Y'shtola's "Marketing Armor"

[Vyrerus]

So, a few times these past couple of weeks, forum posters and youtubers and other people on other socials have asked or put out polls and things wondering, "Who do you think will be the next scion to die?" or "Which Scions would you like to see killed?" and other such similar things.

It seems, almost every time I say Y'shtola, somebody jumps out of the woodwork saying, "She's the face of FFXIV! She's like Cloud for FF7. They can't kill her off, or they will lose money. She is invulnerable/untouchable/can't be messed with."

So, what do you think, reader?

https://www.strawpoll.me/20714364/r

Personally, I think they've been building up to killing her off as a very emotional moment for FFXIV people, and the build up has been taking so long that by the time we get to the moment in the story where they finally decide to stop writing her out of death we'll basically be like, "Get on with it!"

[MaethusXion]

Technically she SHOULD have a ticking clock right now. I mean, even faster than normal people. It's specifically mentioned during one of the HW MSQs (3.1-3.3 iirc) that she's using her own life force to "see". They could just as easily give Krile or one of the twins a promotion.

[Enla]

Technically she SHOULD have a ticking clock right now. I mean, even faster than normal people. It's specifically mentioned during one of the HW MSQs (3.1-3.3 iirc) that she's using her own life force to "see". They could just as easily give Krile or one of the twins a promotion.

Honestly I feel like they forgot about this plot point with how often Y'shtola is using it. She was in the First /how/ long without any ill effects from it's constant use? You could handwave that a bit by saying that because she was for all intents and purposes she was a tangible ghost that it doesn't count and that the timer on her life basically stopped the second she was transported. However unless the game outright comes out and states that to be the case I have to wonder if dying from such a thing is a long, drawn out process rather than something more swift (months versus years/decades) like it was implied to be.

[Halivel]

Technically she SHOULD have a ticking clock right now. I mean, even faster than normal people. It's specifically mentioned during one of the HW MSQs (3.1-3.3 iirc) that she's using her own life force to "see". They could just as easily give Krile or one of the twins a promotion.

As far as I remember the quest did state that her time will end faster, but it didn't state how much faster. People in Eorzea, biologically, are pretty much capable to live just as long as people in our real life world, up to 100 years old and maybe even a bit longer. That said, maybe Y'shtola life span now is shortened to 70 at max out of those potential 100, or maybe at 50. We honestly won't know until the very moment she dies, which may or may not happen, depending on what guys in SE will decide to do.

As for the whole "which one you want to see being killed" - none. I don't like deaths for the sake of death, and the longer characters I like are there, the happier I am.

[Alleo]

Technically she SHOULD have a ticking clock right now. I mean, even faster than normal people. It's specifically mentioned during one of the HW MSQs (3.1-3.3 iirc) that she's using her own life force to "see". They could just as easily give Krile or one of the twins a promotion.

She should but sadly using her life force wont mean much if SE wants to keep her alive. They can just say that instead of living 70 years she will now die when she is 60 or something. (And since we barely even move the time bubble, I doubt it would become a problem for her). Of course this all could change if they wanted her death..in the end I am not a fan of their solution..it creates a harmless way to show that the character might one day be dieing as a consequence but since we saw through her eyes while playing her..right now there is no outright consequence unlike the one Thancred has.

So about OP: Honestly Ysthola would be one scion that could die. She got so many fake deaths already that its kinda getting annoying to see her alive and well. But of course only death if it makes sense..not just for the sake of it.

The thing about Y'shtola in regards to "using up her life energy to see" is that she is already immortal from an aging standpoint so we don't know how that affects her. All of the Archons, those you see with the "R" tattoo, cannot age anymore . I thought this would be another detail lost between 1.0 and ARR, but it's even mentioned in the lore book that her clock is stopped.

Wasnt this more about them using magic on them to look younger? Which is the reason why Thancred does look older after we see him again because unlike before he cant change his appearance anymore with his aether.

I am curious, could you post the sentence from the lore book where its stated that they can never truly age?

