New Heavensward Short Stories!

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Originally Posted by Zohar_Lahar

Ysayle's story is up. Most curiously....why did the Ul'dahn merchant (who was a front for the Ivy) make deals with her heretic sect?

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An attempt at fueling instability in Ishgard so that, if weakened, the Garleans could swoop in and conquer it?

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Originally Posted by Theodric

An attempt at fueling instability in Ishgard so that, if weakened, the Garleans could swoop in and conquer it?

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I doubt it was anything so conspiratorial. He probably just thought that the Dravanians and heretics stood a good chance of conquering Ishgard and wanted to be in their good graces while making gil.

Was not expecting this story at all. Interesting that they use something from the msq, rather than before it

What if, for some reason, the next story is about Minfilia.

What if?

So basically all we get for "closure" with Ysyale is that Hraesvelgr agreed to take her to Azys La and just abandon her. Fuck you, Yoshi and story team (go ahead and ban me from the forums for saying that IDC), I'm still mad. Kill off a well-done female Elezen character for additional shock value, and don't even have her mentioned in any sort of honoring or memorial at the end of 3.0. Piss off.

Oh but hey there's a Ysayle minion to be released some time in the future, mog station only probably please look forward to it.

Can we really be sure Ysayle is gone for good? Deus ex echo is a powerful plot device so far.

Ysayle's end was a redemption for her mistakes and the cost in lives her actions had caused. As for her closure, I think it wasn't a minor thing he allowed her to ride him. For a celestial dragon, I think that is a really big deal.

I also wouldn't rule out her playing a role, even after death, in the MSQ going forward. We aren't finished with the dragons yet.

Does anyone know how to change the thread title. If we are going to be openly discussing spoilers I think there should be a spoiler tag added to the title.

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Originally Posted by Madotsuki

So basically all we get for "closure" with Ysyale is that Hraesvelgr agreed to take her to Azys La and just abandon her. Fuck you, Yoshi and story team (go ahead and ban me from the forums for saying that IDC), I'm still mad. Kill off a well-done female Elezen character for additional shock value, and don't even have her mentioned in any sort of honoring or memorial at the end of 3.0. Piss off.

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I suppose you never went back to Tailfeather or Anyx Trine, then? Her passing did leave a hole in the world where she once was, which is already better treatment than most characters get in FFXIV. Still, "redemption = death" is one of, if not my least favorite ways for characters to go.

That said, just a hunch, but I wouldn't count her out just yet.

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Originally Posted by Madotsuki

So basically all we get for "closure" with Ysyale is that Hraesvelgr agreed to take her to Azys La and just abandon her. Fuck you, Yoshi and story team (go ahead and ban me from the forums for saying that IDC), I'm still mad. Kill off a well-done female Elezen character for additional shock value, and don't even have her mentioned in any sort of honoring or memorial at the end of 3.0. Piss off.

Oh but hey there's a Ysayle minion to be released some time in the future, mog station only probably please look forward to it.

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Why don't you tell us how you really feel?

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Originally Posted by Zohar_Lahar

...why did the Ul'dahn merchant (who was a front for the Ivy) make deals with her heretic sect?

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I think this is a different merchant. We caught the Ivy in 2.4. Ysayle, here, wants to "finish what Vishap started," (Vishap died in 2.5), implying that this merchant is selling her the supplies to launch the second attack that drew Aymeric from the banquet.

This particular bit held struck me as a point where her delusion fell apart:

"Fire and blood. And screams...so many screams. Mine own join the chorus, calling for order, calling for justice...but there is none to be had. Men fight, men run, men die—without reason, without logic. I speak, but they do not listen. I see the girl, no more than ten, hiding amongst the rubble. The wyvern sees her too. I beg. I plead. I pray..."

Knowing her history and her dreams that would have been a horrible thing to realise your responsible for.

Its hard to say exactly but I think her dreams, desires and determination kind of reminded Hraesvelgr of Shiva. Without being able to see his mind its hard to be sure though since his responses are kind of vague.

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Originally Posted by Ayuhra

What if, for some reason, the next story is about Minfilia.

What if?

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I doubt it since she really doesn't have much to do with the Dragonsong war. Rereading the Tales of the Calamity kind of makes me hope we see her past come up again in the future. We have seen little of skills she may have used to get by prior to founding the Path of the Twelve.

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Originally Posted by Anonymoose

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You are totally right on that one, it makes perfect sense, well done !

