Tales from the Storm Discussion

[TinyRedLeaf]

Great story, well told, once again affirming that the lore around the Azim Steppes were the best conceptualised in this expansion.

It also reminds me that I've been wanting to discuss the Dawn Father and the Dusk Mother, and the more I think about them, the more I believe them to be xaela mythic re-imagination of Zodiark and Hydaelyn.

I know there's a popular fan theory that the myth is about Bahamut and Tiamat, but I've never liked that hypothesis very much, not least because there's no strong link between the au ra and dragons, other than the scales.

[Daralii]

Great story, well told, once again affirming that the lore around the Azim Steppes were the best conceptualised in this expansion.

It also reminds me that I've been wanting to discuss the Dawn Father and the Dusk Mother, and the more I think about them, the more I believe them to be xaela mythic re-imagination of Zodiark and Hydaelyn.

I know there's a popular fan theory that the myth is about Bahamut and Tiamat, but I've never liked that hypothesis very much, not least because there's no strong link between the au ra and dragons, other than the scales.

Why would Hydaelyn/Zodiark be reimagined with their aspects reversed?

[FJerome]

Why would Hydaelyn/Zodiark be reimagined with their aspects reversed?

The myth goes that the Dusk Mother created the moon so that actually sort of works since Hydaelyn imprisoned Zodiark on the moon. Zodiark's potential association with the sun is less clear but there's a lot about him we don't know.

[Alleo]

Haha no wonder that he did not want the WoL as a partner, we probably reminded him of his sisters. So he kinda wants a weak woman because he was ordered around by his older sisters and fears that this kinda happens again if he turns to a headstrong woman.

I am just happy that at least one story was about the other region even if it was again about love. Well if he does not change his opinion he will probably stay alone forever. No wonder that he is so moody when all around him get their moons.

This story really was my favorite.

[TinyRedLeaf]

Why would Hydaelyn/Zodiark be reimagined with their aspects reversed?

Why not? Have you never played a game of Chinese whispers?

In this single story alone, the Dusk Mother was wrongly named once as the "Dawn Mother". Did you spot it?

Imagine how much more a myth would change over multiple iterations, handed down through the generations.

The core elements — of a celestial father and mother, once united, but now driven apart — remain, but many details have changed over the millennia, to become the xaela creation myth.

[TinyRedLeaf]

(1)
To be sure, the first inkling I had that the Dawn Father and Dusk Mother could be the modern myth of an ancient memory was when Temulun, the khatun of the Mol, first met the WoL.

Recall her words, when she requested to speak privately with the WoL:

A singular radiance. Shimmering. Like a jewel of the Dusk Mother, blinding in its brilliance.

That description by the khatun, who's clearly clairvoyant, reminded me instantly of the Mother Crystal. