well. As Warren said, I think it was just a group of people who Louisoix teleported into the distance.

 

But... FFXIV lore isn't easy, even the Lorebook is very bare bones. While you can be multiverse FF, dimension jumping, timeskipping character... I'd honesty would suggest going with something easier the first time around? Especially because you are so new to the game! Your character's backgrounds are just the foundation to build upon, and if they are shaky to begin with... Nothing stop you from going 'Hey my character was the daughter to Limsa parents, things were rough but once she came off age, she decided to pick up x and became an adventurer', or something like that.

 

It has so much less potential to stab yourself in the foot, especially if your knowledge of lore is super barebones to begin with. You don't need to have interesting complicated backgrounds to have an interesting character!

[Vryn]

The MSQ lays out a couple of ramifications of being flung forward: Legacy mark aside, you're also completely forgotten about by everyone you knew and loved in your old life! Barring extremely few specifics, all anyone can recall is a gleaming figure in their memory. Being cast forward effectively ended your old life, and no one even misses you.

 

As far as I can tell, Uncle Lou threw everyone forward because he wasn't convinced he'd have it in him to actually stop Bahamut and that was his contingency: People able to fight tomorrow if he failed today. It's a bit more complex than that, but that's the gist.

 

I don't think that Lou cast forward everyone who was present at Carteneau, but I might be wrong on this and don't have the resources to fact-check myself. I know for certain that the Legacy Warrior of Light coming in from 1.0 is a confirmed member of the Path of the Twelve and Circle of Knowing, and that pays forward to becoming a Scion in 2.0, but I'm not sure if the tattoo is supposed to reflect the entirety of the adventurers present then or just the ones "actually" in the main story.

 

Hey! Thanks for the reply.

 

Forgotten by everyone in your old life? That's rad! Also sad. Rad-Sad? Either way, it's a pretty cool trait for something that depressing. Your reward for being at the Battle of Carteneau is being thrust forward in time and erased from the memory of everyone who ever knew you. I imagine there's more than a few people who hate Lou for that - especially since Bahamut was dealt with and it all seemed a little redundant (from a perspective, anyway). Also, thanks for clarifying the circumstances and origins - the wiki doesn't distinguish a whole lot on the nitty-gritty.

 

 

From what I recall, even SE doesn't know to make up their mind. At first it was a thing for the WarriorS of Light, then THE Warrior of Light. I know a few friends who have retconned their character's being teleported due to SE handing out new and different information every so often (what is a shame, one had a tragic backstory about their family thing he was dead or left them to rot and wanted absolutely nothing to do with the character when he found them again).

 

That said, there's 'regular' people who survived the Battle of Carteneau as well. As Warren said, I think it was just a group of people who Louisoix teleported into the distance.

 

But... FFXIV lore isn't easy, even the Lorebook is very bare bones. While you can be multiverse FF, dimension jumping, timeskipping character... I'd honesty would suggest going with something easier the first time around? Especially because you are so new to the game! Your character's backgrounds are just the foundation to build upon, and if they are shaky to begin with... Nothing stop you from going 'Hey my character was the daughter to Limsa parents, things were rough but once she came off age, she decided to pick up x and became an adventurer', or something like that.

 

It has so much less potential to stab yourself in the foot, especially if your knowledge of lore is super barebones to begin with. You don't need to have interesting complicated backgrounds to have an interesting character!

 

 

Welp, this seems straight up confusing. So, Squeenix have stated on a couple of instances that it wasn't a group, but a person? But then other instances (like the cinematic) that it was many? Somebody over at FF HQ needs to get definitive. Especially a shame is for that fellow you just mentioned with the criminally tragic family situation, that sounded ace. I'd read that book.

 

While I appreciate the complexities of the FFXIV lore and the reasons you mentioned for not wanting to get overly convoluted, part of the reason I was considering this option was ironically for it's simplicity. I mentioned in the OP that I was curious if there were any instances of Lou not 'quite' nailing the spell, or it having unintended results due to unanticipated circumstances - I'd hoped to be able to spin that while the character was teleported, he was flung a little too far, and with no real recollection of what exactly had transpired. A 'clean slate', as it were. No past, no present, only a blank canvas with which to absorb information and lore from others and forge onward from there. And since I had the legacy mark, I figured that could be suitable cause. I completely agree that you can have plenty fun with characters of humble origin, and that it's not necessary to be a part of the core lore in order to be interesting or provide validity to your character. And I promise, I wasn't planning on using it to lecture people about the Sixth Astral Era or present myself as a time-travelling demigod! 

