Revelations from Patch 5.4

[QT_Melon]

Okay finished Eden, and some MSQ thoughts

Between MSQ and the Raid, so far Raid is now edging out in terms of interest. Don't get me wrong, finding a cure for tempering and all that is good, but the story thus far seem so flat compared to Eden. That said though, I really don't like the battle design of the last boss because of the time it takes and doing it week to week, especially since one messup on the last phase puts you all the way back at the start is a little too punishing since you have pretty much a long "cutscene" with trash. I dunno if it was oversight but felt like it should have had a "phase 2" checkpoint after that to help.

Now after thinking about the MSQ and people's complaints with Fandaniel

One thing that stuck out through his cutscenes in various patches was his interest in Zenos and the Final Days.
What is he trying to recreate?
The Final Days.

I am hoping that may be something more ...pithy than just being a crazy fellow hanging around another crazy fellow

Role quest

Actually feel like this can be a continuing side story in the next expansion which I'm absolutely fine with. The possibility of saving the 13th doesn't need a whole xpac imo but rather they can put it in as continuing side stories that may or may not have a main focus later in the next expansion(s). It works for a better narrative. I mean it does make sense in other ways. What's next after restoring Ishgard? Why not the 13th? The Empty...I mean crafters and gatherers will be going into new Xpacs so there has to be something for them as well, not just Adventurers

Some thoughts on souls

Anyone else kinda wonder about Taynor and Unukalhai couple times looking at them they look almost like doubles. But besides that makes me wonder what happens (when both are actually alive) what happens if you're in the proximity of your living "shard soul"

Another thought after reincarnation: Elidibus is basically "trapped' in the crystal tower. It feels actually depressing that he's in that state especially given how young he was. Something kinda hopes we have a future plot point in removing his temperance to Zodiark so that we can free his soul to reincarnate.

Where are they now

Anyone have a list of where the scions, Gaia and Ryne and other notable characters' location after this patch and after dialog

Thoughts on the future growth

After seeing an Adult Gaia model, I'd also like to see all our youngsters have a young adult form as well in future xpacs. Especially since Alisae was bemoaning her character growth in an earlier patch, literally seeing them grow would actually be pretty awesome as well.

[Slatersev]

I for one, am happy we can once again update the Convocation school class personality list.

We've got:

Arrogant Class President that likes to talk with his hands: Lahabrea
Stern Theatre Kid: Emet-Selch
Impressionable Baby of the Bunch: Elidibus
Class Rebel: Azem
Camp Theatre Kid: Fandaniel
Hot Blooded Jock with Sideburns: Nabriales
The Presidents long suffering Assistant: Igeyorhm

That couple that everyone else is equally parts jealous of and annoyed by

: Mitron and Loghrif
Those kids that show up for one random day of the year and then never again: Pashtarot and Altima

What a crew, I want this sitcom yesterday.

[JeanneOrnitier]

Eden's Promise

I always thought Mitron was a woman, but in retrospect I'm not sure why I did. I guess I thought it was a feminine sounding name?

Eden's backstory is honestly more interesting than I thought it was. I was worried it would be something that took the Flood away from being Ardbert and his friends' fault, ruining the tragedy of their story. I'm glad it was still directly caused by them. Likewise, Gaia being a reincarnated Loghrif was cooler than anything I expected for her, and seems clear in retrospect what with Gaia being a Greek name like the other Ancients. I really liked the characterization of Mitron and Loghrif, a bit of humanizing even if not as much as the MSQ Ascians. Does Loghrif's real name being Artemis imply he was a woman as an Ancient?

The last boss was cool but I was really hoping Ryne would come in with Thancred's gunblade to mirror Gaia saving her during Shiva. The Shiva fight is still my favorite in the entire Eden series.

I really enjoyed this. Easily the highlight of the patch.

Why was the Shadowkeeper a wolf instead of Cyella, though? Did I forget something from the role quests?

[Ryaz]

Finished some more stuff.

Werlyt

Way too much exposition going on to the point that I actually ended up backing out of the cutscene early because I just didn't care. Valens is basically just another Zenos/Fandaniel type. Evil for the heck of it and extremely one dimensional. The evil look they put on his face as he was talking about killing Gaius was straight out of the worst, campiest super villain story you could ever think of. And we didn't need an extended torture scene. We already know that he's a terrible, evil bad person. No need to drag it on so long. It's one of the reasons I was bored in the end, to the point that I just want to stick a knife in Valens ribs just to get him to shut the hell up.

Eden

Enjoyable fights. E11 especially, though it was the most difficult for me at first. E12 seemed easy in comparison (we one shot it). The ending was uplifting if a bit predictable. The twist of Gaia being an Ascian is pretty neat and it would be cool if she visited us on the Source some day. It would be cool to have an Ascian ally for once.

[Zohar_Lahar]

Main Scenario

The story is finally cuting the Gordian knot around primal tempering, allowing a means for the beast-tribe cycle of conflict to be broken (much as the Dragonsong War was broken in 3.x). I do wonder how this approach would work with the Gnath, given the nature of the Onemind (the hive mind has many similarities to tempering itself).