Regarding Ysayle, well.... Lahabrea says that the echo is the power to break boundaries and many times, with his type of speech, would hint he has the echo too, or something similiar. ''Let us show these mortals the true power of the echo'', I also remember something about being the key to immortality or so, but i cannot remember properly

We dont know what happened to the other people in the path of the twelve in 1.x but we do know that beastmen also can have this.

in 2.2 patch, before leviathan is summoned, we see a sahagin tryng to summon Leviathan, but gets killed, and when it dies, its ''soul'', its ''aether'' goes to another one.

We know that echo's power so far, are seeing the past, and speak all languages/understand all languages. BUT Our path companion and other members of the Path, could not understand sylphs(i dont remember exactly how it is, but i remember someone asking you to explain what the sylph were saying, maybe im wrong but anyway.

It would seem like the echo can '' level up'' for example what midgarsormr did to the WoL

When ysayle dies, she leaves a massive cloud of aether in the sky. I wonder, what if Ysayle had unlocked more of the power of the echo, the capacity to remain conscious in the aetherflow? Like that sahagin from before?

I wasn't expecting nanamo to come back, and it makes alot of sense if Ysayle does, BUT plotwise seems, boring.

''sultana is dead'' ''NOT!''
''Scions are dead" "NOT!"

i really hope Ysayle comes back, to me makes perfect sense, and she is a well written character and, like moenbryda, her stayng felt too short :/

New story up. It's Haurchefant.

I feel like Francel is going to become our enemy. His anger at us is understandable; we took his best friend and protector from him. He likely resents us for the ease we won him over, and the (potential) relationship we had with him.
What I found odd is that the story suggested that the relationship between Haurchefant and Francel was just between a knight and his lord; there was a distinct lack of romantic undertones (as is suggested by the early MSQ). But I get the feeling Francel wanted more, and is jealous the WoL (potentially) got that.

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Originally Posted by PArcher

I feel like Francel is going to become our enemy. His anger at us is understandable; we took his best friend and protector from him. He likely resents us for the ease we won him over, and the (potential) relationship we had with him.
What I found odd is that the story suggested that the relationship between Haurchefant and Francel was just between a knight and his lord; there was a distinct lack of romantic undertones (as is suggested by the early MSQ). But I get the feeling Francel wanted more, and is jealous the WoL (potentially) got that.

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I didn't really get a jealousy vibe from this at all tbh.

The part about him breaking the dead flowers (he leaves flowers at Haurchefant's memorial EVERY DAY) I felt was more like ... the anger stage of grief?

But there's loads of romantic undertones to this, remembering that the narrator of the story is Francel himself. I mean come on:

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A silver-haired boy twice his age was swinging a wooden sword with reckless abandon, his bare chest glistening with sweat in the moonlight.

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This reads like something straight out of a gay romance novel. Plus if you go and speak to Francel after doing the Vault he is ... really distraught. Like even more distraught than the people at Dragonhead iirc (who - if you didn't check them - CANNOT say their scripted "tell me about what you do here" lines because they can't bring themselves to say those things).

What I'm trying to say is that I'd really like for Square to stop beating around the bush and tell us if they were in a relationship ... perhaps we could get some stuff about that at the weekend during the lore thing?

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Originally Posted by Clawtooth

What I'm trying to say is that I'd really like for Square to stop beating around the bush and tell us if they were in a relationship ... perhaps we could get some stuff about that at the weekend during the lore thing?

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I can't see them doing that as it'd joss everyone with a headcanon that the WoL was in a relationship with Haurchefant, which is something they've also left open to interpretation. (Unless your personal headcanon was that he was poly as hell, which is yet another thing that's open to interpretation).

The anger Francel takes out on the flowers is definitely directed at the WoL. I get the feeling that he thought that if Haurchefant died as a knight, it would have been in his defense...not some foreigner freshly come to Ishgard (even if you did save his life, and would have stopped the Dragonsong War if not for Estinien). He's definitely jealous that you became so highly regarded that he gave his life for you, and that his House saw you as worthy enough to be gifted his shield.

If anything, I can see that Francel wanted more out of their relationship than knight/Lord, but his desires were not returned in kind.

Wouldn't that be a tweeest of Francel becomes our enemy behind the scenes.

I was expecting a little more, seeing as that we spent a lot of time 30-40 dealing with Francel. Maybe something more recent....

But his reaction to the gravesite is quite interesting.

Hello I was wrong. Good bye!

