The WOL and Mass Murder

[Tridus]

Now then... the main issue is that our primary way to interact with the game world is "kill stuff". You kill stuff to level, to progress quests, and in general to do nearly everything. The body count is staggering, but most of them are nameless random things. If you added them all up, though?

In the real world, the WoL would be seen as a lunatic lethal weapon that has to be kept on a tight leash all the time because of their penchant for killing everything in sight. Because in the real world, the primary way of interacting is NOT killing things. You don't gather fleece by eradicating the local population of sheep. You do in the game. So there's a mandatory suspension of disbelief that the game mechanics that require killing tons of pointless stuff effectively don't count in your reputation.

I tend to think the only way you'd see things turn against us in Eorzea is if we start acting overly independently. It's a cozy relationship with the leaders right now. We're their unstoppbable super weapon, and we more or less go along with what they like us to do... even when the problem is at least partially self inflicted (see: Limsa and the Kobolds). We take sides, and the side we take is theirs. They're pretty happy with that and will not toss out their super weapon.

If we ever started acting independently, though? That would be a different story entirely. A WoL that has no problem telling the leaders of Eorzea that they're wrong and refusing to help because of that would be seen by said leadership has far more of a threat, and that's when they might decide we're more trouble than we're worth.

[Tridus]

I've only progressed the MSQ to 3.1, so my current impression of the WoL, and the direction my WoL is going may differ from those who are further along with the story. For me, the death count, both caused and endured has made the WoL question her purpose. After the events of the Vault and the Antitower, enter the DRK questline for my version of the WoL, and after that, she vanishes off of the face of Eorzea; leaving only her signature aftermath of battle as a means to confirm that she is still alive.

In short, if my version of the WoL was canon, the MSQ ends after the Antitower and she disappears. Not necessarily because the death count has become so high (I can only imagine how much higher it is for those who are caught up), but because she chooses the path of deciding for herself who is the greatest threat to the planet.

She sees the MSQ struggles as 'a fight amongst ally cats', and focuses on the Voidsent who she feels threatens not only the entire planet, but existence itself. The questlines for both ARR and HW 24-man raids are a great example of where she shows up out of the blue to take care of a threat that SHE chooses. I can just see the smile on Alphinaud's face as he examines the wake and thinks, "What remains here are the ashes of the true enemy to our true friend."

Stepping outside of self-written lore, I have troubles as a healer main, dealing with all the blood the WoL spills. So enter DRK and a dual personality and it facilitates progression of the MSQ.

I have the same issues, also as a healer. It doesn't help that the MSQ generally doesn't acknowledge healers at all (except in the one case where it does), and you stand around like a doofus while people are dying instead of, you know, healing them.

It's a side effect of the gameplay being so focused on killing things. The narrative goes the same way, and characters NOT focused on doing that don't fit that well.

I know in my head (and RP), my character sticks around after those large battles to take care of all the wounded on the battlefield, from both sides. It's exhausting, depressing work, especially as all the killers leave the scene to leave her (and the other healers) to it. The game rarely tends to play that up and never really expects the WoL to do it, but I tend to feel it's exactly what a healer WoL would do. If the war is inevitable, save what lives you can.

[BluexBird]

FFXIV: Civil War.

The Warrior of Light and the Scions must be kept under check!

[Canopia]

I've only progressed the MSQ to 3.1, so my current impression of the WoL, and the direction my WoL is going may differ from those who are further along with the story. For me, the death count, both caused and endured has made the WoL question her purpose. After the events of the Vault and the Antitower, enter the DRK questline for my version of the WoL, and after that, she vanishes off of the face of Eorzea; leaving only her signature aftermath of battle as a means to confirm that she is still alive.

In short, if my version of the WoL was canon, the MSQ ends after the Antitower and she disappears. Not necessarily because the death count has become so high (I can only imagine how much higher it is for those who are caught up), but because she chooses the path of deciding for herself who is the greatest threat to the planet.

