[FFXIV Endwalker]
I have to update my GShade (AGAIN) but god the login screen just looks (AND SOUNDS) stunning
who knows how long it'll take for me to go in lol
HAHA I'm not getting any tonight
TONBERRY AND PHOENIX ARE YOU OK
2K queue = 40 minutes
ahh... my very first cutscene and the expansion deigns to punch me in the face with not one but TWO very good BGMs
and the quest acceptance theme aaaaaaa
I have a lot to say and a lot of caps to share but HOLY COW, Sharlayan's elitism is so high that even the immigration officer is elitist
though lol at the longest pause when the immigration officer asks for Estinien's 'current employment' lolol
KRILE TO THE RESCUEEEE
Emet-Selch has the honours of doing the narration for this expansion ;;_____;;
haha first-day patches are fun in their way
poor Tataru, we're always leaving you behind q__q
this whole exchange though.. I loved that it took place at the break of dawn which makes for some really pretty (and possibly poignant) pictures
Hydaelyn is soooo pretty. And that one sentence about a promise made in another time and age! Hm
lol sister and I were SO excited about seeing the statue. "It's like seeing the Statue of Liberty!"
now with a moon!
I honestly got so excited when the immigration officer started checking things using MAGICKS, and then she laughed at adventurers and I wanted to give her the boot
i feel u man
Graha! You're so excited it's cute
it feels a bit of a waste but I'm gonna attune to all the aetherytes and then stop for the night haha, it's getting late and I want to be able to play without (much interruption)
soooo pretty
ALPHINAUD AND ALISAIE HOW BIG WAS YOUR HOUSE???
hang in there...FFXIV....
just going over screenshots again, Hydaelyn's "ok go have fun, I know you're looking forward to seeing new places!" makes me wonder if it's the Mother Crystal speaking to her child...or a Convocation member speaking with an old friend
today it's error 2002
okaaaay the queue is at almost 7K so it's gonna be a 2-hr queue LOL
no can do lol too many people right now
after a lot of errors the queue is finally in 3digits haha
I might NG+ EnW after a while has passed, it'd be too sad if my memory of this expansion is 2+ hours login times LOL
I'm finally not drowning in poetics!!
hehehe NPCs can now follow you around ;u; <3 <333
the reason behind the name is so funny hahaha
QC? In MY Sharlayan market?
the musiiiiiic so soothing
I so appreciate that we're learning more about Sharlayans and their history and way of life, after working with them for the most of our adventuring lives
you can definitely see how the Sharlayan ruins in the Dravanian Hinterlands got their look
Graha is so excited he's flying!
haha I thought Ojika looked familiar, of course Ejika is his cousin
do I stay in Sharlayan or go to Thavnair!?? /single tear
I want to see new places so /picks Thavnair
sounds like a warm place we're headed for haha
Matoya-sama... hahaha
KRILE...truly a Sharlayan lmao
I was glee upon seeing a lady with blue hair (even if the blue is much too light) named Kytte haha
and a Hyur at that
hmm this and the talk about the Forum working on a project so massive that they think it'll be worth turning their back on Eorzea... (it's their underground apocalypse bunker lol)
lady these are the things you tell people BEFOREhand.But also Emet-Selch's narration totally sells this scene hahahaha
and your very first mission in Thavnair, should you choose to accept it, is to stop Estinien from spending all your money LMAO
what a great start
ah... Yedlihmad's economic woes hit hard ;;
such a vibrantly beautiful place though! My GShade preset is bathing the place in red haha
the consortium guy mentioned the (Magus) Sisters, but I do wonder who or what the Radiant Host refers to
this place has so many Au Ra though!!! <3
I had wondered why the Magus Sisters were portrayed the way they were, but now it all makes sense - the Manusya don the faces of animals as respect to the Mrga
brilliant
VRTRA!!!!
BABY. SHOW ME THE BABY OF THE FIRST BROOD!!
"Why was Varshahn looking at Estinien's spear like tha---does he suspect it's NIDHOGG???"
LOLOL I thought the people lying around at the Great Work were dead but seems they were just sleeping because "long days and longer nights"
and they spring right to life when Varshahn delivers scales
as it turns out, the scales Varshahn gives to them are dragonscales that they use for their alchemy research haha
and after that Estinien gets dragged into a laboratory. LOL'd at Urianger offering his respects
dragons are awesome
this quest is so cute haha, and it made full use of the new TalkToNPCs feature that they implemented!
really cool!!
learning a bit about Thavnair while riding on a wobbling hamsa haha
otsukare, mate!
so the Radiant Host is basically their 'grand company' of sorts haha
there we go
I'm so sorry man
I want this silly mount
throws the giant sword at the house of false gods
my preset is probably a bit too intense but gods if it isn't a stunning location
oh my god one part of Fandaniel was reborn as Amon
suddenly his theatrics and over-the-topness make a ton of sense
there's probably more to this than just "even the best emperor of this nation I love couldn't best death"..
I was worried that something might happen to Nidhana (since Fandaniel was skulking around lol), maybe the talisman fails and she has to be fought. But to be absorbed into the spire like that T___T
once bustling, now no longer - Rad-at-Han is basically a city under lockdown T___T
VRTRA!!!!!!!!
when that BGM started playing oh my GOD I KNEW
WHO VOICES YOU I must KNOW
Nidhogg: VIOLENCE. BLOOD. FURY
Hraesvelgr: I perceive nothing, let me sleep
Vrtra: politics and management!