Forgotten friend or jilted lover? Smells like we've got an issue here between Francel and the WoL.

I didn't get Francel was jealous or angry at the WoL, just in the anger part of grief. Or...

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Originally Posted by PArcher

If anything, I can see that Francel wanted more out of their relationship than knight/Lord, but his desires were not returned in kind.

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Angry that his desires could never be returned now because Haurchefant died.

Though I don't see at all Francel turning against us especially after what we as the WoL did for him. You saved him from that heretic and inquisitors stuff. I don't think he'd be so quick to forget that and turn against you. Like yeah maybe jealous cause you the WoL got to spend a lot of time with Haurchefant but to the point of turning entirely against you? I don't see it.

Francel might yet be visited by Ascians offering him a way to get his dead friend back.

I mean...everyone is predicting the next Primal will be Ice/Lightning and we haven't seen hide or hoof of Ixion yet.

It would also echo Tiamat's story.

I can see Francel doing something against the WoL, but nothing too crazy.

He's of the Nobility, 4th son of the head of House ___

There's going to be political turmoil now that the truth is out; those who more or less want thing the way it's always been under the 4 Noble Houses/Church vs. many changes under the Lord Commander

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Originally Posted by PArcher

The anger Francel takes out on the flowers is definitely directed at the WoL. I get the feeling that he thought that if Haurchefant died as a knight, it would have been in his defense...not some foreigner freshly come to Ishgard (even if you did save his life, and would have stopped the Dragonsong War if not for Estinien). He's definitely jealous that you became so highly regarded that he gave his life for you, and that his House saw you as worthy enough to be gifted his shield.

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Where in the text are you getting this though? Like, Francel is really civil to you if you go and visit him in Skyfire Locks either immediately following Haurchefant's death or after the ending of 3.0.

The exact text says:

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All too soon, he arrived. As he knelt to replace yesterday’s offering, Francel's eyes drifted to the shield leaning against the marker. A red unicorn, erased and wreathed in thorns. And below...

He shuddered, and looked away. "You just couldn't help yourself, could you?" he muttered through clenched teeth, twisting and crushing the flowers in his hands until there was nothing left.

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To me, this is his anger at Haurchefant for "leaving him", i.e. giving his life to save someone else - which is according to the phrase echoed throughout the story - a knight's duty. Notice that at the end of the passage he is smiling while he is crying - perhaps his reminiscence allowed him to reconcile with his feelings of anger before.

I just think saying he's angry at the WoL is going a bit far, considering that the WoL is never mentioned in the story.

I'd also find it odd if Francel became a recurring villain in 3.x or even a villain at all because you have no obligation to even speak to him once after the Coerthas story in 2.0 is memory serves. All the interaction you can have with him is great and really fits in with the character but it's all entirely optional and if you never find your way into Skyfire Locks again then you might forget he exists.

I dunno I just think it's a bit of a stretch - I think his anger is directed at Haurchefant if anyone, he's grieving so it's natural for him to have bouts of anger about it, that's part of the process.

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Originally Posted by Ayuhra

Francel might yet be visited by Ascians offering him a way to get his dead friend back.

I mean...everyone is predicting the next Primal will be Ice/Lightning and we haven't seen hide or hoof of Ixion yet.

It would also echo Tiamat's story.

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Yeah, I was toying with that. Imo, he's now the top-choice Npc for summoning him.

And I do feel that he could easily turn against us; yes, we saved him from the heretic, but in return took his best friend from him, in more ways than one. He's still young (22 right now!) and probably not thinking straight at all; if the opportunity to hurt us presents itself, I'm sure he'll take it.

Trying to get Haurchefant back into his life through a ritual taught to him by Ascians (who could well take on Haurchefant's body and wear it to make things SUPER messed up if they wanted to) wouldn't make Francel evil. If people turn on Haillenarte after the inevitable incoming political upheaval he'll be desperate. And I'm sure if someone who radiated power came and said he'd only need crystals or some kind of aether and intense prayer and Haurchefant would come back he'd take that person's words into consideration.

It would also echo Tiamat's story and this game seems fond of repeating themes.

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We abided in peace, and all was well...until the men of Allag came, some five thousand years since. They slaughtered my children in droves, and took from me my beloved Bahamut. 'Twas then, when I had fallen into the depths of despair, that black-robed men came unto me. The Ascians. They offered to resurrect Bahamut through their dark arts, and I, in my grief, accepted─a decision which I shall regret unto my dying breath. For what they brought back was a mockery of my beloved.