 

Ultimately though, as you say - I am pretty new. If this idea sounds unfeasible, then I'd like to know. I wouldn't want to be that guy who rides the clearly flawed concept because it's super cool or some nonsense.

[L'ohba Tia]

From what I recall, even SE doesn't know to make up their mind. At first it was a thing for the WarriorS of Light, then THE Warrior of Light.

 

It's both. THE Warrior of Light is the main character in ARR and beyond, and they're called that because they reminded the GC leaders of the sort of bravery shown by the WarriorS of Light at Carteneau.

[Sounsyy]

From what I recall, even SE doesn't know to make up their mind. At first it was a thing for the WarriorS of Light, then THE Warrior of Light.

 

Welp, this seems straight up confusing. So, Squeenix have stated on a couple of instances that it wasn't a group, but a person? But then other instances (like the cinematic) that it was many? Somebody over at FF HQ needs to get definitive.

 

This part is confusing mainly because what Virella said isn't entirely accurate. SE has always maintained a solid definition of what happened and who the Warriors of Light were, but the details are often filtered through an in-universe, confusing interpretation.

 

In 1.0, after defeating Nael van Darnus at the Rivenroad, a group of adventurers pledged to Louisoix that they would go around and pray to the stones carved with the runes of the Twelve (that are still in ARR) and lead others on the pilgrimage to those stones. This same group of adventurers also vowed to stay by Louisoix's side during the Battle of Carteneau and protect him while he performed the summoning. The community has taken to calling these adventurers: the Twelvesblades.

 

When Louisoix propelled his adventurer protectors forward in time, he did this to that specific group, who were torn from the memories of anyone who knew them. When people attempted to recall the faces of these individuals later, all they could see were silhouettes in front of a blinding light - and so these Twelvesblade adventurers became known as the Warriors of Light.

 

As you progress through the storyline, various NPCs will compare you to the warriors of light, saying you remind them of them. As your deeds grow and you become famous across Eorzea towards the end of the ARR storyline, they stop comparing you to the warriors of light and start referring to you as a Warrior of Light incarnate or the Warrior of Light returned, depending on your legacy progression. This is what seems to confuse people. It's not that there weren't "warriors of light" but you're the only one who has come back / the only one who has risen to the scope of their deeds, hence why you have become known as THE Warrior of Light.

 

For many, the facts surrounding the Calamity remain a mystery to this day, as the memories of Bahamut's rampage and miraculous defeat remain muddled and indistinct. A band of valiant adventurers is known to have been instrumental to this victory, yet despite all efforts, none can remember their names nor their faces. To try merely brings to mind silhouettes amidst a blinding glare, a shared image which has resulted in these forgotten heroes being dubbed, "The Warriors of Light."

 

Though it was widely believed that these heroes all perished in the fires of Carteneau, five years later, rumors of a survivor began to spread throughout Eorzea. This singular man (or woman, by some accounts) traveled far and wide, taking part in conflicts great and small, often standing for the weak and downtrodden.

 

I made a much more in-depth explanation of the Calamity and its events in this older thread.

A timeline of important events which lead up to the Calamity can be found here.

 

As the Circle of Knowing completed preparations for the summoning' date=' they beseeched adventurers to serve as its guiding light. These adventurers embarked on a pilgrimage to kneel before the marks of the Twelve and summong the power of the gods. The Grand Companies did their part by leading the residents of the city-states in fervent prayer to their patron gods as well. In this time of impending darkness, it was said that the entire realm gathered to entreat the heavens with one voice, an Eorzea united by the litanies of its people. As adventurers and smallfolk alike proceeded according to Archon Louisoix's plan, the Garlean Empire stirred.[/quote']

 

The armies of the Eorzean Alliance assembled in northern Thanalan, proceeding as one north to Mor Dhona before pushing into the plains from the west. The remnants of the VIIth legion placed themselves in formations on the eastern edge of the plains, while a detachment from Castrum Centri would assault the Grand Companies from the rear. The commanders of the Eorzean Alliance countered the offensive by dispatching adventurers to keep the Castrum Centri cohorts at bay while their frontlines advanced toward the Imperial host.

