Memoirs of Adventure Creative Writing Contest (NA) - Discussion/Practice Thread

Please feel free to use this thread to discuss the Memoirs of Adventure Creative Writing Contest and practice posting your submissions.

The full details and rules can be found here.

When you are ready to post your memoirs, please do so by posting in the Official Submission Thread.

Gladius' axe dug into the trembling earth as he was forced back, his teeth grit from the force of the blow as he was knocked backwards towards the edge of the ever-shrinking arena. Despite strength of arm and combat prowess, he felt himself flying back towards the edge unto an dizzying fall. Before he lost his balance, a pull of aetheric energy coiled out to him. He seized onto it desperately, trying to regain himself as Arioche's light pulled him back from the brink.

"I've got you!" she yelled, rescuing him from certain death. Her gown fluttered wildly with each stomp of the gigantic monster that stood before them.

Gladius shook the bells from his head, swinging his axe over his head before nodding to her and charging back towards the monstrous primal Titan, glowering down at him.
"The kobold's certainly didn't hold back this time..." He thought. They had triumphed easily twice before over the makeshift primal god of the ratlike species, but this time their desperation truly showed in the strength of this manifestation.

He raced past his friend Tatl, who looked to him worryingly as she continued to cast spell after spell with her reflection of the primal Garuda following form at her side. Despite their best efforts, the thrice-damned "god" would not fall. Gladius leapt forward, bringing his axe down across the chest of the stone monster.

There! A crack!

It seemed that his allies' efforts had not been in vain. They had managed to weaken the monster enough to bring forth it's stone heart. Gladius' axe ripped into the chest of the beast, wresting the heart free where all three heroes of light managed to concentrate their efforts into a single blast, shattering the beast's heart. The creature tottered, as aetheric energy bled from it, then finally fell.

A cheer rang out among the adventurers... finally... they had bested their toughest opponent yet.

(Thank you for reading my story, if I do qualify, my chocobo Alfred Von Chicklesby would love the Noble Barding. Special thanks to my fellow Warriors of Light Arioche Aristotle and Tatl Tael for bringing me into this world I love so much. Even if we're apart now, I'll always treasure our time then.)

https://img2.finalfantasyxiv.com/acc...65cd4381fa.jpg

Question, is it against the rules if a friend helps you illustrate your story?

Dear mother, dear father,

There is much and more I wish I could tell you, wish I could show you. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you both and held you both but I hope that you would be proud of me, of the things I’ve accomplished and the people I’ve given another tomorrow to. You would not believe the adventures I’ve gotten myself into recently and I imagine few truly would. Perhaps not even I would have had I not known all I do or experienced it for myself.

Recently I’ve visited a whole new world entirely, one where the night sky never graced, where stars never had the chance to twinkle or the moon to cast its soft light over the land. So hard is it to think of what to tell and yet fit it all to a single page but for the sake of telling you in person when next we meet I helped save this world. I helped banish the Light, helped the world know a cool nightly breeze and what it is like to gaze upon the stars for hours.

Yet what I wished to tell you the most here and now is of a place right out of the dreams of my youth and when the sun had arisen once more to a clear, beautiful sky. How I wish you both could see it. Imagine a forest with leaves of lavender and trunks with bark like silver without its luster, a spire of radiant blue crystal stretching high enough to scrape the heavens. Under that clear azure sky I could not help but walk, walk and let my mind wander with my feet.
https://bit.ly/2koOEKe
I walked and I felt a breeze once stagnant feel so cool and fresh upon my skin, felt the warmth of the sun like it is meant to be felt and I could not help but wonder what it must be like for someone to feel for the first time in their whole life like those here. As I walked I stumbled upon a ruin of ancient, crumbling stone and let my hand feel along the surface of the ages old wall.

It was there upon that stone I felt something right in the air, a certain peace and under that sky, in that woodland of beautiful purples, in this place where civilization once lived free I drew my lance and let my hands and feet move of their own accord. It felt right. To close my eyes and feel the weight of the metal in my hands, to let it carry me as if striking down foes already slain and feel the breeze upon my cheeks and in my hair.
https://bit.ly/2lWiQNn
I know not how long I was there, meditating in a way I’m sure only you and I would truly know, father, but it helped me think and reflect and remember what I was fighting for. I kept at it until my limbs ached and my fingers throbbed and when I opened my eyes again to that truly awesome sight…

I miss you mother, your lullabies and the flowers you would tuck into my hair. I miss you father, your radiant confidence and never faltering smile. I’ve not forgotten you or the advice you’ve graced me with that every day I feel new meaning in. I have not given up on finding you. Until the day I can hold you both I will continue to write and to hope.

Your loving, ever caring daughter,
August

i remember when i first got to uldah it was a sunny day as always full of people running around and that parade that went wrong years ago remember? remember fighting to save someone after the parade went to heck in a hand basket ... it was odd to say the least hahahaha. but then again i think that event led me to belive that this place had more to offer than a single bunch of gobbues and mammets running around.. after that many things happen and many stories where writen.. unil dalamud fell from the skies... i still remember that day as if it was yesterday, friends and fc together fighting to repel the garlean empire from mor dhona and the main cities.. and who can forget the noble sacrifice of the people who made the gobbue wall possible those brave souls dedicated to protect uldah (or at least thats where i saw it and decided to join in) many years have come and go after that day.. and still lingers on my mind like if it was yesterday. but back in the day u and me never had that connection as we now have... after we finally got to know each other back in ishgard... remember when i told u to let me lead the way? and u as always said no? that day was something that i will not forget. but just u know i love you more than anything i this world... because together we beat twintania and put an end to nael once and for all.. we faced defeat many times.. we faced sadness countless times... we got our heart broken by who at the time we said that it was the love of our life... but we never gave up.. we never gave up... and yes Haruka i must say thank you for letting me be part of this story.. because u know? im happy that we get to see everything until the end and im happy that in some way of another i was part of it even in the smalles of things.. we not only overcome the bitterness of our hearts after we lost her... we not only overcome our grief of our mother... we get to see the end of a world together and the lenghts of how a man can go only to be remembered.... that for me are the fondest of memories i could ask for... and i hope u and me would be always together even if u decide not to let me come out and play.. and yes that trick u learnt doesnt count hahahaha.. anyways thanks for letting me write this down and feel alive again. remember how much i love you Haruka... ---------- Memories of my Darkside-------- (the prize i want if i win is the noble barding)

