Sounsyy Posted July 16, 2015 Share #101 Posted July 16, 2015 People of Eorzea can adopt a patron deity for any number of reasons. Be they personal, familial, or otherwise. A great example are the Ala Mhigans, who for many decades took Rhalgr as their patron deity. This was inspired by the religious Order of the Fists of Rhalgr joining the city-state. Five years before the fall of Ala Mhigo, however, the King of Ruin - feeling threatened by the Fists of Rhaglr - outlawed the worship of Rhalgr and claimed that he was chosen to rule by divine right of Nymeia, which forced radical changes upon the city-state. Was the King of Ruin truly blessed by Nymeia? Probably not. Likewise, Ishgard chose to worship Halone because, according to the Enchiridion, their holy book, Halone came before Thordan and chose the Ishgardians as her people, later lending her own power to Haldrath in defeating Nidhogg. So the legend goes anyways. But one can choose to take a patron deity for a reason as simple as it coinciding with their birthdate, similar to how we view the Western and Eastern Zodiacs. A crafter may also choose to worship Byregot, the Builder. A thaumaturge, Nald'thal. A wealthy man, Nald specifically. A wandering minstrel may choose to walk the path of Oschon. Perhaps you choose to worship all twelve, or none at all. It varies person by person and for whatever reason truthfully. There's no solid lore on why patron deities are chosen person by person though. 2 Link to comment
Alkaid Posted July 16, 2015 Share #102 Posted July 16, 2015 I've seen a list before of 50 Keeper of the Moon family names. Are those the only family names or are there more? Link to comment
Unnamed Mercenary Posted July 16, 2015 Share #103 Posted July 16, 2015 ^awesome post by Sounsyy Meanwhile, Franz is gonna sit back and watch people pray to what he thinks are false gods. Some Garlean habits don't die as well. Link to comment
Unnamed Mercenary Posted July 16, 2015 Share #104 Posted July 16, 2015 I've seen a list before of 50 Keeper of the Moon family names. Are those the only family names or are there more? I think those are just samples. The Keepers of the Moon can trace their family names back generations, however. Many are quite old! Link to comment
Sounsyy Posted July 16, 2015 Share #105 Posted July 16, 2015 I've seen a list before of 50 Keeper of the Moon family names. Are those the only family names or are there more? From Fernehalwes: There are many Keeper of the Moon family names that have been passed down through the generations. The ones you see in-game represent some of the more prominent families that once crossed the frozen seas into Eorzea in search for prey. That does not mean that these are all the names available. There are some families who have chosen to live more secluded lives, and simply have not made an appearance in-game yet. There are also the families who remained in their homeland, or emigrated to lands other than Eorzea. So, when creating a character, you are free to take the surname of an existing family, and inherit their history, or choose a yet-to-be-released surname, and build a new history. Below is a list I compiled of all 50 canon, Eorzean Keeper families: Aliapoh Amariyo Anbolho Awandah Bajhiri Betwanhe Binbotaj Burwani Chalahko Chelewae Dakwhil Dolabnha Elakha Entialpoh Epocan Fashonti Gamduhla Ganajai Garanjy Jaab Jakkya Jawantal Jinjahl Jomalah Kaatapoh Khamazom Lanbatal Lihzeh Lyehga Maimhov Mewrilah Mhakaracca Molkoh Molkot Moshantu Moshroca Moui Mujuuk Nbolo Nelhah Panipahr Polaali Quowaital Rabntah Relenah Tayuun Wahcondalo Wilzuun Wolndara Zhwan Link to comment
Alkaid Posted July 17, 2015 Share #106 Posted July 17, 2015 Thanks for the list! Another quick question, is there any mention in the game anywhere of like, a traveling entertainment troupe or something? I'm thinking Tantalus from IX minus the thieving. Link to comment
Gegenji Posted July 17, 2015 Share #107 Posted July 17, 2015 There's a sort of Boyband group of minstrels that goes around that is mentioned in the Postmoogle quests. I forget the specifics, but is that sort of what you're talking about? If not that, I know a couple people who RP bards who are part of a troupe of some sort. I think there's even a FC which is basically that - Soliloquy, I believe? Link to comment
Alkaid Posted July 17, 2015 Share #108 Posted July 17, 2015 That group's probably the closest thing in the game, thanks. Link to comment
Sounsyy Posted July 17, 2015 Share #109 Posted July 17, 2015 The minstrel group is called the Homunculus. ... /refrains from making another Hercules joke... /fails... #sorrynotsorry Link to comment
Diskwrite Posted July 23, 2015 Share #110 Posted July 23, 2015 Hedge trees! What are they, exactly? Aside from, you know, part of the hedge. I'm trying to find a good spot in the Shroud for a small, private wedding ceremony, and the area around one of these trees seems really nice. So I wanted to make sure it wouldn't violate some cultural more to hold one there. Link to comment