 

Both sides had made their first move, and the Battle of Carteneau had begun. As the main infantry of the Eorzean Alliance spread out to meet the imperial forces head-on, Archon Louisoix soon arrived and commenced his summoning of the Twelve from a promontory overlooking the battlefield. Here, he would endeavor to focus their divine powers on Dalamud.

 

The vanguards of both armies clashed as the tide of battle ebbed and flowed in favor of the Aliance, then the Imperials, and back again. The Garlean, however, would soon completely overturn the odds when they deployed the next phase of their strategy: ten score magitek knights, each aboard their own reaper-class magitek battle armor. The offensive prowess of these newly developed war machines was overwhelming, and the Alliance's tentative hold on the front line began to falter.

 

For the Eorzean Alliance, this was the first large-scale operation to combine the efforts of so many different forces. Commanders struggled to properly coordinate the movements of each unit, ad hoc members of the Grand Companies such as the pirate factions of Limsa Lominsa and the Ala Mhigans serving among the Immortal Flames employed tactics that differed from, and often conflicted with, one another. In that sense, it could be said that the vast army which faced off the VIIth legion in Carteneau was little more than a haphazard assemblage of units charging aimlessly forward with but a common purpose to bind them. The confusion increased tenfold when the magitek knights and their reapers descended upon the Eorzean factions - whatever orders had been handed down meaningless now, as every man fought for himself. The Alliance's numbers far exceeded that of the dwindled imperial legion, yet the lack of a cohesive strategy meant the full power of their forces was never brought to bear. The Garleans, while fewer in number, had at their disposal an array of advanced technology and years of conditioning under a strict military regimen. Once the reapers had been deployed, the VIIth legion swiftly gained the upper hand.

 

As this chaotic juncture, the adventurers proved the Alliance's salvation. Those who were sent to dispatch the legion's diversionary force at Castrum Centri made their belated debut and quickly joined the fray. They were no strangers to the maneuverings of magitek weaponry, and reinvigorated the Eorzean side by forcefully advancing upon the legion's reapers. Through the adventurers' efforts, the imperials were pushed back, allowing the Eorzean Alliance to claw its way forward once more.

 

None on the battlefield were prepared for that which brought the hostilities to an end. Upon quitting the firmament and entering the skies above Carteneau, the red moon cracked, and from within the iron sphere emerged an ancient primal the likes of which Eorzea had never seen.

 

According to post-Calamity research by the Archons of the Circle of Knowing, the primal that the Allagans enslaved within Dalamud was none other than the dreadwyrm Bahamut, last summoned some five millennia prior by a horde of dragons on the southern continent of Meracydia when their motherland was invaded by the Allagan Empire. The vessel broken and Bahamut released from his shackles, the colossal wyrm took wing to inflict his millennia of rage upon the realm. The elder primal tore away from Carteneau and rained a fiery hell upon the land. In the end, there was truth in Nael van Darnus's incoherent ramblings addressed to the moon. The legatus was aware of the monstrosity housed within Dalamud, and was heeding Bahamut's plea to be freed from his prison.

 

Both the molten shards that rained down from Dalamud and the searing flames which spewed forth from the dreadwyrm's maw were indiscriminate in their paths, and war became an afterthought as friend and foe alike fled the battlefield in terror. As the men of both armies ran for their lives, Louisoix Leveilleur kept silent vigil over Carteneau, unwavering in his effort to summon forth the power of the Twelve.

 

Though Louisoix may have failed in his attempt to repel Dalamud back into the heavens, he would not allow Eorzea to bear the brunt of Bahamut's rampage, toiling on borrowed time to seal the elder primal away where he could raze the realm no more. Wielding the legendary staff Tupsimati, he drew from the great reservoirs of aether flowing forth from the land, channeling its strength together with the overwhelming prayers of the people. The power of the Twelve manifested itself in complex runes in the sky in the most powerful sealing enchantment attempted in Eorzean history. The stone marks of the deities that were being nourished by the prayers of the Circle of Knowing were engulfed in pillars of light, becoming glowing spears that pierced the dreadwyrm, binding him in place as the runes confined him in a new prison. The plains of Carteneau were bathed in the light of the Twelve, and it appeared that the ritual was complete.