Have you ever met him? I speak of the most amazing man in all Hydaelyn.

I have only encountered him a handful of times, though in each meeting he displayed legendary poise and executed amazing feats. He was a man who could slay Primals -- nay, even the Ultima Weapon, itself -- with but a few swings of his weapon. Wheresoever he went, the mightiest of beasts could be found felled within his wake.

This is not to speak of his prodigious craftsmanship, which has produced objects of the highest quality, time and again. I’d heard that he quickly rose above his peers in the guild -- peerless, absolutely -- and that his art has single-handedly saved many an unfortunate scenario.

His skills are only overshadowed by his kindness. When asked, he has helped everyone from children to The Sultana, arriving when summoned and charitably assisting without any real regard for payment. When people say that the Realm would be lost without him, it is no exaggeration.

All of this does not even touch on the many social skills he has mastered, taking to the most complicated modes of dance with ease. Everyone who has witnessed his movements cannot help but note the palpable emotion found within each step. His very presence is larger than life, shining as a beacon to all who gaze upon him.

The Warrior of Light? No, I’m the Warrior of Light, you see. I hope I haven’t created an embarrassing misunderstanding.

The man I speak of is named Godbert Manderville.

3,000 characters is the limit right?

The sun had just begun to set as I arrived at the Forgotten Springs. The legendary Hamon Holyfist was already waiting for me there. He had approached me earlier in the day to have one final match before his battle with Weggfarr Wideaxe. We stretched, warmed up, and just as the sun began to touch the horizon we began.

https://img2.finalfantasyxiv.com/acc...44bc98ab33.jpg

He started slow, attacking only when he saw an opening. It was difficult to block or dodge because of the accuracy of the strikes. It was like this for a few moments, but then our bodies began to limber up. The heat of battle let us strike faster and harder with each blow. Our minds became sharper trying to get the upper hand on one another.

Suddenly I was hit with ten blows within a second. Surprised, I stepped back. I could see only focus in his eyes as he shot forward for the next attack. That’s when I knew I was in trouble. His fists were almost a blur as the flurry began and it kept getting faster. Strike after strike I struggled to defend myself through the onslaught. There must have been a hundred blows before I finally saw the moment to strike and with one clean punch to the jaw, I finally stopped the barrage. He called the match there as we were both clearly exhausted. If it had gone on even a moment longer I wouldn’t even be conscious.

It was astonishing to experience. In that fight, in that moment, he had returned to his former glory. I couldn’t believe how overwhelmingly powerful he was despite his age and where he had started. It was as if he was a completely different person, but that just goes to show you Hyur tenacity. We can make the impossible possible just by believing in ourselves and staying strong through the tough times. I’ll never forget that moment nor the lesson I learned that day.

https://img2.finalfantasyxiv.com/acc...3899318fa7.jpg

Countless memories I have of my life in Eorzea I would put pen to paper on; nearly three summers’ worth, in fact. However, I feel moved to recount my tale of a foray into Dzemael Darkhold and how I inadvertently caused what should have been an otherwise mundane run to go horribly wrong by my own hand. A curious memory to choose above all else to be sure, but for one reason or another few stories bring a retrospective smile to my face like this one.
I was a fledgling adventurer then. We had entered Dragonbreath Falls in the Darkhold, the place you cannot spell without D-A-N-G-E-R on its sheer cliffs. I had known that the Bone Nixes – almost as if they had been strategically placed there on the cliffside – had a tendency to knock adventurers off with their Labored Leaps. I had no intention of being such an adventurer, until I discovered too late that my toe was caught in the line of attack. To make the situation even more damningly awkward, my back was not facing the wall.
I tumbled down the cliff and hit the bottom faster than I could shout out any sort of profanity. Above me, my party did not seem to notice my fall and were moving on ahead. As one of the two damage dealers in the group, I was absolutely unexpendable. I had to get back to them quickly.
I was only vaguely aware of the beasts along my path, and in my haste I neglected to remember that dungeon monsters worked differently from those in the overworld in that your very existence is so offensive to them that once they’ve begun to chase you, you could run to the ends of Hydaelyn and they will not relent until one of you is dead.
As I ducked into the cavern with my team members at long last in sight, I finally looked over my shoulder and realized that every last beast – along with their mothers – had followed me up. I turned back and attacked the other monsters my party was already fighting with a peculiar calm, as though ignoring the grisly fate quickly approaching us would make it all go away.
It did not.
I recall the last haunting words of our healer, wrought with so much terror that any and all punctuation was bereft in their tone…
”what the”
”where did all the enemies come from”
We were slaughtered as sheep before the wolf… Blessed with the Echo as we were however, death was but a fly to be brushed from our shoulders. The story is not without its happy ending of course, we cleared Dzemael of its ghastly denizens without further tragedy. My embarrassment over the incident long since passed, I look back on it and laugh knowing how far I’ve come since then. Though I likely will never see those people again, I can’t help but wonder if they remember and look back on it with a similar fondness?
(If my tale is worthy of a commendation, I would like the Ahriman Choker, which in its resemblance to the All-seeing eye makes a fitting commemoration of my (mis)adventure through the Darkhold.)