Sounsyy Posted July 23, 2015 Share #111 Posted July 23, 2015 Hedge trees! What are they, exactly? Aside from, you know, part of the hedge. Hedgetrees are sacred trees scattered throughout the Twelveswood which support the Hedge, a magical barrier that protects the Wood from outside harm. Lore suggests these trees are made by Conjurers' magic and the Hedge is made of man and Elemental's magic. If one of these trees comes to harm, the Hedge may fall and the Greenwrath will most assuredly be awoken. Hedgetrees play an important role in the forest by helping to maintain the protective barrier which shields the Twelveswood from harm. Should the trees become damaged' date=' the forest would find itself more susceptible to outside danger.[/quote'] The Empire's assaults grow ever more frequent and vicious. To make matters worse, it would seem they have established a new stronghold in Mor Dhona. With the enemy so close at hand, there is no hope of raising the Irmin Hedge. In the absence of such a barrier, we are left no recourse but to put down whatever manner of fiend breaks through by force of arms alone. Those able to fight must do so. Would ye mind goin' to the Hedgetree' date=' an' seein' that all's well? Since ancient times, the tree has guarded these woods with her holy presence.[/quote'] The Black Shroud... Forest-born call it the Twelveswood. And that Hedge of theirs borders it all. I heard it said the conjurers make them hedgetrees with their magic. Up close' date=' they shine—shine like no natural tree got any right to. Ain't nothing stopping you looking at 'em, o' course. Cutting and burning 'em, though... Well, every adventurer worth his spit knows better than to mark them trees up.[/quote'] Greetings' date=' friend. I am O-App-Pesi, of the conjurers. It is our magic which keeps the Hedge in place, and it is the Hedge which protects us from our enemies without. Still, it is a construct, and so its power is far from boundless. It cannot repel all we would wish. Even as we speak, the hedgetrees sway uneasily amid the creeping darkness. Countless are the Garlean interlopers that steal into the Twelveswood, and countless too are their villainies.[/quote'] Elementals abound in the Twelveswood around Gridania. Unto them falls the task of protecting the forest. And unto us falls the task of protecting them. To that end' date=' we have laid the Hedge - a magical barrier formed by our order and the Elementals that serves to turn away outside evils. Those who would breach it invite our vengeance. We are the conjurers - intermediaries of nature and man. Our place is between Gridanians and the Elementals. The majority of our citizenry are deaf to the forest's whispers. Yet all feel the presence of the Elementals, as surely as they feel hot and cold.[/quote'] No need to introduce yourself' date=' I know full well who you are. The “hapless adventurer,” many and more are calling you. I reckon not a single one of the Twelve was watching over you, to have sent you here just when the Hedge was sundered. Ah, forgive me, I suppose an explanation is in order. We conjurers of Gridania use our magic to weave a sort of barrier around the Twelveswood. It is a pact we share with the most ancient of the elementals. They protect our city-state, and in turn we protect them. That is why the Hedge exists. Think of it as a symbol of our friendship. It’s also what you and any other non-native to Gridania have to thank for not being attacked upon entering the forest. At least, you ‘’would’’ have it to thank had you not passed along just as a portion of the Hedge was broken. The greenwrath was upon you the instant you drew near—and it clings to you still. Sorry to say, but you’ve got the stink of woodsin all about you. After all that, you still need to ask if forest elementals truly exist?[/quote'] Hope this helps! ^^ 1 Link to comment
Verie Posted July 30, 2015 Share #112 Posted July 30, 2015 Sorry, I have a lot of fairly.. broadish questions. Did we know anything about Ishgard in 1.0? I've seen screenshots of it from a distance in the old design of Coerthas, so I'm wondering if there's any lore that hasn't been covered in Heavensward. Especially daily life types of things that may not be relevant post-Calamity. Were any of the Vigils up and running at that point? It sounds like Steel Vigil fell after the Calamity, was that a place you were able to see in 1.0 or was it mentioned at all? Also, do we know anything about how Ishgardians actually become knights? What sort of training do they go through? It doesn't seem like they have the squire-system, but more like a Lord who trains them at a specific post? If a knight is sworn to one noble house, would it be strange for him to go and train with another allied house, like say if that post was more in need of men? Also, how was Ishgard affected by the Calamity? I mostly only see things about the weather, which is certainly huge, but did they witness the fall of Dalamud at all? Thanks for any assistance, I really appreciate it. :moogle: Link to comment
Virella Posted July 30, 2015 Share #113 Posted July 30, 2015 I do believe they have squires, if you go check in Coerthas, I believe you can find one at Whitebrim. Believe they are trained in lance, sword and bow, but I'm not 100% sure on that. Skirmishes do seem to be a thing between houses. All the house provide their own knights it appears. However I can see joined training things happening at times, but far from being regular. As for the rest of your question? I was actually wondering about that myself earlier today, as I lost all my info when my PC exploded. Link to comment
Martiallais Posted July 30, 2015 Share #114 Posted July 30, 2015 In Dusk Vigil one of the journal notes lying on the ground all over the first parts of the instance indicate they could see the 'red light of Dalamund's fall'. I don't have the exact quote on hand however. Link to comment