 

Despite the fact that all eyes were fixated upon the summoning of the Twelve, there appear to be no witnesses who can recall with certainty what happened after the elder primal was enveloped in the gods' light. It is said that Archon Louisoix's powerful spell combined with the vast emanations of aether had warped the memories of all who survived, an effect which lingered long after the Calamity. What is known for certain is that by the time the light of the Twelve had dissipated, Bahamut was no more. At the same token, the faces of Eorzea's heroes - the adventurers by whose deeds Archon Louisoix's incantation came to pass - were lost to history. So it was that Eorzea plunged into the Seventh Umbral Era.

 

It was long after Louisoix had taken ship and vanished over the horizon that the fateful day came. Alphinaud and Alisaie were crowded into the Studium’s observatory, along with their professors and a throng of fellow students. The assembled sages and would-be scholars huddled around the base of the giant telescope, each taking their turn to gaze upon the looming spectacle of the red moon, Dalamud.

 

“Dalamud has shattered!” Alisaie cried out, pressing her face closer to the telescope’s eyepiece so that it dug into her cheek. The view provided by the device’s array of magnifying lenses was distorted and indistinct, but the fate of the satellite was unmistakable—she could see its crimson-fringed silhouette breaking apart in the skies over Carteneau.

 

“Shattered!? What...before it struck the ground!?”

“How is that possible!?”

Excited murmurs and hastily formed theories erupted from teacher and pupil alike.

 

“He’s done it! Grandfather has saved Eorzea!” Alisaie turned to find her brother’s face, her eyes glistening with tears of joy and relief. For some time now, Archon Urianger had been kind enough to relay to them brief reports of Louisoix’s efforts in those chaos-stricken faraway lands. It was he who had informed them of their grandfather’s presence at the Carteneau Flats, and of the battle that still raged like as not beneath that blood-red sky.

 

Shouldering aside his madly grinning sibling, Alphinaud squinted through the ocular lens. Though the air was thick with billowing clouds of smoke and ash, he was forced to agree with Alisaie’s assessment—Dalamud was no more.

 

But something is awry... Alphinaud continued to scrutinize the distant scene. The red moon’s bloody glow had been replaced by an equally unsettling incandescent rain, as if the heavens themselves were weeping tears of light. Terribly, terribly awry...

 

Dalamud’s spectacular demise gave rise to a tidal wave of aetheric energy which rendered linkshells all but useless for a period of many days. During this time, the Leveilleur siblings were left to stew upon the wonders they had viewed from afar. Then, after weeks without word, a letter from Urianger arrived.

 

The Archon’s elegant script described horrors the twins could scarce bare to picture. From the cracked husk of the red moon had emerged a dragon primal immense beyond imagining—an incarnation of wrath and raging flame that had laid waste to the land for malms in every direction. Undeterred, Louisoix had persisted with his plan to call forth the power of the Twelve, and thus, it seemed, was the abomination banished. Eorzea had been saved.

 

 

Despite the fact that all eyes were fixated upon the summoning of the Twelve' date=' there appear to be no witnesses who can recall with certainty what happened after the elder primal was enveloped in the gods' light. It is said that Archon Louisoix's powerful spell combined with the vast emanations of aether had warped the memories of all who survived, an effect which lingered long after the Calamity. What is known for certain is that by the time the light of the Twelve had dissipated, Bahamut was no more. At the same token, the faces of Eorzea's heroes - the adventurers by whose deeds Archon Louisoix's incantation came to pass - were lost to history. So it was that Eorzea plunged into the Seventh Umbral Era.[/quote']

 

