Tenzen and Phoenix: Square Enix is listening

[Edyth]

First, read this thread if you haven't:
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/threads/34512-NPC-Popularity-Contest-%28NA%29?p=444032#post444032

Then vote Tenzen and in the details portion of the questionairre, specify that Phoenix leaves his blade and the Prime Avatar becomes available. It's a popularity contest, so if he gets the most votes, that bird may come out of Tenzen's blade and meet the tips of our blades, and then she could become available to summoners.

Worst case scenario, if Tenzen wins, we may get Phoenix as an NM with treasure drops. Best case, new avatar. Either way, we should finally get to SEE Phoenix in FFXI.

[Babekeke]

And we get to wait another 10 years for them to come up with an avatar... I don't think I could take the suspense.

[Mokeil]

Oh my... A chance I've always wanted... I doubt it'll get enough traction to win, but I don't think I can pass it up entirely. Let's see...

I would like a quest featuring Tenzen, wherein Phoenix is freed from his sword and is able to be reborn. Moreover, in keeping with the anniversary's themes of remembering the past, this quest line will also lightly revisit some of Vana'diel's greatest stories.

It will begin with us receiving a tersely worded message from Esha'ntarl, asking us to meet her “at our old gathering spot” (the Marble Bridge Tavern). She’ll inform us that the thousands of souls used to repower Tenzen’s blade all those years ago have begun to grow restless, fusing into a dark gestalt consciousness of pure anger. Tenzen has requested our help in purifying those souls; we are to meet him in Aht Urhgan, to escort him to the Cradle of Rebirth atop the Paradamo Tor.

All is not so easy, however! Upon arriving in Whitegate, we will discover that he has gone missing from his hotel. Luckily, we aren’t the only one’s investigating the odd occurances in Aht Urghan. Our old friend Gessho will lend us a hand in unraveling the mystery, for it seems the angry gestalt has caused a certain Dark Rider to take notice…

As the quest line continues to unfold, we will learn that the ones who are ultimately responsible for starting this chain of events will turn out to be the remaining members of the Armathrwn Society who have decided not to accept Esha’ntarl’s path, and thus seek to once more to return to Paradise.

In hoping to use Phoenix’s powers of rebirth to return their fallen princes to life, they awakened the souls of those sacrificed to Tenzen’s blade, seeking to draw Tenzen forth from the Far East, where their influence is weakest.

As we seek to aid Tenzen in removing the Armathrwn Society's fell influence in preparation of purifying the sword, we should find ourselves traveling across most of Vana'diel. Along the way, we should encounter many of the other NPCs prominent NPC companions we've had over the years - each one investigating the disturbances in their own ways. (A common thread to these meetings should always be something along the lines of, "Though it has been years since we last met, and though our roads carried us apart, it seems we still act as one." The Distant Worlds theme should get to play in these as well.)

Ultimately, the Armathrwn Society will not notice that the angry gestalt was given power by Odin, and it will slip from their control at the very end. Unleashed upon the world with no tethers, the angry gestalt now threatens to become a new Shadow Lord, made stronger by Phoenix’s suborned powers.

The final battle should be in the Empyreal Paradox, against a possessed Tenzen, who has just drawn Selh'teus into his blade. Naturally, Tenzen should also be able to wield his signature Cosmic Elucidation skill chain. The final rewards should be both the ability to summon Phoenix and the ability to create Cosmic Elucidation.

What do you guys think? Suitably epic enough for submitting? Perhaps a little too epic for a mere quest line?! Or am I just cheating a bit too much by having it be a thinly veiled attempt to just get to revisit every NPC and not just the one named in the contest?

[Gannon]

Now it's been a while since I did CoP, but didn't Phoenix merge with Selh'teus before you fight Promathia?

[Mokeil]

Now it's been a while since I did CoP, but didn't Phoenix merge with Selh'teus before you fight Promathia?

Ah... Er...

Hmmm...

You know? Now that you've said that, I'm not sure now. It has been way too long since I've done those. I know Selh'teus was partly infused with some of Phoenix's power... Hrm. Good thing I haven't submitted it yet! Does anyone remember for certain? Guess it's time to head to the ole paradox to see a goblin....

Well, if so, I would just need to make slight tweaks to the beginning and ends (mostly in planned dialogue/exposition), as there were definitely thousands of lives sacrificed to fuel Phoenix's spirit within the blade, and those souls would still be tainting the blade. Then, near the end when the gestalt breaks free of any controls, the maddened entity recalls... another power... one it once knew, once tasted, once... was a part of. And it knows where to find it again...

Dun dun DUNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!! (Cue crashing thunder in the background, and a race to the Empyreal Paradox!)

Also, thanks for pointing out the potential plot hole! I would feel really silly making a submission like this and then mucking up on part of the basic premise.

[Kojo]

Now it's been a while since I did CoP, but didn't Phoenix merge with Selh'teus before you fight Promathia?

Yes, his wings were actually Phoenix's wings.

[Trumpy]

I dont even know what was goin on most the time for CoPs. seemed like people were flippin back and forth from good guy to bad guy. And then i did them so long ago i really dont remember much of it at all.

[Archades]

hate me if you want i submitted bahamut >.> rather take chance to see him as a astral flow avatar. considering how his personality is, be lucky to get that from him XD

[Trumpy]

forever ago they said they wouldnt do bahamut due to not wanting to make a gimp version of him (they want to do him justice) and he was just way way way to big

[Babekeke]

forever ago they said they wouldnt do bahamut due to not wanting to make a gimp version of him (they want to do him justice) and he was just way way way to big

They should have given us 'Baby Bahamut' as an avatar. Wyvern sized and not too poweerful, with a storyline of how he grew in power and strength as he aged.