Edit: Submitted, thanks!

Reflections: Titan

With Earthen Fury
Titan, a Primal of olde
In half, the Earth splits

This haiku embodies the very nature of that calamitous beast.

His Earthen Fury is unmatched by any other.

His Voice of the Land will blow away the strongest of heroes.

His Tumult shall break any party.

His Stonecrusher will render tanks defenseless.

And his landslides...oh, the landslides...

Responsible for the darkest of my nightmares and yet in those nightmares do I find bliss. Defeat after defeat. It leaves me only yearning for more! Crack, collapse, crumble the ground beneath me that I might fall into the abyss. I will keep returning, for one day I shall reign victorious over you. And when I finally best you, I shall summon you again and again to reciprocate all that which you made me feel.

I hate you...
I love you...
Titan

(If I get selected: Gaelicap :3c)

practice done!

Does the 3000 character limit take into account spaces, page-breaks, and indentations?

https://img2.finalfantasyxiv.com/acc...aaea21d88a.jpg


The "Warrior of Light", so they called me. It was a title rather exhausted, a title I had worn for far too long in expectance of ease and comfort, as I had experienced with that of my previous enemies. However, at this moment, such a title was meaningless. I fought not in the name of Eorzea, nor the Scions, mayhap not even myself, but in my desperate pursuit for veracity. For once in my journey, I had realized the meaninglessness of my own being. This was not a conflict that concerned myself nor my idiosyncratic blessings, for such blessings were powerless in their faith before the might of the pitch-black dragon standing before.

For the first time in my journey, I felt wanted rather than needed, and felt shared comradery in place of feeling as though I were always being ordered around. Even with the blessings of Hydaelyn once restored to me, the Final Steps of Faith called not for the hopes of the crystal mother, but the aspirations of generations of a thousand years. I stared on ahead, yet what stood before me was not just an encompassment of ever-lasting hatred and vengeance, but also a figure filled with a pain that could not be let go of, an understanding too harsh to come to terms with, along with the changed and twisted ideals of the one who I've been able to come to call an ally through my journeys across what felt like heaven.

The hole of emptiness one is left with following traitorous deception, I knew too well. Never could I understand the skewed desires of my kind to bury the truth in more misery. Never could I understand the black dragon's unwavering longing to kill, for his brother had given onto our regrettable kind his vulnerability once more, and to me, the utmost of his strength. For the maiden of ice who's heart was the warmest of all, the dragoon who had learned to empathize with his worst enemy, and the white dragon who had undergone the worst pain; to let go, fear was absent from mine body and soul. The thousand-year Dragonsong war would end with me.

Yet, I could not take credit for that victory alone. "Warrior of Light" they called me, yet I stood as a black mage, ready to rain the lasts of bitter destruction that this war would ever need. Who stood beside me was my fond and most trusted ally, a Dark Knight who's ambitions were identical to mine. As a mage of black and a knight of darkness, our titles as Hydealyn's children were hollow. Light had already shed upon the truths of what lead us to this path. All-consuming dusk and destruction that held the misery and agony of countless generations of both humans and dragons was the only reciprocation that could be deemed deserved retribution. With two personifications of darkness standing side by side like a burning eclipse, Nidhogg would not live to see another millennium.
If I win, I would like the bluebird earrings.

test subject

Edit: Giving this a shot and submitting.

Dying in terror from my own reservations.

To Luna,

It's difficult for me to imagine that it's only been a year since our paths first crossed. Somehow it feels like it's been much longer. The Rising had come once again to Eorzea, celebrating the anniversary of this world and all of its wonders, as the fireworks lit up the sky.

You were new to this world yourself. A brand new player, setting foot into Eorzea for the first time, a whole world of experiences to be had still laid out far before you. I don't encounter new players as often as I would've imagined, but I do enjoy the chance to speak with them. I love seeing if they need any help, or simply see how they're enjoying the game so far.

It felt refreshing to go back to the basics alongside someone new. As we grow and get stronger, I think we often forget how it felt to struggle in those first few adventures as we established our footing in the world. We forget, too, how it feels to see Eorzea with fresh eyes. We're used to the coastlines of La Noscea, the forests of the Black Shroud, and the deserts of Thanalan.

Very quickly, I felt we were becoming friends. Someone I'd love to share adventures in this world with. Which is why when you had told me you were changing servers, I felt my heart sink. I understood, of course. You had other friends you wished to adventure with, and it wasn't my place to stop you. So we went our separate ways, encouraging each other to become stronger.

A year has passed now, and like ourselves, Eorzea has gone through changes. Being able to visit other worlds now, we're able to spend time together again, sharing our adventures. As we sat beneath the fireworks once again, I can't help but see how much stronger you've become. Such is the life of adventurers. You meet friends, people to share your path with, but soon the paths diverge and you travel alone, only to one day meet again when your paths meet once more. I hope our paths stay together for years to come.

Your friend,
A'tehri.

(Okay. I feel pretty good about this. I'm hoping it doesn't feel too long. I felt like it need some preface since...really the memorable moment was a more emotional one for me.)

I'm just practicing...

I was logging when the call came. I can’t say logging was my favorite pastime, but I was determined to get good enough at woodworking to make some gil selling furniture. That was a long way off, so I was gathering rosewood logs in from the large trees near the Hawthorne Hut to help raise my skill level. I tried to enjoy the work, the feeling of physical labor, the smell of the forest, the sound the axe made against the tree, but only the presence of my friend from my Free Company made the work bearable.

