Revelations from Patch 5.4

[Mieck]

The Main Ten Character Scenarios Quests

For no better reason that it remains in play and is still unexplained to a degree, I'm sticking with my thoughts that Fandaniel was corrupted by the Sound that caused the Final Days. I didn't have those towers flagged as Garlean at all; they reminded me way more of the twiddly features of the bosses in Amarout (although, that could well be confirmation bias on my part). I don't feel like Fandaniel is just doing this to get himself killed - there are any number of easier ways, including all the Warriors of Light across all the remaining Shards - but other than my pet theory, I don't have much to go on. Any useful steer on the etemology of Telophoroi?

Matoya's Relict was fun, and it was nice to get some slightly more involved storytelling inside one for a change. yes, I know it was still just 1-2-Boss, but there was an actual narrative to this one. Also, Y'shtola's failed familiar being a boss was quite funny.

I was totally prepared to find an Ascian (Mitron - is that the mask we say in the trailer?) funnelling funds to the Bloody Executioners (via Fandaniel/House Brutus). I guess I've just been conditioned to expect Ascians at every turn.

Something else that nagged me, and I'm glad we got it tied off during the patch is how all the other Scions are happy to imbue the others with aether, but we were noticeably stood off to one side and not involved. I was happy when they worked that into the solo instance in the Navel.


I was reminded of how I felt playing 3.4 and 4.4. The direction of travel for 4.x felt pretty clear. 5.x... well, we had enough hanging threads for the First to be a reasonable assumption. But 6.x? I'm feeling quite in the dark, even though I think Sharlayan is getting set up way more than usual - and the Luna Bahamat (with its obvious ties to both FF4 and, in this universe, the moon where Zodiark is) feels like direction, I have no clue as to what the story might be. Maybe, now the guiding hand of the Unsundered is gone, we really are, for once since 2.x, in uncharted territory?

Safekeeping / Void Quests

Any cut scene with Giot is a cutscene well spent. I didn't have Granson flagged as untter lightweight, though. I feel like the Unukalhai / Nyelbert link is a reasonable assumption - I'd go one step further and say that their Source shard counterpart could be Urianger. I wonder if this will be an ongoing project / reason to return to the First for some side content in 6.x

Sorrow of Werlyt

With the added context of Valens's jealousy versus Gaius... ooof, that was quite a cutscene. Laid on a bit thick, sure, but...
Interesting to learn that the XIVth were a new legion prior to the events of 1.0. They also referred to the VIIth as a new legion - I'm guessing this confirms that whatever was left of them following Catenaeu was officially disbanded?

Eden's Promise

I was kind of on the fence with the first two phases of Eden. I loved the call backs to FF8, but Nomoura... is a struggle for me. So, I really appreciated the spin on community expectations, especially with regards to Griever and Ultimecia.
It was quite late, but I essentially got that because the First was so tipped towards Light from the get go, that what worked quite nicely for us in the Source when it came to undoing the likes of Nabriales, had the unintended consequence of creating Eden? It was about 12.30am when I got to the end...


Also, totally worth it for the end sequence replay of the FF8 ending. When I was young and buying games cost me weeks of saving, the only game I had for my PSX was FF8. I would reload the final save, enjoy smashing the last bosses and watching the ending, so I knew the beats of that cutscene very well, and it was great to see the gunblade / reunion / flower field in order