Sounsyy Posted July 30, 2015 Share #115 Posted July 30, 2015 Were any of the Vigils up and running at that point? It sounds like Steel Vigil fell after the Calamity, was that a place you were able to see in 1.0 or was it mentioned at all? There are actually four Vigils, strongholds built over the course of the last thousand year Dragonsong War, along the southern coast of the Sea of Clouds which protect the Coerthas region from the Dravanians in the north and west. From West to East, these fortresses are called: Dusk Vigil, Stone Vigil, Steel Vigil, and Dawn Vigil. All four of these fortresses were present and on the map if you could reach them without being murdered by a Lv99 enemy. However, they looked quite a bit different back in the day, so it's difficult to say if any were destroyed pre-Calamity as Steel Vigil is heavily suggested to have been. Also, of the Four, only Dawn Vigil in the eastern Fields of Glory seems to have survived the Dravanian Horde to this day. From West to East: Dusk Vigil was destroyed shortly following the Calamity. After the Calamity struck, Coerthas was struck by an endless winter that has persisted for five years now. Having frozen the waters of the overflowing Twinpools, the ice swept east across Western Coerthas, blocking Gargoyle Crossing (forming Snowcloak) and trapping the residents of Western Coerthas, Falcon's Nest, and the Dusk Vigil in the worst of the weather. The Dusk Vigil The Calamity was not kind to this once-proud watchtower, from which Ser Yuhelmeric and the brave knights of House Durendaire once stood watch against the encroaching Horde. Since the walls fell and the chill took hold, it has come to be inhabited by all manner of fell beasts, and gods only knows what else. The Convictory? Why, it's a haven for highborn and lowborn alike. Our order isn't recognized by the Holy See, so we needn't be too picky about who we let join. Disenfranchised nobles and their retainers, penniless vagabonds and half-mad sellswords - aye, we're a contemptible lot of cads, bounders, and dragon stabbers. But we are all committed to the cause, may Saint Finnea watch over and keep us safe. She's our patron saint, lest you wonder. Held the Dusk Vigil against the Horde when more pragmatic folk would've fled. But Saint Finnea wouldn't have it, oh no. She was the soul of conviction - and so are we! The Stone Vigil One of four watchtowers built along the Sea of clouds by the city-state of Ishgard, the Stone Vigil was overrun and occupied by the Dravanian Horde not long after the Calamity. The following years have seen the knights of House Durendaire make several attempts at reclaiming the fortress, but to no avail. The Stone Vigil (Hard) Too long has the Stone Vigil been ravished by the Dravanians and their thralls; too long has House Durendaire suffered this infamy. Time has come for its dragoons to retake the fortress, ten hundred lances and a thousand dreams of vengeance strong. Though the knights of Ishgard breach the gate to find a lodgement within the Vigil, the enemy is well defended and amply supplied. This deadlock must be broken - and who better than those who once made free the fortress under the dragons' very noses, and lived to tell the tale? The Steel Vigil One of four citadel watchtowers built along the Sea of Clouds, the Steel Vigil warned the Holy See of aerial attacks for centuries before being razed and gutted by the Dravanian Horde and their vile commander, Svara. Now, only the outer walls remain, leaving a bitter reminder of the dragons' destructive power. Ah, yes. You know how Ishgard is about dragons. The Holy See managed to get Naul and a few other dragons on to the elite mark list. A favor to be repaid in kind, I'm sure. The dragons Naul and Svara are best known for their attack on the Steel Vigil, which left the fortress a smoking ruin. Notable casualties include the third son of House Haillenarte... Several moons ago marked the anniversary of the passing of Ser Chlodebaimt' date=' son of House Haillenarte. He was lost to us in a horrible battle at the Steel Vigil. His sacrifice saved a great many lives that day, and so every year a memorial service is held in his honor. However, the Rose Knights of Camp Cloudtop, defending their post against the Vanu, were not present. Needless to say, their attendance was sorely missed. We've received no missives from Camp Cloudtop regarding the ceremony, but at the very least, I am certain Rontremont wished to pay his respects. He is a good friend, and once served under Ser Chlodebaimt. This was the battle standard raised during the ceremony. It would mean a great deal to me if you would take it to him. Considering he was unable to attend, I think he would be pleased to have it.[/quote'] Good day to you' date=' adventurer. What can I do for you? This a battle standard from the memorial service? But it's so tattered, ravaged by flame and stained with the blood of battle. It brings to mind memories both dark and lovely. Never again will I experience battles so grand. We thought ourselves spared having survived the Calamity, but then came the likes of Svara and Safat... Had it not been for Ser Chlodebaimt, the list of casualties would have been endless. He was a quiet man, but the boldness of his actions spoke volumes. One only dreams of serving under such a fine commander. I appreciate the sentiment with which this was sent, but I am not worthy of such a precious memento. Lady Laniaitte is his sister, and her heart must surely ache for missing the service. If anyone should have it, it is she.