She sees the MSQ struggles as 'a fight amongst ally cats', and focuses on the Voidsent who she feels threatens not only the entire planet, but existence itself. The questlines for both ARR and HW 24-man raids are a great example of where she shows up out of the blue to take care of a threat that SHE chooses. I can just see the smile on Alphinaud's face as he examines the wake and thinks, "What remains here are the ashes of the true enemy to our true friend."

Stepping outside of self-written lore, I have troubles as a healer main, dealing with all the blood the WoL spills. So enter DRK and a dual personality and it facilitates progression of the MSQ.

its nice to have headcanon on your iteration of the WoL though people here are discussing game canon. my WoL and how I view the story through her eyes is going to be different than other people but the story is the story and naught much we can do to change it.

[RuneFox]

Just my 0.2 cents...

But as much as I die in plain sight of everything and everyone I think we are coming close to being balanced and not seen as that big of a threat. ^.^

[JunseiKei]

Assuming that FFXIV runs that far, is it really murder in war?

Murder is murder. In the event of war, you have an army of murderers, and would-be murderers, given legal cause by a certain group. Even in self defense, it is still murder.

The DRK 60 to 70 quests touches on the subject brought up by the OP. Even if you don't plan to play DRK, I'd really recommend leveling up the class just to see the story.

[Gemina]

its nice to have headcanon on your iteration of the WoL though people here are discussing game canon. my WoL and how I view the story through her eyes is going to be different than other people but the story is the story and naught much we can do to change it.

So am I. I briefly mentioned my own character's lore as a means to express why I have difficulty accepting how many people the WoL kills, and how I go about dealing with it so I can continue to progress the story we can't change. You're right, and the MSQ is a set path we have to do if we want to play the game. However, we can also choose how we deal with the events we encounter. The WoL is a blank canvas, and we can't paint him or her any color we want.

[FallenArisen0990]

That's never gonna happen because if the WoL is fighting evil almost every expansion, would the WoL really have time for a family?

Why not? Orphan/Lost Child NPC could follow us throughout the story. He/She would call me some form of -chan anyway with JP Dubs.

[Canopia]

Murder is murder. In the event of war, you have an army of murderers, and would-be murderers, given legal cause by a certain group. Even in self defense, it is still murder.

The DRK 60 to 70 quests touches on the subject brought up by the OP. Even if you don't plan to play DRK, I'd really recommend leveling up the class just to see the story.

I dont believe war is murder, I view murder as bringing harm and death upon someone who had no intention of harming you. In war, you either kill them or they kill you. Short of desertion, that is the only reality, and unless you are in a region that drafts/conscripts people into the military, thats what you signed up for. To sacrifice your life and others on the battlefield to safeguard your home. Sure, there are bloodthirsty people out there that sign up because they view it as legal murder but not every soldier is of that mindset. If they dont stand up and fight, there is chance their family and the people they care about will be the ones brought to harm. And to view their sacrifices as murder brings disrespect and dishonor to them and their families. There have always been rules to govern warfare, sometimes people disregard those rules and at the end of the conflict tend to be brought to pay for those crimes. Also as there is always going to be unavoidable deaths along the way. If you throw a rock in the air in an empty field and it happens to fall and hit someone on the head you didnt even know was there and killed them. Does that really make you a murderer? Id assume youd want them charged and imprisoned/executed for a simple mistake huh.

[ThirdChild_ZKI]

Murder is murder. In the event of war, you have an army of murderers, and would-be murderers, given legal cause by a certain group. Even in self defense, it is still murder.

Not to bring reality into it, but in a life or death situation, no sane person's going to question if their own self defense/preservation is justified or not.

Eorzea's not a perfect place. Hydaelyn's not a perfect world. People fight, people die. Some for big causes, some just suddenly and unceremoniously. It's safe to assume that the life of an adventurer can be a violent path, depending on the situation. No it doesn't have to be, but as the WoL, we've made a name for ourselves being the one that steps up to the challenge each time, ready to fight if need be. Whether it's a trial of strength, self-defense, a revolution, or a trap sprung, fighting is what we do. If death of another means we live, we simply choose our own life over our enemy's life. And that's perfectly normal.