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I'll play devil's advocate here.

Francel clearly brought the lilies to pay respects, but crushing them instead is obviously a sign of grief and rage. Then there's the smiling while crying; not everybody who smiles feels happy on the inside. I'm certain he's upset that Haurchefant 'left him'. Whether or not it's because Francel had feelings for him, or if he was left behind while Haurchefant went elsewhere with the WoL, that is uncertain. But this story is not a take of a happy Francel, and I don't see this ending well for the WoL--the player is going to get dragged into something down the road. Maybe it'll be fighting Idiom, maybe not.

Is there any chance this could be a sometimes the curtains are just blue moment?

As far as the erotic subtext goes, I could almost see it if it weren't for the fact they were children for the whole story. At that point, it starts to look a lot more two unlikely friends that would never have positively impacted each others' lives if they were wiser in "the way things were" in Ishgard when they first met.

In the first story, Francel is six years old and thinks that everyone loves pomp and circumstance but him, so when he escapes the politics of his first banquet, he's happy to see someone else avoiding it, too, entirely ignorant of why Haurchefant has been excluded. He doesn't know what bastards are or why they're different from him, a fourth-born heir. He just sees an interesting older kid who wants to avoid festivities and become a knight, and Haurchefant takes a liking to the kid who, in spite of everyone else treating him like crap, comes outside and offers him dessert.

Their friendship continues, but is weird to everyone else. The bastard brawler and the trueborn bookworm don't even have anything in common. They don't see how much it means to Haurchefant that someone not only wants him to just be himself, but admires him for who he is and shows him warmth for it, or how much it means to Francel that Haurchefant takes the time to understand and look out for him.

Skip to Francel, age 11. Count Haillenarte "gifts" him a falconry lesson, since a valuable sociopolitical skill for nobles and knights. The only reason the kid can even ride a chocobo properly is because of Haurchefant spending time with him, but he doesn't want to let his father down so he rushes off alone and ends up getting kidnapped. Haurchefant had volunteered to be a tracker for this hunting party specifically to keep an eye on him, and ends up putting his martial skills to use killing the three kidnappers - and in the process, he dives in front of an arrow to save Francel, joking that he should have brought a shield. For this deed, Haurchefant's ambitions are realized, and thanks to this friendship he becomes a knight.

Flash back to present day.

Francel has been bringing flowers to his friend's grave every day ... and today, where yesterday there was nothing, someone has left his shield.

With a magicked-arrow hole blasted through it.

And suddenly everything is more real, because he knows exactly what happened and exactly why Haurchefant did it.

And he's so sad he crushes his flowers, but realizes that, even in the end, Haurchefant wasn't just his friend, he was a knight.

I'm not saying it's not more than that, but is it more likely than not to be more than that? I mean, Haurchefant didn't look my secret lover is about to die worried when they were going to execute Francel for heresy, he just knew it was chocobosh[KUPO!]t and wanted you to help put an end to it before a good man died. And, for all his excitable, pansexual, hero-worshipping antics, Haurchefant didn't seem to have anything deeper going on. And Francel is still in the game (Coerthas Central Highlands, X24 Y24)

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Francel (Post 3.0)
He was rather fond of those cliffs, you know. On a clear day, they offer a fantastic view of the city.
The way he would look at it, with a smile that wasn't quite, and eyes that held the whole of the world...
I would give anything to know what he felt in those moments.

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Am I missing something? Something, like, "Ixion confirmed! Haurchefant becomes the steed he always wanted you to be!" obvious?

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Originally Posted by Dalvy

I'll play devil's advocate here.

Francel clearly brought the lilies to pay respects, but crushing them instead is obviously a sign of grief and rage. Then there's the smiling while crying; not everybody who smiles feels happy on the inside. I'm certain he's upset that Haurchefant 'left him'. Whether or not it's because Francel had feelings for him, or if he was left behind while Haurchefant went elsewhere with the WoL, that is uncertain. But this story is not a take of a happy Francel, and I don't see this ending well for the WoL--the player is going to get dragged into something down the road. Maybe it'll be fighting Idiom, maybe not.

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How is that Devil's Advocate? So far we're all scratching our heads wondering if Francel is going to do something crazy that will kill us all (either intentionally or in an attempt to get Haurchefant back or possibly both).

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Originally Posted by Ayuhra

How is that Devil's Advocate? So far we're all scratching our heads wondering if Francel is going to do something crazy that will kill us all (either intentionally or in an attempt to get Haurchefant back).