[/quote'] Hello there, Sounsyy. Is there something you need? ...The battle standard from Steel Vigil. You are too kind. This is a most unexpected gift. My brother was a good person. Insightful, deeply caring, and a man of great integrity. Since taking command here at Cloudtop, I see that more clearly than ever. He was loved and respected by everyone, his subordinates perhaps most of all. Our dear brother Francel even transferred to central Coerthas hoping to avenge him someday. I thought if I left, transferred to an outpost far removed from that tragedy, the past would simply fade away and I could move on. But to see this... I sometimes wonder if his death was the catalyst to spark the decline of our house. But for his sake, I will not let our name be besmirched. I shall always be proud to be of House Haillenarte. There's not much lore about the Dawn Vigil. Maybe when SE opens up Eastern Coerthas and the Fields of Glory, which if you keep going East will drop you in Gyr Abania and Ala Mhigo, we'll get lore on that last Vigil. In the meantime, this is what the Vigils used to look like in 1.0: (Dawn Vigil 1.0) Also, do we know anything about how Ishgardians actually become knights? What sort of training do they go through? It doesn't seem like they have the squire-system, but more like a Lord who trains them at a specific post? If a knight is sworn to one noble house, would it be strange for him to go and train with another allied house, like say if that post was more in need of men? Lore is vague on how exactly Knights as a whole are trained, just that they do get training. Also, Squires are a thing. There are a few running around Ishgard and several more pop up in lore blurbs and the MSQ. But basing off the MSQ with Count de Fortemp's sons, it would appear that Noble or High Noble sons who wish to become Knights lend their aid to outposts, vigils, and the other High Houses to attend to whatever help is needed. Seeing as how Ishgard places a great amount of value in heroic deeds and one's own actions for the good of Ishgard, I assume this ritual of sending out the sons to the frontlines of the War is in the hope that they do something heroic or at least learn something from their experience. Pray pay no heed to Lord Emmanellain' date=' Mistress Mirke. I am certain you have far more pressing demands on your time. And for his part, my lord has [i']lessons[/i] to attend... He has resumed training in the blade, you see, and has shown admirable dedication... for the most part. If he is to succeed in this, he will need all the help he can get, and as few distractions as possible. As for those sworn to House Fortemps... In addition to the knights' date=' [b']squires[/b], and infantry, more than a hundred craftsmen, retainers, and other servants possessed of notable skill are pledged to our service. Given our strong position, one might expect us to have no truck with foreign merchants and sellswords. However, nothing could be further from the truth. I should think that my lord the count was quite clear on this point, but it was our hope that you and your allies would, by your deeds, help us to convince the other High Houses of the wisdom of opening the Gates of Judgement to all - among other things. Interestingly, there's also some lore on this in the Lightfeather Proving Grounds - an arena originally designed to train chocobos in combat, however, Alinaure implies some knights might train or exhibit themselves there as well. As you might expect from the name' date=' the Lightfeather Proving Grounds were originally established to host matches for battle-trained chocobos. That being said, House Dzemael has since allowed the grounds to be used for other purposes on occasion. Some other houses have staged spectacles, for both private and public amusement. The Temple Knights have also held exhibitions in the past as well - those are always a delight, believe you me.[/quote'] Also, how was Ishgard affected by the Calamity? I mostly only see things about the weather, which is certainly huge, but did they witness the fall of Dalamud at all? In Dusk Vigil one of the journal notes lying on the ground all over the first parts of the instance indicate they could see the 'red light of Dalamund's fall'. I don't have the exact quote on hand however. Now that that is out of the way. Yes, TL;DR Ishgard, despite its gates being closed to outsiders since the razing of Ferndale 20 years ago, was very much aware of the situation surrounding the Calamity. Even if they "could not spare the Knights" to aid the Eorzean Alliance at the time. In fact, fragments of Dalamud were crashing into Coerthas long before they began damaging other regions. From the Tales of the Calamity series, we're told that the fall of Dalamud was visible all over the world, in places as far away as Sharlayan. (The island Sharlayan in the Bloodbrine Sea, not Eorzean Sharlayan which you can now visit in Heavensward.) Geographically speaking, Coerthas was fairly close to the destruction. Also, the battle of Rivenroad was fought in Coerthas. For those who do not know, the Battle of Rivenroad was where a party of Adventurers defeated VIIth Legatus Nael van Darnus in an attempt to stop the falling of Dalamud. Despite Nael's death, the Adventurers' efforts came too late. Snowcloak The bitter cold which swept over the Coerthas highlands