Hraesvelgr: I perceive nothing, let me sleep
Vrtra: politics and management!
this is simultaneously amazing and terrifying
but also it explains now Varshahn's reaction to the spear.. he's seeing the remnants of his brother...
also explains the colours of his eyes haha, I hadn't paid it much attention beyond "that's an unusual shade of red" but wow
the exchange between Estinien and Vrtra... I think I have tears in my eyes
somehow, there's a kind of...finality to Yedlihmad's theme that makes me feel like I really am playing the last expansion of the current Hydaelyn/Zodiark arc..
it's cheaper to teleport to the First than it is to go to Sharlayan lmaooooo
logging off for now and then hoping I won't have to wait another 3 hours to get back in haha
5 pm here = 31 in queue haha
the one time I'm thankful to be in an NA server
I like that the Thavnair bit is exploration + practical application whereas Sharlayan is literally reading/studying
it's a GIANT LIBRARY!!!
my first thought was "the fools have forgotten the context behind their non-violence stance!!!" It came about because their founding father learned firsthand the horrors of bloodshed, but nowhere did he say to not involve yourself in the world's matters??
omg we get Graha backstory!!
for all of Sharlayan's snobbery, I do like that they remain somewhat open to foreigners as long as they're capable of studying haha
very interesting exchange and recap on the circumstances behind the Final Days that befell Amaurot and the ancient world
I wonder if we'll find out what the 'noise' means
WE CONSPIRACY NOW
Graha is totally engrossed and Alisaie is dying from too many books haha
it could just be that the news never reached them but there's just something about such knowledgeable folks being so ignorant about the things going on around them
the Noah's Ark parallel grows ever stronger
I feel so horrible for the twins... to be disowned, disallowed from entering their own house, and then treated like outsiders intheir own home
how badly I want to believe that Fourchenault did it to keep his children out of whatever he's involved in... but at the moment I can't find any possible narrative that could link Sharlayan's <s>doomsday bunker</s> plan to something so familial lol
we go spelunking!!! ...but also why is the Chocobokeep underground?
EmetSelch's snarky narrative put a smile on my face hahaha
sheesh! Imagine taking over a magma cavern and turning it into your archive space. The power of knowledge
is Hydaelyn calling out to you too?
OK I was not prepared for Labyrinthos to be a whole overworld (underworld??) map. They're not just saying wrt its scale...
the players are probably in a cutscene that auto-teleported them to a pre-determined spot but it's funny to see them all standing and facing the same direction, like watching a movie
THE NAME OF THIS QUEST HAHAHA
so the Forum knew that something like the Final Days was gonna happen and already planned for it
Antitower music!
super fishy yo..
wot! Labyrinthos' artificial climate is modelled after Graha's birthplace
flowers that literally respond to human emotions??? TTATT
I don't know if this is just a one-off thing but flowers being a recurring motif is such a huuuge weakness of mine
Eh?
Hydaelyn no koto? Or is it someone else..
YSHTOLA. THIS QUEST
Erenville is such a bro though
it's nice that the Forum member tries to give whatever info he's allowed to give at least. Though hm, this duty given in the past...
basically a "ensure the star survives no matter what" kind of deal?
such a pretty place. Every time I realise that I'm really playing Endwalker, I get this twinge in my chest..
EnW coming right for my heart just like that TAT
ahhh the piano cover of Answers... and seems Krile really was trying to reach out to Hydaelyn after all!
"Her and another who may yet have a part to play"...who? Amon/Fandaniel?
aint this basically censorship now!??
wow the debate scene was like dropping a bombshell. What did they find in the aetherial sea??
and there we have it!
also after this whole scene, much as I want to like Fourchenault, nothing about his behaviour and demeanour makes me think that maybe a part of him agreed with what his father and his children were doing. That he really thinks that they devoted their energy into a path he doesn't approve of
THE HEAD OF STUDIUM
I was really worried he was going to add fuel to the fire but he's SO GROUNDED AND SENSIBLE
thank god haha
THE TWINS' MOOOOOM
she's so cute???
... T__T
Fourchenault I need to understand more of you..
Alisaie on her family's sprawling estate: It's just a house :/
the twins get the outfit change Alisaie so wanted back in patch 5.3!!
T_____T these Fourchenault anecdotes are slaying me
for Alphinaud, job change is as easy as changing clothes!!!! hahaa
ok he gets the jobstone too hahahaalso this lady is too ridiculously cute!!! That wink at the end aaaah
I too hope that the twins and their dad will come to understand one another but... T_T
could it be that Fourchenault is working so desperately to keep his family safe from whatever is coming, and he's frustrated because he can't tell them + they keep dashing into imminent danger/death while he's working himself half to death to ensure their survival lol
either way, this was a really sweet scene, a much needed pick-me-up after the heavy Rostra debate
as expected, the very first dungeon is the freaky dungeon OTL
to be blunt I couldn't tell half of what was happening on screen haha so much was going on, but I beat the dungeon! Somehow
also is it just me or is Estinien super powerful? Having him on the party, mobs just melt under his power lol
I've never seen Yshtola looking so fearful before... a man's limb? Inside the core??
did everyone make it?
Graha......
lol I'm so glad we have Estinien with us
also Radz-at-Han is beautiful but you can imagine how much livelier it must have been..
it's colourful and yet lacks the vibrancy of life
I wonder if Vrtra just stays in the palace every day lol since he can't very well go out and fly without alarming everyone in the vicinity lol
dragons may see time differently but that's still an awfully sedentary lifestyle to lead LOL
and now we got Dragonsong TTATT
lol he was literally lying low!
but ahh the "I couldn't bring myself to hate the smiling faces that turned to me for guidance" hits hard...
what a pleasant, chatty fellow
but the bit of how "your companions get swept up in the storm of your existence" gives me so much worry OTL
SHE'S OKAY
wow it's turned into such a pretty yellow T____T
the concept of AKASHA showing up in FFXIV WOAH
such a pretty explanation!
we're gonna smash Telophoroi with the power of HOPE, mates
it's so nice to see them all behaving like the teens/young adults that they are <3 I don't think the WoL has ever sat down to have a proper meal with the Scions?