Edit: Everything seems to be working so I'm submitting!

Bottle Up The Upside-Down Smile

EDIT: Submitted on page 13. Thanks for reading. : )

Not too long before writing this my future looked bleak and hopeless. I have faced foes and traveled to places that I could never have imagined possible, seen horrors that have made me question my very existence. My world had been drained of color and shadows quickly began to close in around me. Amidst that lifeless wasteland I wondered if there was any point in continuing to fight. I returned from that world beyond our own back to a lonely home that I had built for myself. No one and nothing was waiting for me there but a creaky old cot who could no longer support the weight of all I carried with me. I removed my battered armor and laid my weary body down for what I prayed might be the last time. Come morning, however, something within me stirred. It willed me to leave that dreadful place and carry on about my day. With some strange fleeting hope within my chest I barged outside, through The Goblet’s vigilant gates, and into the searing heat of the Ul’dahn market streets.

I passed by all kinds of people, each working hard to protect their own way of life. I thought back to what that man had said to me in that illusory city and wondered if maybe he was right. I thought long and hard about all of it until I realized I had come face to face with the airship landing. I locked eyes with a man in a garish outfit as he beckoned for me to come closer. He spun for me a gilded tale of a place filled with vibrant lights and colors where dreams come true. Without much else to do, I took the man’s advice and boarded an airship for The Golden Saucer.

Everywhere I looked I saw joyous crowds cheering and laughing set on top of a glowing golden backdrop. I thought that maybe if I came to the place the man had described, the brilliant golden light there would cast away the shadows looming over me. But on that day it was not the shine of a merchant’s forfeit coin nor the glow of the sweltering lamps hanging high above that shined a light on my life once more. Through all the noise and commotion it was you. You, the one who saw me and only me amongst the crowd. Out of everyone there that day, you only chose me. You reached out and took me by the hand, like you could tell just by looking at me that I was drowning. You led me out of that place where we met and I’ve never looked back since.

You came home with me and breathed new life into the house that became ours together. Every day you have inspired me to be better, to do more. Hand-in-hand we built a new life together and continue to be one another’s light at the end of the tunnel. No matter what adventures we go on or challenges we face along the way we can find the strength to take them on knowing we do so together. With any luck you’ll end up back on this beach where we spent the Summer together some day. If you do I pray you’ll find this message along the shore waiting just for you.

-Your Paladin

(Gaelicap)
https://i.imgur.com/tzCnVRF.jpg

Testing before I submit. Hopefully this works!

I debated for some time the memory I would choose to write about. Ultimately, I was drawn to a moment very personal and dear to me.

Sharla tightened her grip on her bow, never wavering as she loosed arrow after arrow at the great beast, her comrades fighting equally as valiantly as they took cover from the dragon dive-bombing their position, the dragon Twintania.

My best friend and girlfriend, we had known each other for sixteen years, had been dating for eight, played this game together often. When she left me I was devastated. I knew in her mind she was trying to make things easier for me. There were circumstances surrounding her decision and I knew it wasn’t out of malice or anger, but it hurt all the same.

It’s infernal dive-bombing ceased, Sharla had only a moment's reprieve before the dragon summoned three massive pillars of wind, instantly knocking three of her comrades down, their bodies lying motionless on the scorched rock. Gritting her teeth and attempting to escape the vicious creatures that had joined the battle, Sharla let out a shout that became a song, allowing her aether to flow from her voice to her ailing comrades, bolstering their strength and steeling their resolve.

We didn’t speak after that. A relationship of sixteen years, over half my life, had suddenly ended. I felt lost, angry, sad, bitter, empty, a cavalcade of emotions I had no idea how to deal with. In truth, I thought about leaving this game, this game that she introduced me too, that we had shared together. It was a mutual friend that convinced me to stay, and I’m glad I did.

The twisters gone and its Dreadknights dealt with, Twintania’s aether began to seep into the ground beneath their feet, forming pools of molten rock. Sharla ran as fast as she could, the pools of hell opening up beneath her always just a half step behind. Still, she forced herself to keep singing, to keep her aim locked on the great dragon and her arrow’s true. She could see its strength was fading, its wings beat with less vigor than before. Still, with three members down and the others nearing defeat themselves, she knew it would take something more than song and arrow to turn the tide.

Two years later that same mutual friend asked me to join in running roulettes one day. We had run hundreds before but this time they were playing together and invited me to join them. For the first time in two years, I heard her voice. I heard her laugh. For the first time in two years, I remembered how important that friendship was to me. Though our relationship had changed, I realized then that it didn’t necessarily need to end.

“Y’akasha now!” Sharla cried. The Miqo’te’s ears twitched in response as she slammed her staff into the ground. The resulting burst of aether that enveloped the group truly did feel like its name implied, the Pulse of Life. Standing together once again, Sharla smiled and tightened her grip on her bow.