following the Calamity did not only blanket the region in snow and ice, but transformed the water of Twinpools and the Swiftrun into a mountainous flow of ice - a flow which has slowly crept through the western Coerthas highlands and now has completely engulfed Gargoyle Crossing, preventing passage. The Frozen Fang In years past, the hot alpine summers would have seen this fallen Dravanian outflyers blown with maggots and reduced to bones in a matter of days. Now, in the endless winter wrought by the Calamity, the carcass rests in the permafrost under a thick blanket of snow, perfectly preserved since the day he was pierced through the heart by a ballista. Boulder Downs Before the Calamity, Boulder Downs was a vast sloped lea littered with moraine deposited by realm-swallowing glaciers long receded. The rain of debris that accompanied the fall of Dalamud, however, transformed the landscape into a frozen wasteland pocked with gaping impact craters and peculiar dark matter formations. These two articles from The Raven Newspaper are also a good read on the topic: -Dalamud Nigh: Fear Spreads as Lesser Moon Burgeons, Reddens High above the Twelveswood, the raven circles, evermore seeking out truth hidden amongst the shadows of the trees. In today's edition, field correspondent Oliver Goodfellow examines the social upheaval that has come about on account of the recent changes exhibited by the lesser moon Dalamud. Consensus Eludes For those who are unfamiliar, legend holds that the greater and lesser moons are respectively the goddess Menphina and her loyal hound, Dalamud. Since time immemorial, the two have been engaged in an unending dance across the heavens. Although there was never any doubt that Dalamud has been growing larger and redder in recent moons, till now most folk had been going about their lives without paying the celestial body much heed. However, so great are the changes the lesser moon has exhibited of late, one can no longer gaze up at the sky and fail to be racked by a sense of foreboding. Ever since Dalamud began taking on a crimson hue, countless theories have been in circulation seeking to explain the anomaly. A great many believe that Menphina's hound is bathed in the blood of a vile fiend who had designs upon his mistress's life, even as others swear that the changes portend the Seventh Umbral Era. Yet another theory, originating from the Holy See of Ishgard, claims that the phenomenon signals the awakening of the great wyrm Nidhogg, who has lain in deep slumber for the past two decades. Over in Thanalan, the wealth-minded Ul'dahns can be relied upon to turn any situation into profit, and that is precisely what they are doing at this very moment. Wares of questionable utility, the sale of which could only be described as fraud, have emerged in such numbers as to fair flood the market. It is difficult to decide whether the Ul'dahns are deserving of admiration or contempt for this peculiar brand of stoicism in uncertain times. Were it only coin that folk are being deprived of, there would not be so much cause for complaint. Alas, the present climate of fear has given rise to doomsday cults, the most prominent among which is called the Lambs of Dalamud. The cultists hold the lesser moon as their god and savior, and dark rumors run rampant of live sacrifices being offered in the name of their twisted faith. Reports of missing persons grow in frequency, and citizens are urged to refrain from wandering the streets unaccompanied between dusk and dawn. Revisiting the Past “The future is but a reflection of the past”—so wrote Saint Coinach, who dedicated his life to excavating the ruins of the ancient Allagan Empire that the wisdom of ages past might be recovered. Inspired by his words, this reporter paid visit to the Quiver's Hold and requested permission to peruse the records of old. For over 150 years, the men and women of the Gods' Quiver have held vigil over the Twelveswood's skies for Ixali dirigibles. The logs which they keep are so meticulously detailed as to include mention of the weather. Browsing through the nigh endless piles of parchment bearing such information, I finally came upon that which I sought: a reference to a blood-red Dalamud from ten summers past. On the night in question, an archer on duty at a guard station in the East Shroud noted that the lesser moon was giving off a reddish glow and promptly reported the development to Stillglade Fane. This anomaly, however, proved to be fleeting; by the time dawn broke, Dalamud had reverted to its normal hue, with scarce more than a handful of souls having borne witness to the baffling occurrence. Only once before in living memory has the lesser moon been observed undergoing this phenomenon of sanguineous swelling. What was it that triggered that first recorded case, and is there any common ground between then and now? Despite the best efforts of Eorzean scholars, the answers to these questions yet elude our knowing. In the meantime, I shall join the citizens in the collective prayer that those subscribers to the apocalypse theory will be proven wrong. Oliver Goodfellow -Coerthas Pummeled: Mystery Meteors Fall En Masse High above the Twelveswood, the raven circles, evermore seeking out truth hidden amongst the shadows of the trees. In today's edition, field correspondent Oliver Goodfellow examines the social upheaval that has come about on account of the recent changes exhibited by the lesser moon Dalamud. Meteor