Alisaie slipping Graha the pickle and stealing his cookie (and his indignant reaction to that) was pretty funny
Krile commenting that Estinien needs his time alone because lone wolf and Alisaie saying he's just trying to act cool lolol
and then Graha admitting that he learned his levitation spell because the library shelves were too high for him LOL
and the flower turned GREEEEN. Is there a colour code for this flower!
and the oddest pair ever haha
somehow Zenos sounded extra human when he lamented about how he doesn't even get to die now and how he's so twisted that fighting the WoL is the only way he can feel alive
and Fandaniel somehow sounded extra tired, maybe a touch vulnerable...
well I'm gonna let the game run a bit so I can enjoy daytime Sharlayan music, and then knock off for the night
here's to another 3-hr queue tomorrow...
to the game's credit, I haven't been truly kicked out yet or met any true bottlenecks besides the queues. Fingers tightly crossed
9.8K today means 4+ hours lol
but you know what, at least I took Wed to Fri off the upcoming week hahaha
like waiting for a Disneypark ride...
sheesh I was down to 3k and then got booted out by 2002 and now I'm at 8k
taking a break for a snack in Sharlayan and I just appreciate how EVERY player has a minion following them
it was the same in Thavnair too, everyone uses a mount of their own choosing. Not only does that add a lot of life and colour to the game, it also proves how easy it is to get any mount or pet in FF14
in other MMOs, mounts and pets are either super rare drops or cash shop items so it's not like everyone has access to the cool little things
we looking for the headmaster!
Alphinaud said haters gonna hate-- and turns out he's the 校草 of the Studium hahaha
also Ms "Aliapoh"??
Qih Aliapoh speaks and acts kinda like Zhloe?? But then again the Miqote seem to share certain common last names..
ah delightful lol
seems our headmaster is one busy man
school idol Alphinaud
lmao this is like students crowding round a teacher for questions after a lecture
what a good sir. I lol'd when he called Matoya "Matoya-baabaa" haha
whatever the Forum is trying to keep under wraps is deadly serious if they have to resort to that enchantment.. also impromptu lesson time!
I lol'd at the unintentional >1m distance between seats
3 forms of aether: soul, memories and corporeal aether (corporeal aether = what most people are familiar with)
the soul being compared to paper, and memories being words imprinted on it is an interesting analogy
lol that's a pretty cool canon way to explain the game reboot
gosh what an extreme enchantment,,,
THANK YOU SIR
I hear you Alphinaud...3 expansions ago, the city states would still be relying largely on the Scions
this whole scene and the music that kicked in sent a good chill down my spine aaaa
it's really happening, we're going to Garlemald
so many awesome moments and I'm not even halfway through yet???
missed Gridania's shot but still aaaaa
Thancred and Urianger's reactions ahahaha
HAHAHA OLD BOY
his brother said GO GET LIFE EXPERIENCE and tossed him into a battle to determine the fate of the star
holy cow the Far Eastern group is the Steppe warriors + Bozja + Dalmasca
and now we have the Ala Mhigan anthem playing T___T
I see ash in our future...
Hien T_T <3
"talismen" lol, and LYSE /slaps a high five
Tataru saves the day yet again TAT <3 <333
thank you for the winter woolies ;;___;;
cutscene time!!
what a bitter winter
this duty was super cool
I LOVE fighting alongside NPCs
finally more background on Garlemald! The BGM is even more fitting for this place
the quest that gets you to follow the girl in green was pretty cool!
the piano rendition of the Garlemald theme is the most haunting one yet...
it sounds like it's coming from an old radio
gosh...
it really DID came from the radio haha
these people are saying that Corvo is their homeland but wasn't Graha's clan there before them? I gotta go back and review after this
these pipes are staggering
also Licina what are you hiding lol
ah...this was unexpected and heartbreaking
and yet who could blame them? They've been taught all their lives that we're the enemy, and who would be trustful of enemies?
a depressingly succinct summary
oh god Tower of BABEL
saved by the radio, wow
that's a derailed train!!! And the place is called Runaway Train lol ;;;
this was a cutscene with a lot of hard truths..
the collars came as a shock OTL
the playground being here really drives home the despair and desolation..
hahahaha this quest
BLESS YOU SANKREDDO
also the Xth legion being involved only tells me one thing...ANIMA IS COMING UP SOON
Jullus' conflict over having to take the twins as prisoners is well done, but I'm so worried for the twins now OTL
these two have come such a long way from their first scene in which they were disparaging the city states
their big brother came to save them!!
when Quintus relieved his men of their duties, I had a feeling it would come to this...
a man who dedicated the better half of his life to his country and emperor, any chance of him abandoning a good chunk of his beliefs and starting all over again had been slim from the start
powerful and haunting, especially coupled with the mournful Garlemald theme
ee...ikite yokatta
AHHH I have triggered the flag for the wrong route lmao
the imperials' primal is the EMPEROR
holy fuck
in X, Anima was Seymour's mom who sacrificed herself for her son. And in XIV, Anima is the country's 'father', but also a real father who shares a completely rotten relationship with his own son
that's... aaaaa
AAAAAAAAAAAAAA ZENOS TOOK MY PHYSICAL VESSEL
HEAD IN HANDS
WHAT IS THE UNKNOWN IMPERIAL QUEST TT___TT
holy cow man
destroying Tower of Babil will have to wait till Tuesday or so haha
ah it's a DUNGEON!! No fear
heavy...
Late-night horrifying thoughts: the human limb that Yshtola sensed in the spire's core.. was it Varis??