(Noble Barding)

My all-time favorite memory of my life here, on a world called Famfrit, in the Land of Eorzea, is the day I first bought a house of my very own. I had sought long to find a place to belong, with friends close enough to be family - but, especially, a place I could really call "home." For I remembered none.
My name is Belinda. I took the surname Forrest, for I seem to remember a beautiful place, with great, red-barked trees with feathery, evergreen foliage that I loved. But I seem to have lost that place, along with the memories of my life before I came to Gridania almost two years ago. I wanted to find a place where I could support myself, and knew I had the skills, maybe even the magic needed to be a good healer. I was seeking - something, but I knew not what. An elderly gentleman on the coach bringing me here kindly told me about the new city I was entering. He is, and remains, my earliest memory now - all else is a haze, that, and visions of a great crystal of loving light.
I did well in Gridania, learning the skills of a conjurer, a healer with defense training, and was promoted to White Mage in less than a year. I learned how to fight in partnership to defeat enemies, those who would hurt the innocent. Even better, I found a wonderful home with a small Free Company, who welcomed me & helped me learn many other things I needed to not only survive, but to thrive in this world, & I found myself fighting to defend this way of life. I visited and fought for the three great city-states, then others, but they were always new to me - a place I had never seen before, had no memory of. Yes, I had found a noble cause to defend in Eorzea - freedom of its peoples, and respect for the cultural diversity of this world. But it was always their homes I was defending. Where was mine?
So, in my journeys here, the best memory I have yet had was when, with the help of a generous gift of gil from my FC's leader, I was able to buy my very own cottage in the Lavender Beds. At last I felt I really had a home - a house of my own! Now I not only had friends to stand with, fight beside, and to defend, I, too, had a home among my friends. As I planted my very own garden for the first time, I watched the sun set over the lake, surrounded by great trees of ancient lineage, and knew I was home at last.
I was full of joy as my house slowly filled with items of comfort and peace. I love this place, Eorzea, and have become a useful part of my FC, although I still have many things to learn, as I grow both my crafting/gathering skills, and expand my fighting & defense skills. But it is always good to come home at night, back to a place of peace and beauty, humble though it is - a real home. There are two great gifts to give a child, and as a new citizen in Eorzea, I have been given both by my new friends - roots and wings. I feel both as I enter my door. https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodes.../image/?page=1

The blizzard accompanying my return to Ishgard was no more welcoming than the one which cast me out. It’d been a year since I’d fled, abandoning everything I knew in search of a fresh adventure in Gridania. So far had I departed from the prim dinner parties, the services in Saint Reymanaund’s Cathedral, the slight cling of high Ishgardian collars against my throat that I no longer felt as though I was returning somewhere familiar. I was different, now. Cast out yet again, but stronger for it.

Ishgardian spires rose into a hazy gray sky, prickly as its denizens. I shuddered with cold as I passed through the gates. Haurchefant bade me welcome here under the care of his father, Count Edmont De Fortempts, and my Elezen appearance no doubt allowed me to seamlessly blend in. But that I was known here did not escape me. Some would have questions. And if asked, I would answer.

The Dragonsong War had cost Foundation so much. Dilapidated buildings at the city’s entrance crumbled. Smoke rose from the Brume in thick dark plumes. The separation of excessive wealth and dire poverty echoed stronger than ever in the eyes of the orphans who glared with our passing, dirty with soot and exhaustion.

Once welcomed by the Count my companions seated themselves to take tea by the fire and warm their bodies after the long journey from Camp Dragonhead. A lifetime in the cold afforded me less recovery time. Following yet another round of thanks I departed to investigate the city once more, Haurchefant’s inquiring eyes following me though he said nothing.

I headed up the long set of stairs leading up to the cathedral as I’d done so many times in the past, the bell tower and stained glass windows becoming more apparent the closer I drew. A beacon in the frigid snows, a symbol of Halone’s power and authority. As if anticipating my arrival, the bell struck, ringing out through the streets. Once, twice, eight times before silence descended once more.

Despite everything, for but a moment, I was a child again. Garbed in a holy rainbow dress, clutching my mother’s hand as my father laughed with Count Durendaire and reflected on the day’s sermon. Eager to play, to descend into the snow, to fire a bow or wield a lance like the enormous statues towering over the city below.

I breathed in the frozen air and let the snow melt against my cheeks.

Home. I was home.

[Bluebird Earrings please! Thanks for reading!]

The Hero's Confession

Posted page 15!

Ready for submission.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kytrin

Question, is it against the rules if a friend helps you illustrate your story?

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This is absolutely fine so long as the written entry itself is your own. :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AriettaAllie

3,000 characters is the limit right?

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That is correct according to the official rules found here.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Moonlitglare

Does the 3000 character limit take into account spaces, page-breaks, and indentations?

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Yes, the 3,000 character limit also counts spaces, page-breaks, and indentations.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sicycre

This is absolutely fine so long as the written entry itself is your own. :D


That is correct according to the official rules found here.


Yes, the 3,000 character limit also counts spaces, page-breaks, and indentations.

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Wonderful! Thank you for that clarification.

Emet-Selch: Ascian, and harbinger of our destruction.
https://img2.finalfantasyxiv.com/acc...34995bcbb2.jpg
Warrior of Light: Champion of Hydalen, and defier of fate.
https://img2.finalfantasyxiv.com/acc...20d999bcab.jpg

Our titles - our roles - should have left us nothing more than enemies. An intersection of ideals was impossible, and when you first strode up to us with your laughable words of wanting to find common ground, I should have felt, as my fellow Scions so plainly did, that you were merely mocking us. That you would take any kindness or weakness and exploit it at the worst moment, betraying what little trust we might have offered.

And yet...

I didn’t trust you. Not at the beginning, and not even at the end, in Amaurot. I wanted to though. Even as I doubted your sincerity, I wanted desperately for it to be true. I wished I could offer you the kindness I’d have shown anyone else - that my role and duties to others didn’t demand, at the very least, silence, if not outright scorn. It felt wrong. Surely we, who considered ourselves right and just, could be better than that. Surely the Hero could be better than that. Yes, we may well need to kill our enemies in the end, but they are… Well, perhaps not human, but they have souls as we do. They have wants and needs and desires like everyone else. Why can we not treat them with respect?