Storm The region of Coerthas, situated in the central area of Abalathia’s Spine, is reeling from the destruction wrought by a violent barrage of meteors. We have heard similar reports of meteor impacts and their effects on the native monster population, but never before have these celestial rocks fallen in such numbers within such a brief time, and never with such devastating focus on a single area. The utter confusion left behind in the wake of this disaster can be no more evident than in the account of a local shepherd, who claims to have seen a great chunk of stone tear itself from the ground and fly straight up into the sky. Can we attribute this unlikely tale to a mind suffering from shock? Or might a force even more unnatural be at work here? Scouts Lost? News of the Coerthas meteor storm has sent the Order of the Twin Adder into a frenzy of activity. According to our sources, a squad of Eorzean Alliance scouts previously dispatched to the region has failed to report back. Efforts to ascertain the squad’s fate continue amid fears that the soldiers perished in the sudden, brutal downpour. Putting thoughts of this tragedy aside, one might wonder why the Eorzean Alliance felt it necessary to send a reconnaissance party into what is ostensibly Ishgardian territory. I suspect an “imperial concern” featured prominently in the decision, though liaisons for the Order remain resolutely tight-lipped on the subject. As I pore over reports detailing the ever-increasing number of imperial warships on course for Mor Dhona or Coerthas, I am unable to suppress a mounting sense of dread. One can only pray that the Order gains swift control of the situation, and sees fit to release a statement free of alarming obfuscation. Oliver Goodfellow To find out what happened to those Scouts, feel free to watch this first cutscene from the 1.0 GC Quest "To Kill a Raven" Hope this helps! ^^ To whoever reads this - if there is anyone left to read it - let it be known that I, Ser Pascaleret Neurtaille, born witness to Dalamud's fall. The lesser moon's descent, the black doom which emerged from within, the flames which spread across the horizon, turning night to day - it shall haunt me for the rest of my days. It is the dawn of the "Seventh Umbral Era," according to some of the men. I told them to put no stock in the ravings of the prophetess, but even I do not know what to believe anymore. The engineers are still surveying the damage, but anyone with eyes can tell that the Dusk Vigil is beyond repair. Some walls are hardly fit to be called as such, piles of crumbling masonry as they are. The officers have been pleading with Ser Yuhelmeric, asking him to order a withdrawal. He knows our position is untenable, yet he refuses. "We will hold it to the last, for we are the shields on the wall - the defenders of the Holy See," he says. He is a brave, pious man. Less so, we who serve under him. The men we rescued from the collapsed wing have no fared well. Given our dwindling supplies and this seemingly endless blizzard, we may be forced to make difficult decisions soon. This unseasonable weather grows worse with every passing day, and the toll it has taken on morale is plain. We have yet to receive reinforcements from the Holy See, and I fear none shall come. Nevertheless, Ser Yuhelmeric remains steadfast in his decision and will suffer no talk of withdrawal. Ser Yuhelmeric's steward tells me he passes hours in the chapel, praying to the Fury for guidance... But I chanced to see him once, as he knelt before the statue. His eyes were transfixed upon the jewel in her crown, and he was whispering things I dare not write. Ser Yuhelmeric has taken men into his confidence. He says I am an honest man. I wish I were a braver one. The mutiny has been quelled. Among the starving, half-mad knights were Ser Yuhelmeric's most trusted officers. He wielded the axe himself. Ser Yuhelmeric received me in the chapel afterwards. I told him we will not last a fortnight without food. He smiled and told me that the Fury has blessed us with a bounty of fresh meat, then returned to his prayers. I joined him. "O Halone, pray forgive your humble servant. For too long have I let fear rule my heart, and in my cowardice I have been party to unspeakable acts. I know now I shall never see my children again - nor would I want them to look upon their father's face... and what it has become. I am outside Her grace." For those curious, here's the backstory of why Ser Yuhelmeric (who was a pretty cool guy in 1.0) went mad and kept staring at the jewel atop the Fury's head in the Dusk Vigil. At last, it is ours once more... My parents presented this sapphire to me on my wedding day, as my wife and I presented it to Yuhelmeric on his. One day, they would do the same for their son... But for that disgrace of an inquisitor! Suspicion of heresy, what rot! He knew what he wanted from the start. ...By the time I secured her release, they had interrogated her for days. She...she was a shadow of her former self. But the final insult─the final twisting of the knife─was when my son took command at the Dusk Vigil and found the ice rondel to be the centerpiece of the newly commissioned sculpture of the Fury. He couldn't prove it was the selfsame one which had vanished, but, oh, he knew... But no more, no more! It is back with the family, where it belongs. Wealdtheow de Brillelame is Ser Yuhelmeric's father. Ser Yuhelmeric appeared multiple times in 1.0 and before the Calamity was the Lord Commander of House Durendaire's Knights. However, as outlined above, when a corrupt Inquisitor accused the man of heresy, he was shamed and banished to serve on the Dravanian Front in the Dusk Vigil. 2 Link to comment