When at last I awoke' date=' Bahamut was gone, and the land, which had but moments before been aflame, now seemed to me a place unknown─not simply ruined...but changed. Archon Louisoix may well have been able to shed light upon these mysteries, but he, like so many, never returned from Carteneau. And so we were left with countless questions, and no prospect of an answer. Yet such matters did not long occupy our thoughts, for we had far graver concerns. The Calamity, as the devastation wrought by Bahamut has come to be known, laid our nations nigh to waste, and to this day we struggle to rebuild our lives and homes.[/quote']

 

It's scarce been five years since the lesser moon cracked open like a giant egg' date=' releasin' an abomination intent on turnin' the realm into an eighth hell... So much was lost in the blink of an eye. 'Twas like the end of the world had come at last. But then things begin to get foggy. Everyone's got their own version of what happened next─some of 'em, two or three... You'd think people would remember somethin' like that─but the fact is, they don't. Nobody does. There is one thing the survivors agree on, though: the part played by a band of adventurers who laid down their lives for a realm that wasn't their own. They fought valiantly, and like so many others, they never returned. Deeds worth rememberin', I'm sure you'll agree. It's just a shame our recollections of those brave heroes are as jumbled as those of the Calamity itself. Whenever we try to call their faces to mind, it's like they're standin' between us and the midday sun, permanently silhouetted... I'll bet that sounds poetic to you, doesn't it? Well it's not. It's bloody infuriatin'. But even if we can't remember them, we'll not let 'em be forgotten, and so we call 'em the Warriors of Light. And they'll forever stand as a shinin' example of what adventurers can achieve.[/quote']

 

Why don’t any o’ these blokes know who I am!? I swear I was one o’ ‘em Scions o’ the Seventh Dawn! Only we didn’t have such a fancy name back then' date=' an’ the headquarters was in a far more convenient location. At least, I think it was… Or is me mind playin’ tricks on me? Gods, what’s wrong with me? Why can’t I remember it more clearly?[/quote']

 

 

____________________________________

What of the ramifications of the event, though? Am I right in thinking the rest of Eorza was fine after Bahamut's escape? I mean, there were obviously people about who maintained the cities in that five year space, and Bahamut ends up being 'defeated' shortly after Louisoix flings the survivors into the metaphorical DeLorean, doesn't he? Are the people there just basically saved from death by being given a temporal shunt, or is there other significance I don't quite understand?

 

The effects of the Calamity were more far-reaching than just the scope of what you see on Carteneau. People tend to skim over the ramifications of that day, but Bahamut truly did plunge the realm into chaos - reshaping the land, altering the weather, burning down half of the Twelveswood, disrupting aetherial channels, destroying aetherytes, disabling linkpearls, killings hundreds of thousands of people, and displacing hundreds more, destroying food supplies and livelihoods for years to come. Louisoix succeeded in sparing the realm the worst of Bahamut's wrath, but he did not save it from everything. It's really too much to list just everything the Calamity changed... because, well, it changed everything.

 

It was not only on the battlefield of Carteneau that innumerable lives were lost to the Calamity. Many casualties are ascribed to the shattered Dalamud's flaming fragments which rained down upon the land from the peaks of Coerthas to the deserts of Thanalan. No small number of civilians in Limsa Lominsa perished in a tidal wave that engulfed the coastline' date=' caused when a giant fragment of the fallen moon's outer shell plummeted into the nearby sea. Still many more perished to the raging firestorms that burst forth from the flaring ball of aetheric energy unleashed by Bahamut.[/quote']

[Warren Castille]

You can feasibly come up with a story involving your character being flung too far into the future; It's been 1-3 years since ARR depending on the Simpsons' bubble and there's nothing to say otherwise in the lore.

 

Just consider that being a part of that fling-forward would have expectations on your character: Namely, that you were advanced enough in the MSQ to be important to Important NPCs and that suddenly showing up would be a big enough event to be Important, capital letters.

 

Balmung tends to skew more "casual life" than "epic importance" but that's just my experience. Being a part of the Task Force To Save The World comes with drawbacks.

[Vryn]

It's both. THE Warrior of Light is the main character in ARR and beyond, and they're called that because they reminded the GC leaders of the sort of bravery shown by the WarriorS of Light at Carteneau.

 

Ahh, well - that seems like a simple enough detail to mistake. Thanks for the clarification.

