2024 Rising's absurdly specific backstory pull

So once I had this pointed out to me I couldn't get it out of my head, so I want to share it here where people might not be aware of it:

In 1.0, retainers weren't player-created; there was a pool of them, with about five NPCs for each clan-gender-home city combo. There's a still-extant list of those retainers' names, although it's hard to confirm its accuracy, and they've been reused for a bunch of NPCs in the live game--although again, with it being hard to confirm info from 1.0, it's hard to tell if it's a reused name or supposed to actually be the same person. That list is here, put alongside where that NPC (or at least that NPC's name) is now. It's a few expansions old, so it marks a few names as 'missing' that have turned up, but even that does show the devs were mining this list for a while, albeit often for characters that couldn't possibly be those retainers; a few prominent names include Ejika Tsujinka, Gegeruju who now owns Costa Del Sol, M'naago from the Stormblood MSQ, all of Edda's ill-fated party...

And Ayoyo, from this year's Rising quests.

And unlike the uncertainties or 'there's no way they intended that' with a lot of the others in that list, this one's definitely the intention: in one of the post-quest conversations you can have, the head chef of the Bismarck tells you that Ayoyo was, in fact, a retainer for someone who got hit with the Warrior of Light memory-wipe disappearance.

I actually suspect there are more of those retainer NPCs in the event quest, too; I can't review the quest right now because nobody's logged its dialog or recorded most of it, but I do remember that Swozblaet, who's also in that list, was one of the people we talked to!

That is incredibly specific but somehow entirely on-brand for the Rising.

There's no other Rising thread, so I'll compile what else I've noticed here:
- Kipih and Nhagi'a from the 2022 and 2023 runs are at the Aftcastle. (Nhagi'a is in new gear)
- J'bhen and Astin from the 2021 run are watching the fireworks together by where the quest wraps. (It took me a hot minute to remember where I even knew these two from, until I saw the other two and realized I needed to check seasonal event thumbnails, too.)
- Emmanelain and Honoroit, seasonal event superstars, just outside the ferry dock.
- Two NPCs I don't recognize by the Aetheryte, commenting on the fireworks. Possibly generics, but definitely not there normally.

I'll keep looking for others.


Also, talking to Merlwyb is just incredibly sad now. May the Navigator guide your journey onward, Atsuko Tanaka. T^T

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Fenral

Emmanelain and Honoroit, seasonal event superstars

---

I wonder if they only turn up if you've reached Heavensward or if they're visible earlier.

It seems rather fitting if people can reach Heavensward and get introduced to him and go "oh hey, it's the hopeless seasonal event guy."

I found Memodi and Mother Miounne at Hawkers round. I didn't see anyone else that isn't normally there. I do think that couple talking about the fireworks are just some random npcs. I'm not sure if Emmanellain would show up if you hadn't gotten to Heavensward yet considering what he says as he mentions getting a gift for Sicard.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Iscah

I wonder if they only turn up if you've reached Heavensward or if they're visible earlier.

It seems rather fitting if people can reach Heavensward and get introduced to him and go "oh hey, it's the hopeless seasonal event guy."

---

That would be hilarious, but I think it's conditional, kind of like Alpha and OMG showing up in events, well, almost as much as Emmanelain and Honoroit.


Actually! I can check!

The verdict is: no. My level 18 ACN alt from 2.0 who is presently sitting on the quest "It's Probably Pirates" doesn't see anyone around, not even Momodi and Miounne (or the seemingly-generic NPC couple). I might need to progress the seasonal event quest itself first, but that hasn't been a requirement for seasonal cameos in the past, as far as I remember.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Fenral

I might need to progress the seasonal event quest itself first, but that hasn't been a requirement for seasonal cameos in the past, as far as I remember.

---

Here you're setting the event up in the quest, so it makes sense for them to show up afterwards.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Fenral

- Two NPCs I don't recognize by the Aetheryte, commenting on the fireworks. Possibly generics, but definitely not there normally.

---

I think it's the lady we talked to during the quest who said her husband was away working on a ship and couldn't be there for the fireworks, so that's him now saying he saw it from the ship.

I spotted some more NPCs that I don't recognise – across from the Hawkers' Alley aetheryte, a Lalafell and Elezen adventurer pair wearing ARR-era gear. Their conversation isn't Rising-specific but I don't recall seeing them before, and given Ayoyo's background, is it possible that these two are more old retainers?

I didn't spot any other nonstandard NPCs but I did talk to Alka Zolka and Setoto while at the Marauders' Guild and they've both had updated dialogue post-Endwalker (or at least post-Garlemald). Wyrnzoen also pointed me to realising that Gorge and Dorgono are still at Hidden Falls and they've got updated dialogue as well. Maybe I'll need to do a lap of all the other job tutors I haven't talked to in a while...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Iscah

I think it's the lady we talked to during the quest who said her husband was away working on a ship and couldn't be there for the fireworks, so that's him now saying he saw it from the ship.

---

Ah, okay. That makes sense. I am on Gilgamesh and it was kind of hard to see the NPCs very well during the quest.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Iscah

I spotted some more NPCs that I don't recognise – across from the Hawkers' Alley aetheryte, a Lalafell and Elezen adventurer pair wearing ARR-era gear. Their conversation isn't Rising-specific but I don't recall seeing them before, and given Ayoyo's background, is it possible that these two are more old retainers?

---

That could very well be. Or could just be new rookie adventurers since this is the time of year for that, but I like your theory better.

I am presently weighing the pros and cons of clearing the quest on my alt just to see what changes, versus having an alt with no seasonal event clears purely for comparison purposes down the line. (With a side of exploring old 1.0 zones just for the nostalgia. 'Tis the season, and all.)