An NPC you truly hate with passion

[Gemina]

Honestly? This is gonna be a weird one but...

THE SHROUD'S ELEMENTALS.
Finicky as all hells. Disloyal, since they were ready to abandon Gridania after one (1!) powerful Blasphemy popped up and scared 'em, despite the many, many years of devotion afforded to them. They seemed to be absolutely insane too, like "will kill you and your whole family if you pick the wrong plant" kind of insane in the past.
I'm not exaggerating, look.



And don't forget people lived in Gelmorra in fear of them in the first place!

I don't know how Gridanians are cool with possibly being uprooted by these things, imagine one day government changes and they say let's industrialize. What then?
Also, I know they've been weakened by Dalamud's fall and all but here's hoping they've chilled out... or that some insane Garlean madman drops a nuclear strike on them (lol) and finishes the job. They're the worst elementals too, the Eureka ones are so nice.

You know, I never really thought about them that way until the recent tank role quests, which is what I think you're referring to. And yup, the elementals and their fearless leader have no qualm with unleashing their wrath upon simple creatures that can put up very little of a fight against the forces of nature, but shove a Blasphemy or a Dark Rider up their butt and they sing a whole different tune.

"The Great One", eh? Reminds me of a bully.

[Enla]

You know, I never really thought about them that way until the recent tank role quests, which is what I think you're referring to. And yup, the elementals and their fearless leader have no qualm with unleashing their wrath upon simple creatures that can put up very little of a fight against the forces of nature, but shove a Blasphemy or a Dark Rider up their butt and they sing a whole different tune.

"The Great One", eh? Reminds me of a bully.

Yep, remember that one ARR quest with the Ala Mhigan refugees who were being refused help because the Elementals would have gotten pissy? They're basically forces of nature that have no allegiance or care for anyone around them and only tolerate others so long as they get their way. I can't really blame Gridania for worshiping them out of fear though given the lore surrounding their antics in the lore. They were genuinely terrifying before Dalamud dropped the nerf bat on their heads.

[Xerkrosis]

Cid
I hate this whitebearded, self-rightous, narcissistic fool! Doesn't allow for any other engineer than him, especially if it's another garlean (Nero). Once there's an engineering accomplishment that's not from him, he claims it. Builds an entire company to feed his narcissism. Well... and I have also something against disloyalty, which he presented when abandoning his garlean brethrens.

If all expansions were equally great, Shadowbringers would still triumph because no Cid.

Was there a chance who to kill off, I'd immediately place Cid in front of the canons and delete his existence from the lore.

[Tetsujin]

"The Great One", eh? Reminds me of a bully.

Couldn't have put it better myself.
There are quite a few other things I didn't mention like how being disintegrated was considered one of the "better" things that could happen to you if you angered the elementals and actually suffered their greenwrath. They'd transform people into monstrosities and such. Or how to even travel through, you'd have to pay them tribute in some form and gain their favor. Odin and the like though? Oh, no, no. The woods will (literally) open a straight path for them. Probably because those beings could actually fight back.