Verie Posted July 30, 2015 Share #116 Posted July 30, 2015 Wow, thank you so much! I really appreciate it, this helped a lot! Link to comment
Martiallais Posted August 26, 2015 Share #117 Posted August 26, 2015 Rise thread, rise! That aside, I recalled (or at least think I do, admittedly it could all be in my head) reading somewhere about Ishgardians believing mythril resisted or helped resist temptation by dragons, is that actually stated anywhere or did I just grab that out of a passing cloud? EDIT: Found my own answer here....now if I can get it to quote. Oh well. Found it here under Voilinaut's armorsmith text: http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=8267&pid=107904#pid107904 Link to comment
Ehzo'ir Tyaka Posted August 26, 2015 Share #118 Posted August 26, 2015 Please forgive my newbie question, as I have not done the story quests for these yet, but I was wondering... Why is it that no one can be a BLM or WHM now? I read somewhere else that it is frowned upon by the lore people, and I am curious. Also, even if one could become a BLM or WHM in character, is it mutually exclusive? Selarian has the dream of mastering both Thaumatergy and Conjuration, and the natural step would be for him to become both a BLM and WHM, but I don't want to break lore. Link to comment
Unnamed Mercenary Posted August 26, 2015 Share #119 Posted August 26, 2015 Please forgive my newbie question, as I have not done the story quests for these yet, but I was wondering... Why is it that no one can be a BLM or WHM now? I read somewhere else that it is frowned upon by the lore people, and I am curious. Also, even if one could become a BLM or WHM in character, is it mutually exclusive? Selarian has the dream of mastering both Thaumatergy and Conjuration, and the natural step would be for him to become both a BLM and WHM, but I don't want to break lore. Short Explanation: War of the Magi, which resulted in the 6th Umbral Era, flooding the world and destroying Mhachi (BLMs), Amdapor (WHMs) and Nym (SCHs). Some information cane be found here, but there are also more posts on the RPC about it by Sounsyy. Edit: Basically, they almost destroyed the world. Black Magic was outlawed. White Magic was hidden away by the Elementals because Man could not be trusted. Both BLM and WHM draw their power from Hydaelyn/the land, and they nearly starved the world of aether, killing it. As such, the survivors of the 6th Umbral Era swore to never use them again. Belah'dia (new city from Mhachi survivors) outlawed it. The Black Shroud grew around Amdapor, hiding it away with barriers. Nym got fucked for being involved. (We don't have more lore on it yet). As such, the game does not present these jobs as something even the most educated and knowledgeable of people would have access to. As the main-character Warrior of Light, we are granted these jobs because we are the super-special person who has been deemed worthy/capable/etc of handling them without destroying the world. Additional Edit: While it's been tried to be covered up repeatedly by the great Lore Team vs Battle Team war at SE, Thaumaturgy, blakc Magic, Conjury and White Magic all operate quite differently from each other. The game presents us with BLM and WHM as "beefed up" versions of THM and CNJ, but they're really a different kind of magic altogether, which was the Battle Team squashing lore for mechanics. Traditionally in FFXIV's lore (we're talking pre-Yoshi-P days in 1.0), THM was almost more a blood mage, CNJ was an elemental mage and BLM and WHM didn't even exist. They both could heal and DPS on equal parts. when Yoshi-P came along, he tried to fix up 1.0's generally perceived as bad battle mechanics and introduced jobs into the game, which made new lore. Then in 2.0, there was a great skill shift as battle roles were introduced to force each class/job into a DPS, Healer or Tank role for the Duty finder. Ultimately, mechanics beat out lore so that the game would be playable. Link to comment
Gegenji Posted August 26, 2015 Share #120 Posted August 26, 2015 Please forgive my newbie question, as I have not done the story quests for these yet, but I was wondering... Why is it that no one can be a BLM or WHM now? I read somewhere else that it is frowned upon by the lore people, and I am curious. Also, even if one could become a BLM or WHM in character, is it mutually exclusive? Selarian has the dream of mastering both Thaumatergy and Conjuration, and the natural step would be for him to become both a BLM and WHM, but I don't want to break lore. The reason why it's frowned upon is that both are forbidden magics. The War of the Magi - a great war that ended with the Elementals flooding the planet - was fought primarily between Amdapor (White Mages) and the Mcachi (Black Mages). Both their magics directly draw from the aether of the planet itself to power their great abilities, and the War threatened to drain all the aether from Hydaelyn itself. Knowing that, or even just knowing that those who used those magics caused a great flood... is enough to turn most folks off it. That's just a generalized answer, of course, and there's much deeper detail that can be gone into - including what White and Black Magic actually are, and matters like Succor (the White Mage's magic) being left almost exclusively in the hands of the Padjal. It's been touched on here and there in other threads, though, and I'm sure someone will also be along with more in-depth explanations. EDIT: As seen above, apparently. :lol: Link to comment