And in the end, now that it’s all done and over with, I think you were sincere. Perhaps it’s just my own wishful thinking, but I believe that, had you truly wanted us dead, you would have struck down Alisae and Alphinaud, Y’shtola and Urianger, Thancred and Ryne, not merely knocked them unconscious. You had nothing to gain from doing so, and everything to lose. Did you perhaps orchestrate the entire encounter? Planned your own fall from the very beginning? To what end?

Now, in the quiet of my rooms in the Pendants, I find myself remembering your expression just before we fought. Your shock, disbelief, then stubborn denial. “A trick of the light,” you told yourself, and I wonder: who was it you saw in me?
https://img2.finalfantasyxiv.com/acc...a97c98ab75.jpg

Even now, with you gone, you have me at a disadvantage. I know your name, Hades, but I do not know my own. Before the sundering, who was I that my presence would shake you so? That you might, possibly, have allowed me to live at the potential cost of the Rejoining you so desired?

Hades, soul whole and immortal, who loved his world to such extremes he would destroy all others for its restoration.
Myself, soul fragmented and fragile, who yet loves her world in all its imperfection.

I beg of you, what was my name?

(If I win, I would like the bluebird earring.)

It was a cold, winter morning in the December of 2015. As I rolled out of bed, I winced as the cold, wood flooring of my bedroom kissed my feet. "At least there's no school today", I thought to myself. I quickly bounded over and sat myself in my rolling swivel chair at my desk across the room. I pressed the metal power button on my desktop, and as it hummed to life, and I breathed a sigh of relief. "At least I won't be cold in Eorzea". I logged in to the game and was promptly reminded that I was playing Heavensward, and groaned. "Never mind", I said aloud. As soon as the icy towers of Ishgard loomed before me, I was greeting with a hearty "Oh hey, Zanthus!” from my FC mate and best friend, Naito Archangel. At 16 years of age - a year younger than me - she was the only other member not yet an adult, and the first friend I made in-game. At the time, loathe as I am to admit it, I was something of an outcast, and the utter lack of friends I had in school, combined with my meagre self-confidence, drove me to venture into Eorzea. After an uplifting conversation, I decided it was time to go back to the main story. My high-heeled boots clapping softly against the paved stones of the Pillars, I made my way to the airship landing. "Cid's invested so much effort into getting us into Azys Lla, I shouldn't keep him waiting" I asserted under my breath. As I reached the landing, the sight of my dear companions filled my heart with joy. We boarded the Enterprise, and soon took to the skies above. My only regret is that Ysayle had elected to stay behind. You see, Ysayle was a character who I had grown attached to unlike any other. Her tragic story of inventing a persona for herself only to find that it was a false ideal all along was something I could relate to all too well. As the airship tore through the aethereal barrier surrounding the islands, a massive Garlean airship rose from beneath us. Just then, as all seemed lost, a dragon's roar pierced the heavens, and there she was. I instantly knew what it was she was about to do, and I choked back tears as she fought valiantly to save my life. As she fell, her fnal words echoed through my mind: "Thank you, Warrior of Light, for showing me the way". I broke down. Tears flooding down my face, I wailed loudly in sorrow. She was gone. It made it all that much more painful that she had finally learned to accept herself before her passing. Even after the credits rolled, her death lingered still in my mind. If she could learn to accept herself - so can I. Because of XIV, and because of her, I'm the confident person I am today. Now, as the azure skies give way to crimson fire, I gather with my closest friends in remembrance. Her story forever etched in my heart; I look forward to a day where I may one day touch the lives of others with my own stories as she did to me.

https://img2.finalfantasyxiv.com/acc...068e777d1e.jpg

(Chosen Prize: Gaelicap)

---- Posted

“F-Fondest memory…?” Gyo was confused. He had been approached by the Wandering Minstrel that he had met on a number of occasions on his travels throughout Eorzea. The Au Ra thought long and hard on the question. All of his fondest memories were all relatively recent in his twenty-seven springs and summers of life. The wandering minstrel waited patiently for Gyo, as he knew just how skittish of an individual he was. The minstrel recalled that day when they met—how he offered a friendly hand to Gyo, and how the mere motion of that alone caused Gyo to dive behind the bar and cause some of the bottles to shake from all the trembling the Au Ra did. It took weeks before Gyo finally warmed up to him.

Gyo thought back to when everything began to change. He lost his vision while on his way to Ul’dah while fending off an attack from the Amalj’aa. He was already nervous around people, but losing his sight brought Gyo’s anxiety around people to extreme levels. His mind jumped all over the place, from fighting the primals, to playing in the forests with his animal family, to working with the various beast tribes that rejected the extreme zealotry wrought by their brethren. And then of course, there were the friends. Never did Gyo think he would have made as many friends as he did. Especially the Scions—

“M-Meeting Minfilia a-a-and the o-others!” Gyo responded abruptly, breaking the silence between himself and the minstrel.

“Oh?”

“Minfilia s-saw m-me f-for m-me,” Gyo shifted in his seat, “Sh-she n-never j-judged me. She m-m-made m-me f-feel…w-welcome.” The Raen smiled fondly at the memory. Even though he could see nothing, he could feel and hear the warmth she had in her voice. It was pleasant, void of something he was so used to hearing from people: judgement. For Gyo, it was unlike any other interaction with a person that he ever had. He expected Thancred to lead him into some kind of trap on that day. The two butted heads regularly when they first met—Gyo’s sensitive nose picked up so much perfume from the Hyur that it made him gag, while Thancred had difficulty adjusting to the Au Ra’s animalistic tendencies, and both had very different ways of tackling the same objective.

“So it sounds to me that your fondest memory is your beginnings with the Scions,” the minstrel observed. His lips curled into a smile as he rummaged through his bag for a pen and paper, “It warms my heart that you have not forgotten your beginnings, my friend.”