Fandaniel....he's mad. Mad like the Mad Auspice Koryu. I wasn't expecting his edgelord theatrics to be that over the top so quickly. I have to wonder what happened to cause him to be this unhinged. Perhaps an issue of memory transference that damaged his sense of self? I think of the concerns in 5.3 about whether G'raha Tia would meld with the Crystal Exarch's mind; while G'raha was successful, could Fandaniel be an example of it going horribly wrong?

The Lunar Bahamut, aside from being an excuse to have Estinien join the Scions, has some ominous implications for 6.0, along with those creepy towers.

The Sorrow of Werlyt

It seems like Gaius really was more of a counterpart to the WoL than I had thought, he just went the wrong way to go about it. The children aren't that much different than the Scions - or AScians - in motivation, but like Hades there's a sense they don't want their sacrifice to be for nothing.

Legatus Varro is to Gaius what Nero was to Cid....and also a demonstration of how much worse Nero (and Gaius) could have been had he stayed in Garlemald. He also somehow managed to be even more over-the-top than Fandaniel. However, Valens is also a little daft; he wants an "obedient servant" but uses Zenos data? Did he ever [I]meet[I] the guy?

Eden's Promise

The mystery of the Flood of Light is resolved: Mitron was holding all the excess Light until Ardbert's Blade of Light caused him to transform into Eden, the first Sin Eater. This would make him the original Lightwarden.

I had suspected Gaia might have been the soul of a sundered Ascian. I didn't anticipate Mitron being a jealous ex-boyfriend. However, it does at least explain why the lightwardens had the recurring love themed naming.

I recognized Eden's Promise similarities to Artemis/Diana idols, which also ties into Ultimecia's name origin. This Artemis aspect might explain the appearance of some of the sin eaters and the association with hunting.

[JeanneOrnitier]

^ The lightwarden naming scheme is a brilliant observation. I didn't even notice it.

[SannaR]

Dang it there's a nod to that I thought of while doing Eden that I can't remember and then I started to read all the reactions to the raid and remembered it only to have forgotten it when I went to add it to my post.

[Erendis]

Eden

I found the Eden's origin story interesting. We also found out there was another olympian in the Convocation, however there is also Gaia, mother of titans. I wonder if Azem's real name is Helios...

Having to fight Thancred in sin eater form was quite a shocker, but it makes sense that it would be one of Ryne's fears.

And I only have one thing to say about e12: grapes.

Now to kill Bismark ex so that I can complete the missing quest and finally do Void quests. How I managed to kill it without getting the quest first is a true mystery...

[Tsiron]

MSQ

I do think they found a cure for Tempering a bit too quickly (even if they had the theory down already), but it remains pretty taxing, and having to treat each victim individually will limit its effectiveness story-wise probably. Merlwyb getting more screentime was nice, but it really made me miss her ARR voice actress that much more. Cid and Aymeric's voiced bits were... a bit off-putting, too. Dunno what to think of Fandaniel quite yet (get therapy). Zenos overcame his weeb phase. A lot of people are expressing disappointment it wasn't too exciting, but they're now starting to build up to 6.0, right? So it makes sense the stakes aren't that high yet.

Eden

Ryne and Gaia are so precious, and I am SO glad Gaia didn't get fridged or die.... Mitron was kind of a possessive creep, so good riddance. He got a nicer sendoff than I thought he deserved. Overall ended up not having quite the same impact on me as FF8 did where it was... just a complete mindfuck, but Ryne and Gaia get to be happy together and the Empty looks nice and is recovering now so it's good, I'm satisfied! This chunk of 5.4 is the one I was most anxious about tbh, so I'm glad it ended well!

Werlyt

This, on the other hand, was just pure misery top to bottom. Just... wipe Garlemald off the map...

Role Quests

I wasn't expecting much from these originally (in 5.0) but they actually turned out to be really good! I love these characters even if their group's a bit of a sausagefest, Beq Lugg is great and it was especially nice to see Unukalhai finally get to do something again! Him and Taynor apparently being shards of the same person coupled with Urianger warning that people can't remain souls forever (idk Cylva seems to be doing okay 100 years later..) definitely has me worried though. Either way, I'm excited to see how this storyline continues! Now that Eden's done maybe Ryne and Gaia will end up involved, as well? And it becomes our reason to keep visiting the First?

it was a satisfying patch to me, all in all!

[Ultimatecalibur]

Role Quests

I wasn't expecting much from these originally (in 5.0) but they actually turned out to be really good! I love these characters even if their group's a bit of a sausagefest, Beq Lugg is great and it was especially nice to see Unukalhai finally get to do something again! Him and Taynor apparently being shards of the same person coupled with Urianger warning that people can't remain souls forever (idk Cylva seems to be doing okay 100 years later..) definitely has me worried though. Either way, I'm excited to see how this storyline continues! Now that Eden's done maybe Ryne and Gaia will end up involved, as well? And it becomes our reason to keep visiting the First?

Role, Eden and Void Quests

Cyella has lost a lot of power over the past hundred years so she isn't really "fine."
Ryne and Gaia joining up in the future makes a lot of sense. They did something similar in the Eden storyline. If you had completed Cyella's 5.0 quest you had the option to refer to her by name during the E10 quest so these storylines are semi-linked already. Lue-Reeq and Cyella both have potential interactions with Gaia. Including the two would even out this group of "Dawn Warriors'" gender imbalance.