I was wondering if I could possibly clear EnW within a week and so went back to see how long I took for ShB - I apparently took nearly a month for ShB??? I'm so not a fast player LMAO
lvl 85 after a oddly confusing run of holminster switch and a thankfully much smoother Paglth'an (again) and Bismarck
back to the grind TOMORROW!!!!!
are the dungeons named after a certain theme or anything... Zot and Babil so far /looks
I can only connect Zot to Lot of Sodom.. hmm
it might just be that the story is only borrowing names of places/people which and who are known symbols of the hubris of humanity and the resulting divine retribution
is Amon/Fandaniel bringing about the Final Days to attract Zodiark(/Hydaelyn?)'s wrath onto himself? Is he that kind of guy even
Just 1 hr and 14 mins of work then I'll be able to no-life EnW for 5 days aaaaaa
that was a disastrous Cutter's Cry run lmao
and my controller was spinning out of control for a good chunk of it -_-
Titania is still a pain to beat lol
also my PC LAGS lol
Magnai says the funniest things lol
so Fandaniel's Tower of Babil is to reach Zodiark..
this cracked me up because I have an OC who's also fearless of the cold
I'm also here for Sadu who likes women
URIANGER LMAO
Graha's always a sweetheart
the size of these facilities, god...
this was a really good dungeon. I'm so happy we got to fight together with the other non-Trust NPCs
farewell Varis...
I still don't know how 85% of Anima's mechs work LOL
no IEYUI but...this was horrifyingly brilliant in its own way
and I thought right after all - the limb that Yshtola sensed belonged to Varis after all T__T
...oh my god.
the reason why Fandaniel needed all the ceruleum and aether was to build a magic laser to destroy the barrier on the moon
Bahamut was sealed in a false moon Dalamud, and Zodiark was sealed on the REAL MOON
the Ascians built Garlemald to sow discord on the source and slowly rejoin the reflections. But Fandaniel decided to brute force the barrier with Garlemald's magitek technology because he doesn't care how it's done
hah, not that different from Seymour in that regard. Using your parent to further goals
I think Alisaie would have reacted the same way in any situation, but her circumstances with her own father must have poured salt in her own wound
Hydaelyn saying she changed their destination is some dark humour because DID YOU SEND THEM INTO OUTER SPACE
leave it to the Allagans to come up with something so insanely powerful! But the giant laser makes sense then. We are after all talking about the empire that had the power and technology to sent a huge chunk of land into the sky
space oddity...
even the music sounds vaguely sci-fi
and you are...?
laments...
ahh my preset is working lol, I see the fadedness was Garlemald's
oh...oh
that's profound
no more further sacrifices is good, but is it truly a good thing to keep those souls imprisoned?
I suppose there was no other way...
DOGGO?
so Hythlo was one of those who gave their lives for Zodiark
that comment on E-S being the sentimental sap got to me OTL
;;___;;
AH I FORGOT TO CHECK FOR AETHER CURRENTS
this was really unexpected hahaha
I kinda figured this would happen..
IS THAT HOSHI SOUICHIROU
sounds a bit too young though...
we fight Zodiark THIS early???
I have no idea lol
lol I queued for duty roulette by accident
beating Fandiark took 3-4 tries
I had the best party too
when you think about it, Amon's not all that different from the imperials who were dedicated to Varis. The very imperials he helped to temper..
but now that Zodiark is apparently dead, what next???
OOP we flipped the switch on the Final Days
who or what was that.. "At long last..."
I might need to go through SB again just to have a feel of Zenos without all the fandom baggage, but at this moment that fading smile felt almost human
Yshtola: Then Zodiark is no more??
WoL: nods
WoL: nods
what a lonely soul the Watcher must have been
tasked with basically protecting the existence of the star all these years..
ancients are just built different clearly
this is huge
when he looked down T_T Ryne TT_TT
reference to Noah's Ark again
good time as any to stop now
wow I have NO IDEA what is going on now. Subverting expectations at its best
I got happy a bit too soon when I saw that the queue was just 6K haha after the maintenance it's been moving more slowly
youtube stop recommending me EnW videos... all I did was look up one video guide for a trial
the login errors have ironically gotten more frequent after the lobby server maintenance...
think I should just sleep in and then start playing in my afternoon haha
the music on board the ship has a very grand, romantic sound to it <3
I can't describe it well but it makes me think of big cruise ships or old space-themed shows
sorting screenshots while FFXIV goes into maintenance haha
the Loporrits are very cute and Livingway is hilarious
ARGOS IS SUPER CUTE I hope we get this mount
hopefully not a "lvl 90 everything" mount haha
thinking about it now, the Allagans creating a false moon to hold a primal isn't so farfetched given that the Ascians - all too familiar with the moon as a prison for their own god - were also behind the creation of that empire...
TOWER OF ZOT IS A CALLBACK TO FFIV HAHA. I was reading too much into Zot/Babil/Noah's Ark/possible world-ending references
eyyy maintenance might end earlier!
oh yeah a thought that crossed my mind - leaving Earth because it is becoming uninhabitable and moving to live in outer space, maybe not all that Gundam-like but it's definitely the stuff of sci-fi and mecha shows
I need to read up on the story behind Zodiark and Hydaelyn again... I knew the Hydaelyn camp disagreed with the scale of sacrifices required by the Zodiark camp but I always assumed they wanted to do away with Zodiark too. But now that it's come out that they never intended to unmake Zodiark because he was imperative to keeping the star together...hm
...are the Loporrits collaborating with Sharlayan?