Gyo’s expression began to soften as he recalled the eventual fate of the Minfilia he knew. It was something that caused him to tear up, but he knew it was for the ultimate good. And after getting to know Ryne, he knew that, deep down, it was what Minfilia would have wanted too. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, “Meeting Minfilia and the o-others i-is my fondest memory.” He said a second time, much more resolutely.

(Noble Barding)

The sun set on yet another average Saturday. Lights started to get shut off as early risers headed to bed in preparation for the next day and all it would bring.
In all but one house, that is.
Inside, beyond the veil of curtains, a young woman sat on the edge of her seat, figuratively, with her controller in hand and headphones askew.
The final battle of Heavensward was all that remained between her and the end to the current arc of the story she had spent many an hour embroiled in. Her game companion’s voices echoed in her ears from her mostly forgotten headphones. Her heart pounded in her chest. Her hands trembled minutely with excitement on the small device in her fists that allowed her to interact with the virtual world.
She could not believe that she was here. She had never been a gamer but a simple promise to a friend to ‘give it a shot’ had lead to this. A promise made with the absolute knowledge that after a few hours she would be back to her regularly scheduled programming. And yet…
It had lead her to this moment, ready to do battle against the forces of darkness in a way that her beloved books simply could not allow her to do.
Fingers poised for the dropping of the protective blue barrier, she waited with baited breath.
She was prepared when it came down, charging into the fray, battle cry on her lips, and sleepy cat eyes fixed on her face in confussion.
How would this part of the story end? How much of a cliffhanger would she be left with to theorize about and agonize over while waiting for the next part of the game?
Ruthlessly, and yet at the same time excitedly, she forced those thoughts aside; she needed to focus on the here and now if she wanted to survive to see the answers to such questions.
Her former streams of internalized thoughts flooded from her lips to manifest audibly. She didn’t notice. She quivered in her seat at the build up of adrenaline.
84%, 60%, 43%, 22%, 10%. They’ve almost got him. They could do this. She could do this.
5%. Her HP started to dip.
4%. Her healer brought her back up.
3%. Her fingers cramped but she didn’t stop.
2%. Almost there.
1%. She could taste victory.
0%. He toppled! Success!
A cheer burbled up from her throat. Her hands went up in triumph. She almost came out of her seat in her elation. Her companions laughed their congratulations.
The thumping in her heart slowed and she settled in to watch the fruits of her labors, to learn the answers to her questions. She grinned the whole way through the cutscenes, her heart and mind on cloud nine.
The final line of dialogue had been delivered, the last note reverberated through her speakers and she had been content; at peace in a way that she had never been before. All because of a game that she had given a chance only half-heartedly. A chance that she had not regretted. She had made friends, defeated enemies, and her life would never be the same again.

Hymn Of Love

In the driest and hottest time of the year, I decided to take a visit to the jewel of the dessert; Quick Sand. I see a tall, tanned, Xaela Au Ra being entertained by various women. All hoping to win your praise through dancing on your lap and kissing your cheek. I thought of nothing and quickly retreated to my room until our eyes met. You had possessed beautiful silver eyes that captivated me with a simple sentence. “Be my girl.” I was astonished as I knew you were nothing but a dangerous stranger talking to a fellow Au Ra. Were you interested in me because I was from the Orl tribe? Or did I somehow invoke your desires with my scarlet hair and sapphire eyes? I nodded my head and smiled. I did not know what the moment had meant to be until I decided to make my mistake. You spoiled me through gems and treasures. You erased the loneliness that consumed my heart. I wasn’t expecting much until it was too late. There you took me to the flowers of Il Mheg, the Lucius pink petals that danced between us as you kneeled down before me asking for my hand in marriage. As tears streamed down my cheeks I rushed in and nodded with a smile.
Quickly after your loyalty to this Au Ra faded after you had met a beautiful Viera named Nova. I was crushed and torn to pieces. If it weren’t for you I would not have met my cherished friend.

https://i.imgur.com/xoACjTD.png
I quickly ran to Goblin seeing my favorite red Miqote. I embraced him in tears as he asked what was the matter? At the moment, as painful as this memory was, I had learned much about myself and what Eorzea meant to me. It was a place where I could make mistakes and go adventuring with friends. An enriched culture to where I can dance as I throw my chakrams to my enemies.
There I place my home at Shirogane learning from my mistake and to ensure that my heart would not turn to glass. I will stand by my friend whom I hope will stand by me for as long as I breathe. At first I could not get you out of my mind but now I realize you were nothing but a con man. My true friends who worried for me, cried with me, fought with me, and stay with me are my true treasures.
For that I am grateful to have met them after the injuries I had received from you.
I woke up like any other day and saw you waiting for me to return to your arms. I shook my head no and smiled.

“You never loved me, however, thank you for teaching me the most important lesson”.

Love is expressed through many ways that fills our hearts with joy. As lonely and grim my world gets I know I am in good hands. I returned the ring to him and said goodbye. I walked away with my favorite miqote as I heard you shout my name. I have not once looked back or searched for you. This place is my safe haven and I will fight for it. I just hope to never accidentally enter a brothel ever again.

https://i.imgur.com/GYfB44c.png

“Maybe it’s time for me to rest my weary heart.. Maybe someday I will find happiness”.

"Hear...feel...think..."