 

This part is confusing mainly because what Virella said isn't entirely accurate. SE has always maintained a solid definition of what happened and who the Warriors of Light were, but the details are often filtered through an in-universe, confused interpretation.

 

In 1.0, after defeating Nael van Darnus at the Rivenroad, a group of adventurers pledged to Louisoix that they would go around and pray to the stones carved with the runes of the Twelve (that are still in ARR) and lead others on the pilgrimage to those stones. This same group of adventurers also vowed to stay by Louisoix's side during the Battle of Carteneau and protect him while he performed the summoning. The community has taken to calling these adventurers: the Twelvesblades.

 

When Louisoix propelled his adventurer protectors forward in time, he did this to that specific group, who were torn from the memories of anyone who knew them. When people attempted to recall the faces of these individuals later, all they could see were silhouettes in front of a blinding light - and so these Twelvesblade adventurers became known as the Warriors of Light.

 

As you progress through the storyline, various NPCs will compare you to the warriors of light, saying you remind them of them. As your deeds grow and you become famous across Eorzea towards the end of the ARR storyline, they stop comparing you to the warriors of light and start referring to you as a Warrior of Light incarnate or the Warrior of Light returned, depending on your legacy progression. This is what seems to confuse people. It's not that there weren't "warriors of light" but you're the only one who has come back / the only one who has risen to the scope of their deeds, hence why you have become known as THE Warrior of Light. 

 

I made a much more in-depth explanation of the Calamity and its events in this older thread.

A timeline of important events which lead up to the Calamity can be found here.

 

____________________________________

 

The effects of the Calamity were more far-reaching than just the scope of what you see on Carteneau. People tend to skim over the ramifications of that day, but Bahamut truly did plunge the realm into chaos - reshaping the land, altering the weather, burning down half of the Twelveswood, disrupting aetherial channels, destroying aetherytes, disabling linkpearls, killings hundreds of thousands of people, and displacing hundreds more, destroying food supplies and livelihoods for years to come. Louisoix succeeded in sparing the realm the worst of Bahamut's wrath, but he did not save it from everything. It's really too much to list just everything the Calamity changed... because, well, it changed everything. 

 

First - Hi! Thanks for replying.

 

Second - I'd heard you were the local lore guru, and you didn't disappoint! Thank you very much for these in-depth explanations and cited resources. This helps a ton and clarifies a whole bunch of stuff I didn't quite comprehend fully. I also saw your Lore Compendium, which, uh - I haven't read through entirely yet. But thank you for putting it together all the same, its ace.

 

You can feasibly come up with a story involving your character being flung too far into the future; It's been 1-3 years since ARR depending on the Simpsons' bubble and there's nothing to say otherwise in the lore.

 

Just consider that being a part of that fling-forward would have expectations on your character: Namely, that you were advanced enough in the MSQ to be important to Important NPCs and that suddenly showing up would be a big enough event to be Important, capital letters.

 

Balmung tends to skew more "casual life" than "epic importance" but that's just my experience. Being a part of the Task Force To Save The World comes with drawbacks.

 

Yo again!

 

Yeah, the importance associated with the event is likely to carry connotations - ones I hope to distance myself from. Honestly, part of my 'clean slate' concept was to essentially obliterate the expectations, developing more of a 'how can some nobody with amnesia be anything other than what he is now?' philosophy. I don't want to use the symbol to infer any superiority - good grief, with as little knowledge of the setting I know I doubt I'd know how to conduct myself as being any better than anyone else if I tried.

 

Though frankly, the notion of being 'relevant' on the global stage because of some stupid neck tattoo is troubling - I just want to use it as an excuse to know nothing! Were there really so few transported? The impression I got was that there was loads of folk at that battle shot forward. Perhaps that was my OOC side creating a false perception, though - I concede to rationalising it a little bit as 'but all those characters people have from 1.0 have it, so surely there couldn't have only been a handful teleported, right?'

[Warren Castille]

Regarding people who came forward:

 

That's a bit of a mess.

 

In 1.0 the Echo (i.e., Hydaelyn's gift) was prevalent enough to warrant an entire group of people who benefited from it: That's where the Path of the Twelve came from! 1.x had a number of people who all were tapped by the Mothercrystal to share in the big events of the future.