I got REALLY concerned because DID THEY PRODUCE CARROTS THAT ARE ADDICTIVE
lol I love this in-story explanation
THE CLOTHING QUEST IS SO FUNNY. Urianger doing his best to indulge hahahaha
but at the same time, the only 'human' the Loporrits know of is the Watcher since they don't seem to have any contact with their modern-day collaborators, and all they know about modern civilisation is the books sent to them, so how would they know to tailor to modern needs?
Thancred's concern for Ryne is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time...
haha I wondered about it but the battle theme on Bestways is really from FFIV <3
poor Urianger, always getting the unenviable tasks hoisted onto him!
though the more I think about it, the more convinced I am that it's Sharlayan that's working with them. It'd explain Sharlayan's refusal to aid in saving the star, because why go to that length when there's an escape route ready!??
but none of the Forum members can speak about it so...
honestly Growingway you're right
haha! It might not be a forest but it was beautiful all the same
the enormous fountain makes it
the Loporrits have been up here for THOUSANDS OF YEARS T__T;;
incredible technology
ah, Urianger...
FEELS....
the Loporrits' earthly benefactors is the Sharlayan Forum. YAHARI SOU DATTA NA
I couldn't really see anything in night time Garlemald and finally had the chance to behold the scale of destruction in daylight
seeing this really makes you think that Garlemald is truly finished
it's probably because of how maps are laid out (Garlemald having a direct door to the moon via the teleport) but it's still boggling to see that it's cheaper to go to the Moon than it is to Sharlayan
anyway here we go!
basically laying out what we can infer from the conversations with the Loporrits
also Sharlayan's history has basically been to RUN
BIG WORRY
haha I had my pick of visitors and I went with Alphinaud
oh I have tears in my eyes now...
it's hard to pick a Scion I really like but I do have a soft spot for Alphinaud for all the things we've gone through together from ARR till now
that was a very freaky, very well done cut scene. I got the chills...
the PEOPLE are changing into beasts!?
took me way too long to clear this last boss lol, but I adore the level design of this dungeon
this is...this is horror...
so the aether that comprises them just break down into nothing.. what the hell
we've gone through many things - a near-invasion by Garlemald, Ishgard's would-be annihilation by Nidhogg, Zenos, the dying First, Zodiark - but now feels like the star's darkest hour yet
it was KHALZAHL?? T___T
sounds like the man started turning from despair, and his companions possibly turned from the fear of seeing him
I hadn't noticed it myself until Graha pointed it out but the sky...
somehow seeing all this getting confirmed is affecting in a way. All I can say is that I see now that Endwalker is a story about hope in the darkest of times..
THE...THE SATRAP T___T
this cutscene was so much, but when Graha drew on the long experience he had as the Crystal Exarch, I just wanted to hug him
the weather is apocalypse...
T_T VRTRA
I love that he's so close to the people of Thavnair that he views them as his children...
such a simple message but one that we easily forget
Matsya and the baby made it T____T when Estinien and Vrtra stepped in, I just about started tearing up from the relief...
Vrtraaaaa
good time as any to stop now. I'm halfway to lvl 89 and still got a good chunk of MSQ to get through, I think I can get to 90 without roulettes for a while haha
8K queue today means I can only login at 12-1pm lmao
still getting 2002s but generally going a whole lot faster than yesterday
maybe not really faster but more stable
8k has been a very kind less-than-2-hours today!
think I'll just go through MSQ now
one thing I didn't get to cover last night was how I appreciated that the story points out how reaching out to and banding with other people can strengthen yourselves and create hope in times of despair
sometimes you have to become hope itself, the way Graha did in Radz at Han. Sometimes it's something you've always believed in that you just need a reminder of, like the way Matsya's words reached the refugees of Palaka's Stand
much as I look forward to hearing Radz-at-Han's city theme after the Final Days are brought to a close, there's something to be said about the melancholy theme playing right now..
haha it really looks like we've all gathered here for Vrtra's announcement
EnW has many good scenes but this is another one that moved me to tears
I love that the people of Radz-at-Han accepted Vrtra so quickly and wholeheartedly. They've always known him as the dragon ally so they must know that his love for Thavnair is genuine
what drives the fear in this part is that no one knows what to do now. Past expansions had dangerous but ultimately doable solutions,
Kicking Garleans out in ARR, ending Niddhog's misery in HW, driving out invaders in SB, even the excess of light aether on the First was eventually reversed through the Crystal Exarch and Scions' plans and research
but now everyone is hearing this akasha concept for the very first time, very little proper study has been done in the field, AND we have to save our world before it blows up
HM something tells me that Radz-at-Han is our endgame hub this expansion
THESE Are the role quests for EnW!??? BEST EXECUTION
EE! Magical DPS gets ISHGARD. YAY
like a homecoming T__T
I love that the story does not shy away from the consequences of the hero's actions, good or bad
the EnW role quests take you back to the places from past expansions... imreallycry
sounds like our profane fafnir might have been a struggling resident of the Brumes
the HW theme plays in my head now
such disregard for a life...
and so despair took root
seeing him cuddled against the ship was heartrending T_T
ahh. aaahhh. I hadn't realised that Elidibus was still an option and he was sorta kinda around. The chills I got when Tomorrow and Tomorrow started playing..
leave it to me, Thancred!
so apt that my return to the First is during night time haha
why is the Crystal Tower dark? Even in fog, it was never this dark
unsettling
I've always loved these kind of quests in which NPCs come up to talk to you but this one just turns on the waterworks aaaaa
these little touches just to deepen the emotional impact all that more
cracking up because Elidibus' tone in JP makes him sound so "yah what do you want"
also the Fandaniel in the past being the first to draw the connection between the rot of aether to the Final Days and working his butt off to stop it, so different from the Amon-daniel we knew who was eager to bring the world to its end
a flood of Ancient lore
...thank you, Elidibus.