[MikkoAkure]

She should but sadly using her life force wont mean much if SE wants to keep her alive. They can just say that instead of living 70 years she will now die when she is 60 or something. (And since we barely even move the time bubble, I doubt it would become a problem for her). Of course this all could change if they wanted her death..in the end I am not a fan of their solution..it creates a harmless way to show that the character might one day be dieing as a consequence but since we saw through her eyes while playing her..right now there is no outright consequence unlike the one Thancred has.

So about OP: Honestly Ysthola would be one scion that could die. She got so many fake deaths already that its kinda getting annoying to see her alive and well. But of course only death if it makes sense..not just for the sake of it.



Wasnt this more about them using magic on them to look younger? Which is the reason why Thancred does look older after we see him again because unlike before he cant change his appearance anymore with his aether.

I am curious, could you post the sentence from the lore book where its stated that they can never truly age?

Per her entry in the lorebook:

The hands of time ever stopped on twenty and three,...

I remember the "Archons never aging" thing being mentioned a little bit more in 1.0 but there's been a few throwaway lines in ARR onward that mentioned it, though I can't remember when and where. I thought there was supposed to be a roegadyn Archon out there from the previous era during the Flood, but he hasn't been mentioned since 1.0. Matoya is an Archon and she looks extremely old and has been around for a very, very long time so their aging could just be lengthened greatly.

Thancred only looks older in HW and SB because he has a beard and an eyepatch. He doesn't appear any different to me comparing ARR to ShB.

[Leareaux]

Why is death the only way for these characters to exit a story? Can't they just simply retire or take on a more passive role? I could see Y'shtola taking on a researcher role like Urianger used to.

Personally, I'd like to see most/all the Scions take a back seat next expansion. I find it hard to invest in them as time goes on because somehow they find themselves at the center of every major conflict on the Source and now even the First. I'd rather see an FFXI approach to characters - where the main characters in the expac are assumed to be close to the conflict at hand way before the player steps foot in it.

Obviously now that XIV is 7 years deep into a linear story arc, that wish becomes a bigger ask with each patch. But when the 'Zodiark Arc' is wrapped up I need a clean slate with a tasteful Scion cameo every now and then.

[Fayt1203]

Why is death the only way for these characters to exit a story? Can't they just simply retire or take on a more passive role? I could see Y'shtola taking on a researcher role like Urianger used to.

Personally, I'd like to see most/all the Scions take a back seat next expansion. I find it hard to invest in them as time goes on because somehow they find themselves at the center of every major conflict on the Source and now even the First. I'd rather see an FFXI approach to characters - where the main characters in the expac are assumed to be close to the conflict at hand way before the player steps foot in it.

Obviously now that XIV is 7 years deep into a linear story arc, that wish becomes a bigger ask with each patch. But when the 'Zodiark Arc' is wrapped up I need a clean slate with a tasteful Scion cameo every now and then.

but but if the scions takes a break who's gonna translate all our nod and expression XD

[Alleo]

Per her entry in the lorebook:


I remember the "Archons never aging" thing being mentioned a little bit more in 1.0 but there's been a few throwaway lines in ARR onward that mentioned it, though I can't remember when and where. I thought there was supposed to be a roegadyn Archon out there from the previous era during the Flood, but he hasn't been mentioned since 1.0. Matoya is an Archon and she looks extremely old and has been around for a very, very long time so their aging could just be lengthened greatly.

Thancred only looks older in HW and SB because he has a beard and an eyepatch. He doesn't appear any different to me comparing ARR to ShB.

Thanks for the quote. Maybe its just me but I read this more as a way to say that they just simply look that age. As in using magic to make them look like the hands of time stopped. Otherwise how powerful would those people be if they cant just age at all.

Well in the expansion right now he is kinda in a special state so not sure if that counts much.

[Gula]

Technically she SHOULD have a ticking clock right now. I mean, even faster than normal people. It's specifically mentioned during one of the HW MSQs (3.1-3.3 iirc) that she's using her own life force to "see". They could just as easily give Krile or one of the twins a promotion.

I thought that was an English only line and not in the JP version.