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Because it's been a touchy topic elsewhere, that nothing was wrong concerning francel and haurchefant, everything is The lack of interaction after saving him and up to 3.0 made some question it.

At least now there is an answer. I'd rather see it develope into something, rather than this story being one and done.

I would too! Honestly if these stories are supposed to give us insights into character motivations I can see this turning into something in the game. And I would love it if it did.

Francel, Ixion, Ascians, dead friend, house sigil is Unicorn, next Primal might be snow and lightning it all just fits together so nicely.

Come on SE, come ooooon.....

Doooo iiiiit

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Originally Posted by Ayuhra

Francel, Ixion, Ascians, dead friend, house sigil is Unicorn, next Primal might be snow and lightning it all just fits together so nicely.

Come on SE, come ooooon.....

Doooo iiiiit

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Square Enix: Nope.

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Originally Posted by treuhavik

Square Enix: Nope.

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But....my hopes and dreams....

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Originally Posted by Ayuhra

But....my hopes and dreams....

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Crushed under the hooves of a non-existent Ixion.

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Originally Posted by treuhavik

Crushed under the hooves of a non-existent Ixion.

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Or maybe the hooves of an extant Ixion that is unrelated to Francel, eh? Eh!?

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Originally Posted by treuhavik

Crushed under the hooves of a non-existent Ixion.

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Is this before or after the lovemaking betwixt Francel and Haurchefant's ghost?

(WHY DOES NO ONE SUPPORT MY SOLUS X NAEL SLASH FIC)

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Originally Posted by Anonymoose

Or maybe the hooves of an extant Ixion that is unrelated to Francel, eh? Eh!?

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I'm still going with my theory that it will be the WoL who summons him

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Originally Posted by Rocl

Is this before or after the lovemaking betwixt Francel and Haurchefant's ghost?

(WHY DOES NO ONE SUPPORT MY SOLUS X NAEL SLASH FIC)

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That's not his ghost it's his body being possessed by an Ascian. You're welcome for that visual.

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Originally Posted by PArcher

I'm still going with my theory that it will be the WoL who summons him

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I would like this too but that's because I have an intense need to see the WoL do something because they ostensibly WANT to, not because events snowballed them into it. Giving the WoL motivation might be too much for a blank avatar though...

Also anyone tricking us into summoning our dead friend (lover?) into our life again would have to be SUPER CLEVER about it otherwise, after all we've seen and done re: Primals we'd have to be pretty darn stupid.

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Originally Posted by Ayuhra

Also anyone tricking us into summoning our dead friend (lover?) into our life again would have to be SUPER CLEVER about it otherwise, after all we've seen and done re: Primals we'd have to be pretty darn stupid.

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I can see tricking being fairly easy, actually.

Lure us into a place full of aether, either tons of corrupted crystals or just flooded with raw aether in the air (like, after the defeat of a powerful aetheric creature...perhaps in Tharl Oom Khash...), and get us into an Echo or just thinking about a good time with Haurcherfaunt. Should be enough, considering how powerful we are, to get us to (accidentally) manifest a Primal version of him (this is basically how Phoenix was summoned, remember? Desire + Aether = Primal).

Now, that doesn't seem any better than before; you summoned a Primal, and now have to kill it, no big deal.

What if it was the Warrior of Darkness tricking you, trying to get you to summon a Primal to stack the odds against your favor? You summon, he takes control of the Primal, and you're now in big trouble...

But what if it doesn't go according to plan?

What if the Primal doesn't fall to his tricks, instead aiding you in defeating the WoD (for now)? What do you do, turn on it, or try to find a way to work with it...?

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Originally Posted by Anonymoose

Or maybe the hooves of an extant Ixion that is unrelated to Francel, eh? Eh!?

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Holy Hoof Kick, 'Nony, your window for pot stirring has already closed! Anyway, we both know that if Ixion is to appear, it will be summoned by Francel and that it'll be a Haurchefant-Horse centaur. Y'know, to keep those pony play jokes from Heavenstrum going.

Real talk, though, lightning and ice make little sense together, being polar opposites and all. It's far more likely that if Ixion/Dark Ixion appears, it'll be as a lightning-attributed Eikon.

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Originally Posted by Rocl

Is this before or after the lovemaking betwixt Francel and Haurchefant's ghost?

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Unfortunately, I feel pretty safe saying that this has already been written somewhere.


...No, I will not find it for you.