Fray and the dark arts

[Daralii]

More to the point all the "Problematic" stuff Fray tries to show you as reasons to quit the sort of quests that cover are generally NOT the ones pushed by Hydaelyn. When in the game does Hydaelyn push you to go after random bandits? To save women getting raped?

Some of it's also just nonsensical. A caravan of people was captured by amalj'aa and were going to be sacrificed to Ifrit, and Fray wants to leave them to their fate... which directly benefits a primal as they'll probably be tempered and sent against Ul'dah. He refuses to do stuff out of spite, not any actual reasoning.

[MilesSaintboroguh]

words

You are looking too much into extremes here. The entire point behind Fray was to show how taxing being the world's hero can be and how you're essentially used because you're too stubborn to never say no. You're literally the only person who has the power to stand up to primals, the empire, and the ascians and all hell will break loose if you decide to say screw that. The Warrior of Light deep down wishes he/she can just take a break and do what they want for a while without the whole realm running to them to solve their problems. Heck, the entire Fray quest line is a deconstruction of the cliched JRPG hero that always does what is asked of them and never refuses and doesn't question anything.

Methinks you need to relook what "emo" actually means and understand character traits and development rather than spewing what you just said just because you don't like something.

[Soldowner]

"Oh woah is me for I am a slave to the small folk when I choose ot be a hero. WOah is me that i cannot conceve of turning my back on them. WOah is me I must save myself from being selfless. I must teach you half assed misunderstood Neitzche and Randian Objectivism to teach you that you are a slave to the Moochers... woah is me.. I will save you from yourself!"

Its exactly the sort of immature shit you'd get from an angsty teen who just discovered Nietzche and Rand.

I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't, but if you type "woah is me" one more time, the writer in me will have a nervous breakdown. It's "woe." Woe being "to despair" and "woah"(the proper spelling for the expression of shock is whoa) is meant to be used specifically for, well, shock.

[Dererk]

Wish we could re do old quest battles level 50 DRK is epic.

[Cilia]

Since I've explained this much, I think I'll get back on my soapbox and further elucidate the relationship between "Fray" and the Warrior of Light. Just my interpretation, buuuuuut...

"Fray" isn't evil you. S/he isn't jackass you. S/he isn't selfish you. S/he isn't dark you. "Fray" is literally you - just without the mask of polite society to keep your emotions in check. Everything s/he says and does is a reflection of the Warrior of Light's innermost desires; s/he even says s/he only possessed Fray because you wanted someone to teach you the dark arts, that you might be free to punish the unjust. S/he points out you're probably annoyed at having to do largely meaningless tasks because someone else said so (DRK 35). S/he points out that, beneath the mask of heroism, some part of you only helps people because it's a means to further your abilities and you get to fight and kill (DRK 40 / 45). S/he blasts people like you wish you could for being ungrateful jerks (DRK 45). S/he gets pissed off at the Whitebrim soldiers for refusing to leave you be and insisting you help them with their job (DRK 50).

At the same time, "Fray" shows negative emotions as well. Aside from the obvious aggression and irritability, s/he shows solemn contemplation before the fight in the DRK 45 quest, and s/he seems genuinely sad and remorseful over your decision after the climactic battle in the 50 quest.

"Fray" is you - a reflection of your heart, just without the mask of civility to hide or whitewash the darker aspects of your personality. S/he offers you your ultimate, deepest, darkest wish: freedom from the burden of being Eorzea's savior, and despairs when you accept your role as Hydaelyn's tool. S/he loves helping and saving people, but for the wrong reasons that you are probably motivated by; instead of wanting to protect the innocent, s/he wants to punish the wicked, something apparent in the 30, 40, and 45 quests, and uses the excuse of "saving people" to fight, kill, and test your limits.

"Fray" is your shadow... your true self, or at least an amalgamation of the feelings and personality traits you most want to deny exist within you. I pointed this out in another DRK topic (and someone copied what I wrote on the subject into "Fray's" section of the Characters page up there on TV Tropes).

Alternatively, given his/her feelings often mirror player sentiments, you could say "Fray" gets kind of meta and is a representation of the average player of XIV.

[Rannie]

/snip

I thought that was familiar in tv tropes under fray when i read it the other day LOL.

edit: god damn it and i said i wasn't going to post on this thread just read and follow it *sighs* seeing as I tend to agree with Cilia on the whole thing behind Fray (when i'm not crying over the 50 quest again)

[MilesSaintboroguh]

Cilia, you aren't an alt for Anonymoose are you? :P

[Cilia]

Cilia, you aren't an alt for Anonymoose are you? :P

I wish. Then I could go to conventions and stuff instead of being a loser who lives in his parents' figurative basement on a quickly ticking clock...

... err... then I could be the first responder to questions. (I'm not as knowledgeable as Moose-senpai since I didn't play 1.x and tend not to get there as fast so I don't answer questions if he's already provided one I think is sufficient. Which is often.)