[SOILERS INSIDE] An Emotional Response to a Certain Character <3

[Do not read ahead if you have not finished the Shadowbringers Main Scenario Quests]

[Also, this is just a random fluffy shoutout to the devs]


Can we talk about G'raha Tia?

Yes, that miqo'te fanboy who dotes on everything we do.

The light in my darkness. The hope in my despair.

Many will think that this is an exaggeration, and that's probably true to most. All I can say with clarity is that I was in a very dark place in my life when Shadowbringers first came out. I know that Tia is a fictional character, but his hope and faith in me (us) was a lifeline. The inspiring unity of the Crystarium and the unwavering resolve of the heroes we have been surrounded with have become an anthem of hope in my life. I will never forget Tia's words in the last cutscene of the ShB MSQ. That [though he cannot go back home] we have given him the courage to try.

After I finished Shadowbringers, I closed the laptop and cried for about an hour. I tried to figure out why this character and his words had resonated with me so deeply. Though I may never have the exact answer, this is the closest I've come to making sense of it:

Right now we live in a broken world, and our individual lives within that world can sometimes become too overwhelming. G'raha Tia accepted the reality of the Source and the First, then decided to do something about it. He said that he admired our courage, but I admire his. He worked hard for years with the remnants of civilization, then fused with the Tower and worked hard for another CENTURY to ensure not only that everything would be ready for the Warrior of Light, but that the people of the Crystarium would have a safe place to go. He led the people. Protected them from the Sin Eaters. Raised Lyna into a badass woman of awesomeness. Then he was willing to sacrifice everything (his life, his legacy, his good name, the last of the Allaghan line) for the sake of saving the Warrior of Light. Just because he had hope. Just because he had faith in his fellow man. Just because he had the courage to keep going in the face of every thinkable adversity.

I will repeat myself: I know that he is a fictional character, but fictional characters inspire me far more than any real person ever has. These games - these works of art - are what inspire me.

After I finished Shadowbringers, I had resolve. I felt ready to keep going. I felt like I had repaired my gear, stocked up on some potions, became well-fed, and was ready to face the next dungeon of life. I began to challenge myself to become the kind of person that G'raha Tia would believe in. Then I began to challenge myself to be the kind of person that real people would want to believe in. Then I began to believe in myself.

I am in a much better place now. I still have bad days, but I have much healthier habits to turn to. I am working harder than ever to be the person that I want to be.

Because he gave me the courage to try.

He is wonderful and he needs all the hugs and we are going to have to hold him very close over the next patch or two....

I loved seeing how dedicated he was - from little things like his nervous fidgeting outside our door, to learning just how much he'd gone through for us. And his overall faith in humanity as well as in us personally.

And it's wonderful to know you found his story inspiring!


Two side notes though: firstly you might not get many responses here, so if you want that you'll have more luck posting in General Discussion. This is a weird side forum that nobody visits much - I came in because I go through the "new posts" list instead of individual forums.

Secondly re. names: Seeker naming conventions are a bit odd, but don't shorten it to "Tia" because that's a tribe rank rather than an individual name. He is Raha of the G tribe. Most of us will call him G'raha when discussing the game, though he's not referred to casually by name within the game enough to work out if he actually uses that form. Our character seems to always use "G'raha Tia" in dialogue prompts. Krile knows him and refers to him as Raha.