Ehzo'ir Tyaka Posted August 26, 2015 Share #121 Posted August 26, 2015 So the answer is really "Even if you could, you shouldn't"? That makes a lot of sense. Sel is a good person, so even if he was tempted with that power I guess he would turn it down. Link to comment
LiadansWhisper Posted August 26, 2015 Share #122 Posted August 26, 2015 Please forgive my newbie question, as I have not done the story quests for these yet, but I was wondering... Why is it that no one can be a BLM or WHM now? I read somewhere else that it is frowned upon by the lore people, and I am curious. Also, even if one could become a BLM or WHM in character, is it mutually exclusive? Selarian has the dream of mastering both Thaumatergy and Conjuration, and the natural step would be for him to become both a BLM and WHM, but I don't want to break lore. You can, of course, play what you like. No one can tell you that you can't. However, the reason playing either is frowned upon is that you need to both acknowledge the limitations governing access to each Job AND find a way around them to be lore-compliant. For instance, if you don't somehow get a hold of a Black Mage soulstone, if/when you try to use Black Magic, you explode. And White Magic is apparently held in trust by the Padjal of the Shroud, and they are not entrusting it to mortals (past the Warrior of Light). Of course it's important to note that Conjure is NOT White Magic, or even related to it. Similarly, Thaumaturgy is NOT Black Magic. So if your character dreams of mastering both, it actually doesn't follow that he or she would thus become both a Black Mage and a White Mage. In fact, it doesn't follow that he'd become either one, as they do not demonstrate a mastery in either school of magic. Link to comment
Unnamed Mercenary Posted August 26, 2015 Share #123 Posted August 26, 2015 So the answer is really "Even if you could, you shouldn't"? That makes a lot of sense. Sel is a good person, so even if he was tempted with that power I guess he would turn it down. Sorta. There are a lot of hoops to go through. You'll find in the game that White Magic is still around! ...Just...highly regulated and only the Padjal (a race of the Black Shroud's Elementals' own making) are allowed to know how to use it. It's a HUGE deal when the main-character gets a WHM Soul Stone. Likewise, it's also a HUGE deal when the main-character learns about Black Magic, as anyone else in that situation would have likely been gaoled immediately. (You'll see in the game). Many of the jobs have a lot of history backing them. (Paladin and Dragoon are good examples here) Many are lost or formerly dead/dying arts that are being brought back into use. (Warrior, Scholar, Summoner, Bard). Link to comment
Ehzo'ir Tyaka Posted August 26, 2015 Share #124 Posted August 26, 2015 Oh, well that makes things a lot more convenient then. I know game mechanic=/=lore mechanic, but I had assumed that the pinnacle of Thaumatergy and Conjuration was Black and white magic. Interesting. I will have to adjust some of my wording while RPing then. Link to comment
Sin Posted August 26, 2015 Share #125 Posted August 26, 2015 Please forgive my newbie question, as I have not done the story quests for these yet, but I was wondering... Why is it that no one can be a BLM or WHM now? I read somewhere else that it is frowned upon by the lore people, and I am curious. Also, even if one could become a BLM or WHM in character, is it mutually exclusive? Selarian has the dream of mastering both Thaumatergy and Conjuration, and the natural step would be for him to become both a BLM and WHM, but I don't want to break lore. Hey! Newbie question forgiven as that's the purpose of this thread I think. Alright, so there's a misconception in the question that I need to address. First things first... People can be BLMs and Whms. It can happen. It has happened. In the past there was entire nations of these people walking around. It's not lore breaking to be a BLM or a WHM. So why do lore people frown on it? They frown on it because they are extremely rare. In the case of BLM the art has been largely forgotten, and is in most cases outright illegal, and any spread of its knowledge is -actively- policed. In the case of WHM, it's knowledge is guarded by a race of very very stingy people. They don't want to teach you. Can that be worked around? Yes. In a myriad of ways, a ton. Seriously, only your imagination limits you in how you can explain your character's acquisition of a knowledge long forbidden and forgotten. Why do people still frown at it then? Well, because explaining away how your character got around those limitations is never done for the majority of characters in a satisfactory way. And those characters are never role played in a way that really showcases these jobs as portrayed in the lore. And finally, the desire to adds these characteristics to the character is usually an indicator of poor character building skills, shoving cool-looking things into a character needlessly to make the character more special-- mary sueish and overpowered. Link to comment
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