I forget, did Elidibus ever learn that the WoL = Azem? That would explain why he's confused as to why he saw "you" at Elpis, even though you're not an ancient
ahhh Ancients with their hoods down!
I'm still trying to place Hythlo's voice haha, right now I have Matsuoka Yoshitsugu in mind but I'm not sure..
... q____q
I'm both really moved and also really tickled because Hades looks like a Kingdom Hearts character
ok he sounds more and more like Hoshi Souichirou
which would kinda makes sense - noticed that all the original/unsundered Ancients have seiyuu from the older generation? Ikeda Shuichi, Takahashi Hiroki, Ishida Akira..
THIS GUY IS SUCH A JOKER
haha! I should have known that a marvel like FFXIV's hanging gardens can only be a location built by the Ancients
I'm grinning so hard, I never thought we'd go back to a time when Ancients were alive
seeing the irony of the Fandaniel name being passed from the chief of Elpis - a man who treasured every living being, no matter how small - to a man who abused his talents to clone the dead, create bizarre chimera and other twisted lifeforms
the old world had SPRIGGANS!!!!
Meteion is such a good child
kinda scary and really funny hahaha
oh this casting top is really cute, I might keep this in mind when I revamp my glam
LMAO Hythlo's idea of a plan: "we get Emet-Selch to train the charybdis 
"
"
the poor man realising he's been played
thinking about how Emet-Selch compared transformation to stripping oneself naked, Meteion's threat that "IF YOU DON'T DO IT, HERMES WILL TRANSFORM RIGHT NOWWW" is even funnier
THE BOND BETWEEN THE 3 OF THEM IS THE REAL THING TT__TT
I'm of the belief that to wipe the memory of an intelligent being is to essentially kill the individual they were, so I'm not sure if this argument honestly holds weight
little wonder that he's so opposed to taking lives and chooses to avoid it when he can
and this is made all the more difficult when the people around him do not give the same weight to the value of life, seeing the smaller entities as concepts that can be unmade and then recreated anytime they want
Fandaniel...Hermes, such a gentle and loving soul
I'm thankful to EnW for showing us the original Fandaniel
THE HEART OF HYDAELYN WAS A TRAVELER TOO q___q
she' so pretty... and she has a way of putting you at ease and feeling like your troubles are over ;__;
AHH I'd seen tiny Ixion but of course I should have figured there are also tiny Coeurlregina in this place!!!
the WoL was put in a very unenviable position of having to reveal the Ancients' future but thanks to that, now we have brainstorming as to why it was decided that Hydaelyn should be summoned
I love how this scene accomplishes two things - that it shows how time - an eternity even - can change anyone, and the irony that E-S did everything that he said he wouldn't do, precisely because
he would not forsake his duty and his people
man, namida tomaranai
there were some rather unpleasant headcanons of Venat flying around before we got to Endwalker. Those headcanons never sat well with me, and now I'm even more convinced that Venat is not a bad person
I'm all that more curious as to why she chose to become the heart of Hydaelyn, and why she saw escape as the only option if the Final Days were to come after akk
*all
I haven't gotten to the end and I can already say yes
...!?
the possibility of Hermes having a hand in the Final Days never crossed my mind..
haha! It had been confirmed the first time we enter the place but IT WAS VENAT'S DOGGO
HMM LET'S HAVE A DUEL TO SHOW ARGO THAT YOU ARE WORTHY! Very adventurer
I love Venat
Venat was tough but fun, also THAT MUSIC AAAA
PUPPER
I'm kinda of starting to see why the possibility of linking Hermes to the Final Days might exist. Until we find out more, it's still quite the stretch at this point
CUTE hahaha
I was thinking about how Emet-Selch had made his society seem so perfect in ShB, but come to realise now that from Hermes' words, it seems like they lack a certain kind of respect towards lives, especially those of non-human living things
CUTE LMAO????
oh man. Even if it's just a hypothesis, WHAT A REVELATION
TEARS HAIR OUT
HERMES MADE CONTACT WITH A HOSTILE ENTITY
Meteion I love you but WHAT THE FUCK WAS THIS SERIES OF CHASE QUESTS OTL
this answer is somehow worse....
the Meteia have broken because they couldn't find an answer to the question Hermes tasked them...
YO I GET TO RUN TRUST WITH VENAT, EMET-SELCH AND HYTHLODAEUS!!!!!!!!!!
E-S is a TANK
lol this trust party is a RIOT
SO MUCH TO TAKE IN
I'M FLOORED
I'M ABSOLUTELY FLOORED
number 1, now we know who was saying "At last.." when Zodiark fell. Meteion and her sisters found nothing but despair and death at the end of their search for life on other planets, and her heart broke in place of Hermes'...
number 2, Hermes deciding that if the star has no need for 'flawed' lifeforms, then surely mankind is unnecessary too. But he opposes Meteion's nihilism and decides that mankind should be given a fighting change, IF they really want to live
number 3, how to avoid time paradox? Wipe everyone's memory with your awesome computer
number 4, Emet-Selch and Hythlo pulling a fast one on Hermes to secure Venat and WoL's escape!!!!!!!!!!!!
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
E-S HAS THE RIGHT OF IT
I wasn't really sure about the Elpis section but that last part singlehandedly changed my mind...
Venat...she had been so lonely in the battle and the truth she couldn't share with anyone
man chose to stay ignorant of sadness and suffering, and so Venat chose to become God and cast them out of their paradise
the interesting thing is that she didn't know herself if she made the right choice. But the die had been cast anyway, and so she and her worlds fight on
so how they forestalled the Final Days was to shroud the world in aether - dense aether = dynamis can't do much
and when Zodiark fell, the shroud of aether is now gone too => Meteion can do whatever the hell she wants
no rest for the wicked or the good!