How long has it been since those very words drove me from my aimless wanderings to the great deserts of Ul'dah, the evergreen forests of Gridania, the swashbuckling streets of Limsa Lominsa, the snow cloaked peaks of Ishgard and beyond? Truly I cannot say. At times it seems like only yesterday that I started this journey, even though so many years have passed.

http://www.ffxivinfo.com/images/maps2/l/eorzea-1.jpg

So much has happened, since last, we saw each other... they say it is because of my deeds that this is so. That it is because of my strength that the realm has the salve it needs to heal, but if it were not for all those who stood beside me, I would never have persevered. Without the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, I would never have known of the power of the Echo, to transcend the very soul, and conquered the Primals that plagued the realm. If it was not for the aid of the Grand Companies and Cid, I would have never been able to destroy the Ultima Weapon. However, I wouldn’t be writing this if it were not for all those I lost to betrayal and sacrifice for better dawn. Certainly, I would never have stood my ground against the Garlean Empire, Dragonsong War and Storm without them.

https://img2.finalfantasyxiv.com/acc...f85d7dd3cf.png

This journey has been a hard one. The dust of battle is finally settling. A new age is just over the horizon just within reach. Maybe at long last, I can rest from my travels for a while and relish in this moment.

But that was never to be, was it?

Another voice calls to me... he beckons me to where you rest. Even though so much time has passed since that day I still remember our adventure within the Crystal Tower as NOAH.

I can still see the arcane halls of the Ancients, and the crystalized throne upon Syrcus Towers top within my mind. The expansive World of Darkness that seemed to have no end, just like its dark mistress the Cloud. I wonder if Doga and Uni are still in epic blows with that monstrosity or they are now free from their destiny at last. I hope for the latter.

Who would have thought that a man who once served the Empire so loyally would change for the better because of those two? And if I recall Nero was not the only one who changed!

When first we met you seemed a young youth too eager to jump into danger when it presented itself. I cannot help but laugh at the memory of Cid and Rammbroes continuous attempts to keep you in check. You remind me of myself when first I took up the sword. The moment your once emerald left eye took up the same crimson glow as your right, you grew. No longer were you the overeager young man that I first met, but a man who would someday become a great hero in your own right. This I was sure of when you decided to rest within those crystal halls.

http://i.imgur.com/1UWojgU.png

Where are you, I wonder, within that massive structure? What did you say as the golden doors closed, finalizing our goodbye? What kind of realm have we shaped? Do you know why he calls me back to you?

I know that these questions may never be answered, but it is better to write them down all the same. I do not wish to cause undue concern to Tataru. For deep down, I know this is a journey I must walk alone to save those who have fallen into deep slumber. If you are reading this, my friend, may it mean that I have succeeded and all I have done has not been in vain. That all these worries are for not. For you are the only one who knows how this story ends.

Wait, this feeling, could he be?

No, never mind.

I promise, no matter what darkness may await me, I will continue the good fight! This story will have a happy ending, by the Twelve and all who have fallen, I swear!

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Hm7LlW4TZXI/maxresdefault.jpg

“Why did you just charge in like that?”

Thryss looked towards the voice, roused from her tavern musings. A blonde miqo’te woman appeared to be arguing with a rather indignant au’ra male twice her height. Lover’s quarrel, the adventurer thought with a wry grin to herself. The Quicksands never failed to provide a spectacle.

“Why didn’t you follow my lead?” The au’ra man countered with annoyance, looking down at the cat-eared woman, “we could have taken the whole pack if you’d just kept up. It was the fastest way to get you to your goal.”

“I didn’t hire you just to have you fight at any provocation!” The miqo’te said angrily, “and we didn’t make it, did we? We’re lucky to be alive!”

Ah, business quarrel, Thryss amended mentally with less interest and another sip of ale.

“Because you wouldn’t keep up,” the man said, throwing his hands up in frustration.

Thryss just shook her head in mild amusement. New adventurers were always coming through the Quicksands. Momodi, who happened to run the Adventurer’s Guild as well as the tavern, was usually pretty good about matching up groups, but sometimes those groups just can’t work together. Adventuring was a high-risk proposition at the best of times, and required a group to be willing to learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses to succeed. Edda’s ill-fated end was still spoken of as a cautionary.

“I release you from our contract!” The miqo’te said with finality, “I’ll find someone else to help me.”

“Good luck, kitten,” the au’ra said derisively, “I’m the best you’re going to find in Ul’dah,” and stomped off in a fume.

Good for her, Thryss thought as she sipped her ale and returned to more sedate introspections and people-watching.

Lost in her ruminations, she didn’t hear the polite cough at her side. Thryss looked around, and then down to find Momodi at her side, looking up at her sweetly. And the selfsame young miqo’te adventurer that had been arguing a quarter bell earlier was standing behind her. Thryss groaned inwardly.

“I heard you were out of work,” said the diminutive barkeep with mischievous innocence, “so I found you some.” And with that sauntered off, leaving the two women to size each other up.

Thryss kept her expression neutral and gestured for the other miqo’te to have a seat. The blonde woman sat down with a wary look. The scarlet-haired miqo’te offered what she hoped was a reassuring grin, “so, you’re looking to hire a bodyguard?”

“I don’t need a bodyguard,” the blonde woman replied with annoyance, “My mission simply requires more than one person.”

“Ah,” Thryss said, “you need a partner.”

The blonde woman brushed back a lock of her long hair considering the words, “I suppose I do.”

“I can be that. I’m Thryss Moonwhispers,” the scarlet-haired miqo’te said, offering her hand across the table.

With a tentative smile the blonde woman gave the other’s hand a quick shake, “I’m Z’anne Pennubrae

Yeet! off to the main thread.

I've just posted my entry to the main thread- I actually made a profile on the forum just for this contest! I'm a bit nervous since I've never really participated in these before so.

My entry is from the perspective of Haurchefant, who I very much adore haha. I hope you all enjoy it!!