 

Of course, those people would end up mostly being important in the story of the 1.x series, which ended with the Path of the Twelve joining the Circle of Knowing, which is attached to the Sharlayan teachings and Uncle Lou...

 

And we know people with the Echo are sought out by the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, which is basically the Circle of Knowing rebranded in 2.0

 

 

Those people all get fucking murdered in the level 25-30~) Main Story Quests.

 

 

So yes, not everyone attached to the Legacy Tattoo is necessarily accounted for, but for all intents and purposes the people who were retrieved are fucking dead outside of the Warrior of Light who attended the 1.x story and are now the main character of ARR onward.

[Yssen]

Regarding people who came forward:

 

That's a bit of a mess.

 

In 1.0 the Echo (i.e., Hydaelyn's gift) was prevalent enough to warrant an entire group of people who benefited from it: That's where the Path of the Twelve came from! 1.x had a number of people who all were tapped by the Mothercrystal to share in the big events of the future.

 

Of course, those people would end up mostly being important in the story of the 1.x series, which ended with the Path of the Twelve joining the Circle of Knowing, which is attached to the Sharlayan teachings and Uncle Lou...

 

And we know people with the Echo are sought out by the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, which is basically the Circle of Knowing rebranded in 2.0

 

 

Those people all get fucking murdered in the level 25-30~) Main Story Quests.

 

 

 

So yes, not everyone attached to the Legacy Tattoo is necessarily accounted for, but for all intents and purposes the people who were retrieved are fucking dead outside of the Warrior of Light who attended the 1.x story and are now the main character of ARR onward.

I hate to correct you, but several NPCs with the Echo recuited the Scions are still alive (even after the spoiler event). The Roe that does squats still, and his elezen buddy are still kicking and specifically talk about being expected to take on Ifrit in the WoL absence dealing with other things as reasons for continuing their tough training schedule. Both have the Echo. The Sea Wolf Fem-roe Salfswys in waking sands talked about her awkwardness adjusting to having the Echo is also still there. Heck, the lore book even states clearly that she was also at Cartenau which could make her a plural WoL candidate. The point is plenty of Echo holders recruited by the Scions/Path of the Twelve/Circle of Knowing over the years are still alive and kicking. We are even attracting more, like Krile. While I personally think it is a long shot in the dark, we may even run into our old path companion again or hear some sort of nod to their fate in Stormblood. They were Ala Mhigan resistance, after all. Yar.

[Warren Castille]

Regarding people who came forward:

 

That's a bit of a mess.

 

In 1.0 the Echo (i.e., Hydaelyn's gift) was prevalent enough to warrant an entire group of people who benefited from it: That's where the Path of the Twelve came from! 1.x had a number of people who all were tapped by the Mothercrystal to share in the big events of the future.

 

Of course, those people would end up mostly being important in the story of the 1.x series, which ended with the Path of the Twelve joining the Circle of Knowing, which is attached to the Sharlayan teachings and Uncle Lou...

 

And we know people with the Echo are sought out by the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, which is basically the Circle of Knowing rebranded in 2.0

 

 

Those people all get fucking murdered in the level 25-30~) Main Story Quests.

 

 

 

So yes, not everyone attached to the Legacy Tattoo is necessarily accounted for, but for all intents and purposes the people who were retrieved are fucking dead outside of the Warrior of Light who attended the 1.x story and are now the main character of ARR onward.

I hate to correct you, but several NPCs with the Echo recuited the Scions are still alive (even after the spoiler event). The Roe that does squats still, and his elezen buddy are still kicking and specifically talk about being expected to take on Ifrit in the WoL absence dealing with other things as reasons for continuing their tough training schedule. Both have the Echo. The Sea Wolf Fem-roe Salfswys in waking sands talked about her awkwardness adjusting to having the Echo is also still there. Heck, the lore book even states clearly that she was also at Cartenau which could make her a plural WoL candidate. The point is plenty of Echo holders recruited by the Scions/Path of the Twelve/Circle of Knowing over the years are still alive and kicking. We are even attracting more, like Krile. While I personally think it is a long shot in the dark, we may even run into our old path companion again or hear some sort of nod to their fate in Stormblood. They were Ala Mhigan resistance, after all. Yar.