YOU LIVE!!!
rather surprised to see Zenos doling out words about finding purpose in life that actually make sense, at the same time it's a very him way of thinking
also I get the feeling the story had no idea where to put him haha, we're at the lvl 88 MSQ and he's been rather out of place
stopping here for today, I wonder if I'll be able to finish tomorrow
I would have much preferred to take my own time, but the story means too much to me to be potentially ruined by some accidental spoiler
I've slept late and woken up early because I'm too hyped lmao I wonder if I can finish EnW today..
2.4k queue today but I'm reading that people tend to get stuck at the same number for minutes so...
they were not kidding about it not moving...
this might be the longest 2k queue yet
wow it finally moved
IT'S MOVING
to begin, we must first see the end...
1100 per hour today X_X
crossed my mind that the game didn't explain why Azem left the convocation but I think I can come up with something now - Azem didn't agree with the sacrifice needed to summon Zodiark, but since they didn't know the whole truth, Venat didn't approach them about summoning Hydaelyn either
so most likely they took off on their own to try and find some other answer
coming to the new areas, seeing new characters have been awesome but I think meeting Venat and seeing what kind of person she was before she became the heart of Hydaelyn really made this journey worthwhile
recapping again for my own memory, Meteion - now bearing the combined despair of several corners of the universe - comes to the conclusion that living is not worthwhile. The star's celestial aether currents prevent her from utilising dynamis to do much (dense aether = effects of dynamis is lowered)
stagnation and weakening of the celestial aether currents allows Meteion to penetrate and wreck havoc. Ancients hold a ton of aether in their being, so the effect is limited to their magicks going wild rather than them transforming into beasts. Stagnation of aether currents was a factor that helped bring about the Final Days, but it wasn't what caused it
Ancients summon Zodiark to forestall the Final Days, but it was Venat/Hydaelyn who shrouds the star in aether to protect it against Meteion (did that have to involve sundering?)
I like the story so far, not 100% yet on certain developments but I like that we're getting answers
I do wanna say though that the story gave me vibes of the Gundam 00 movie and Madoka Magica which are both very close to my heart lol so I'm starting to have a soft spot for this expac
this is like holding the wait number 1 on the duty finder
on that note, although the queue is moving much more slowly, I haven't encountered any 2002s today
coming back briefly to Fandaniel, but for all their differences Hermes and Amon both found mankind wanting in their own way
I'M IN
FALLS OVER
KENN's voice acting really sells it hahahahaha
Labyrinthos is pretty similar to Elpis now that you think about it! Of course their purposes are different
Kokkol is hilarious!!
also I love scenes in which old and new friends come together to help the Scions TT___TT
the casting outfits are all so cute this expac
also THE SCENES OF EORZEA AND OTHARD COMING TOGETHER BROUGHT TEARS AGAIN q___q
my HEART T_T
TT____TT
I hadn't expected to learn more about Moenbryda but...tis fitting
a good sidequest. Godsspeed, friend
a sweet Sharlayan researcher
you could already tell from some of the anecdotes from Alisaie and the twins' mother but still...baka-oya Fourchenault TT_____TT
the harbour scene...all of it ;;____;;
I hear it, I feel it, and now I will always be thinking about it TT____TT
I had wondered how their reconciliation was going to play out but this is...this is aaaaaa
I didn't manage to finish Eden on time but I'm SO GLAD I was able to finish most of the other important raids. Bahamut for the Dalamud expeditions, Alexander for the goblins joining in the Mor Dhona group, Four Lords for the relics from the Far East,
the Ivalice raids for the Prima Vista, Bozja for the resistance contributing some of their relics...
the Omega raids for Alpha and tiny Omega being on the team...
ahhhh my god what a way to bring it all together
she a beaut!
as cute as this is, isn't this basically the songbird outfit though haha
but I like the hat so let's see if I can work it into a glam somehow
this...this is a DUNGEON??? HOLY COW
ahhhhhh who do I bring!!!!?
SUCH A COOL DUNGEON
literally fighting through tears TT____TT
and man we have to fight Amon TWO times haha
me: oh man, I can't help but feel sorry for Amon. All the torment he went through because he thought he found his answer but couldn't bring himself to believe it
Asahi: shows up to personally bury the man six foot under-er
me: oh lol
Asahi: shows up to personally bury the man six foot under-er
me: oh lol
she's so beautiful TT____TT Amano's illustration brought to life
and the orchestral arrangement of Answers!
AND TRUST AGAINST HYDAELYN HERSELF
AAAAAAAAAAAAA
alas I must take a break for now
but AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
THIS IS BASICALLY THE WHOLE GANG AAAA
VERY COOL FIGHT
less insane than the Zodiark one imo hahaha
I'm not even at the end yet and already I'm crying buckets ;;_____;; VENAAAAT. HYDAELYYYYYN
god the music...
Hytlodaeus...
congrats on your boutique Tataru!!!!
I also love that the Scions have their own cliques haha, Thancred+Urianger+Yshtola, and then Alphinaud+Alisaie+sometimes Graha Tia
EVEN THE PRIMALS WE FOUGHT OVER THE YEARS
I wasn't sure what to expect, but this place is beautiful
this gives me a lot of Gurren Lagann vibes, specifically the bit where Simon and gang go up against the Anti-Spiral
did we...land on Midgardsomr's homestar?
when the end-game nihilist takes the form of a young girl, my annoyance grows doubly every time she speaks
THE MUSIC AGAIN
that would...certainly explain why Meteion broke so hard...
oh man they discovered Heat Death... and these guys are immortal too OTL
Omega's home? T_T
Estinien = Niddhog battle theme
Yshtola and Urianger = Twintania battle theme
Graha = Tomorrow and Tomorrow
Yshtola and Urianger = Twintania battle theme
Graha = Tomorrow and Tomorrow
Jason C Miller's vocals just kicked in and now I can't see through my tears
Alisaie and Alphinaud = Golden Bahamut
I wanted it to be Gaius but it's probably Zenos
forge ahead, Endwalker...
a...a flower field T_T
I've been ended by Endwalker (but I'm still not done(
there is something hilarious and oddly satisfying to have Zenos "I don't despair, I just get bored" viator Galvus swoop in and deliver you to the embodiment of despair
I meant to finish this today but I can't lol TOO TIRED
tomorrow it is then after the insane looking 8man
this last stage of the 90 dungeon is so gorgeous which just adds to the depression...
6.3K today could mean anyway between 2 to 4 hours...
after I finish MSQ I'm either going to the inn to watch cutscenes or sorting through my screencap
I'm still FLOORED
GYAAAA let me in I can't possibly spend half the day avoiding Youtube and Twitter just because I'm left with one last fight!!!!
finding out that the heart of Hydaelyn was a traveller and an adventurer too when she lived was one of the best revelations of EnW... her intentions had always been vague while still in the interest of the star, but now it's crystal clear that she loved people and the world
if not, she wouldn't do what she had done
I'm extremely emotional right now
watching a guide on the last fight and I like how after the phase change the mechanics become not so nuts
like how an angry person starts losing energy and break down crying..
this game is really good...this story is incredible
will I be able to log in and have time to do the last fight before my lunch gets here lol
ah credits too OTL
seems like there are still some pause points after beating the last fight so I can probably get that going first before the food arrives OTL
if I can get in...
my Madoka files are in my other drive gggg
I have the perfect cap for this expansion
I FORGOT ABOUT WAITING TIMES Q_Q
my ds4 is fritzing too gghghghhg
one last chat...
Urianger = Bestways Burrows theme
Thancred = Twilight over Thanalan
Yshtola = Matoya's Cave TT___TT
Estinien = Misconception
Krile = Baldesion Annex
Urianger = Bestways Burrows theme
Thancred = Twilight over Thanalan
Yshtola = Matoya's Cave TT___TT
Estinien = Misconception
Krile = Baldesion Annex
Krile has been such a champion, even if most of her work is behind the scenes
Graha Tia = ETERNAL WIND TT_____TT
Alisaie = I'm sorry, I can't remember BUT I KNOW HOW IT SOUNDS LIKE
Alphinaud = Old Sharlayan...
Alisaie = I'm sorry, I can't remember BUT I KNOW HOW IT SOUNDS LIKE
Alphinaud = Old Sharlayan...
I'm done...and I now walk on with feels
the story managed to make me feel sympathy for Zenos and Amon-daniel... especially for Zenos, he was out of place and HE RECOGNIZED THIS. And so he chose to burn out the candle of his life, fulfilling his heart's one wish, and expiring his own existence at the literal edge of the universe
he has nowhere and no one to go back to
was he truly happy in the end? Only he knows
hadn't expected to see it play it out this way, but... so very effective
btw can anyone believe that the final trial is really hard for me not just because of mechs but because I can't see the entire arena...
one of the mechs keep fucking me over because I CAN'T SEE THEM WHILE RUNNING
hear - the song of creation's end
feel - the sorrow at hope's demise
think - and find your way in the Darkness!
feel - the sorrow at hope's demise
think - and find your way in the Darkness!
I'm watching the credits cutscene on someone else's Youtube channel since I had to skip most of mine for a lunch that was cooling lol but AHH the adventurer's guild heads of the 3 city states show up in them TT____TT
Hien is in the Far East portion!! AND ISSE
THE ENDSINGER AND METEION ARE VOICED BY THE SAME PERSON???
seiyuu osoroshii...
Venat and Hydaelyn are by Inoue Kikuko!!!
wowowowow I'm already looking forward to Fanfest 2023 hahahaha. PLEASE HAVE AN ONLINE SEGMENT SQUENIX, I'LL PAY IF I HAVE TO
HERMES AND AMON IS VOICED BY MATSUOKA YOSHITSUGU?????????
LMAO Fourchenault dislikes carrots
aaaah cute
did the BGM for the Old Sharlayan teaser ever show up in-game? T_T
Alphinaud: Ours is not a kind world, but a beautiful one. Always.
so I came across a tweet which explained how he didn't like the Zenos bit at the end and how that kind of soured the whole ending for him, which I thought was kinda harsh!
I'm one of those who didn't pick Option 1, simply because neither I nor my WoL would have wanted to engage him lmao and also by the time I got to him, my lunch had already arrived so I was ready to get it over and done with
that said, the ending was strong enough that the fight - which I'd inadvertently spoiled for myself, THANKS YOUTUBE - didn't take all that much away
in fact, it just made me feel sadder for Zenos because the universe has hope now, and yet for him his idea of a spark in his life is to have one more...one last fight with the one person who made him feel alive
【FF14】暁月クリア後の暁の場所と会話【ネタバレ注意】 so after Endwalker, the Scions are scattered across various locations. I'd run into Estinien in Radz at Han (grumbling about how the people are treating him so nice that he's starting to get suspicious about being softened up for a tough job lol) and got curious as to where the others were
Yshtola being in Matoya's cave gave me all kinds of feelings..
I like that some of the craftleves are cute but others make ME SIDE-EYE A LOT
Also the final fight sure was some shonen anime shit and I loved it
I got serious Gurren Lagann vibes from it hahaha
I still gotta unlock craftleves...
Some of those craftleves in Sharlayan sure are something