 

If I remember correctly, though, the people who are still around weren't there for the spoiler event: I thought everyone who existed prior gets caught up in the dramatic incident.

 

I'm happy to be wrong, but I was operating under the assumption that 2.0 neatly wraps up vast majority of the MSQ 1.x roleplayers.

[Vryn]

Alrighty! Reading people's responses and deriving what recurring themes I can get from them, it'd seem as though there were a decent number of people at Cartenau flung forward by Uncle Lou. Allowing for a measure of speculation, it's fair to say that not all of these people needed to have necessarily been particularly special - after all, while many were cast forward, only a few (or one, if the ARR plot is to go by) ever aspired to a reputation worthy of a 'Warrior of Light'. Similarly, if it's not unreasonable for unexpected circumstances to throw the spell off and for someone to go a little off course, it stands to reason that it wouldn't be unfair to have a character from back then appear now rather than with the bulk that came five years after zee calamitee.

 

Chuck in a hefty dose of irreversible memory loss, and you've got a suitably ignorant nobody who remembers nothing and is remembered by no-one, to whom the significance of his neck-paint is lost - a perfect blank slate with which to begin re-learning Eorzean culture and history through IC interactions. And a fantastic cover for an OOC scrub who wants an excuse to learn stuff while roleplaying.

 

Unless anybody has any flaws I've missed (or possibly mistakenly overlooked in this thread) with the concept, I think I might go with this!

 

My sincerest thanks again to Warren Castille, Sounsyy, L'ohba Tia and Virella for contributing to the discussion and helping make an ignorant lore-newb construct a concept with the tools he's got. You guys are ace.

[Yssen]

Regarding people who came forward:

 

That's a bit of a mess.

 

In 1.0 the Echo (i.e., Hydaelyn's gift) was prevalent enough to warrant an entire group of people who benefited from it: That's where the Path of the Twelve came from! 1.x had a number of people who all were tapped by the Mothercrystal to share in the big events of the future.

 

Of course, those people would end up mostly being important in the story of the 1.x series, which ended with the Path of the Twelve joining the Circle of Knowing, which is attached to the Sharlayan teachings and Uncle Lou...

 

And we know people with the Echo are sought out by the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, which is basically the Circle of Knowing rebranded in 2.0

 

 

Those people all get fucking murdered in the level 25-30~) Main Story Quests.

 

 

 

 

So yes, not everyone attached to the Legacy Tattoo is necessarily accounted for, but for all intents and purposes the people who were retrieved are fucking dead outside of the Warrior of Light who attended the 1.x story and are now the main character of ARR onward.

I hate to correct you, but several NPCs with the Echo recuited the Scions are still alive (even after the spoiler event). The Roe that does squats still, and his elezen buddy are still kicking and specifically talk about being expected to take on Ifrit in the WoL absence dealing with other things as reasons for continuing their tough training schedule. Both have the Echo. The Sea Wolf Fem-roe Salfswys in waking sands talked about her awkwardness adjusting to having the Echo is also still there. Heck, the lore book even states clearly that she was also at Cartenau which could make her a plural WoL candidate. The point is plenty of Echo holders recruited by the Scions/Path of the Twelve/Circle of Knowing over the years are still alive and kicking. We are even attracting more, like Krile. While I personally think it is a long shot in the dark, we may even run into our old path companion again or hear some sort of nod to their fate in Stormblood. They were Ala Mhigan resistance, after all. Yar.

 

If I remember correctly, though, the people who are still around weren't there for the spoiler event: I thought everyone who existed prior gets caught up in the dramatic incident.

 

I'm happy to be wrong, but I was operating under the assumption that 2.0 neatly wraps up vast majority of the MSQ 1.x roleplayers.

 

I personally feel that characters like Slafswyn and such are the wrap up for the path companions. Having them be used as stand in references for them since it would be whacky to implement that whole each on is different to every 1.0 player. Still. One never knows. They could reach back and resurrect that old lingering Ala Mhigan resistance path companion thread. There was totally a "holy 1.0 plot threads, batman" moment with the most recent Starlight quest thing, which was a pleasant surprise. So one never knows, even if I do kinda doubt it. Yar.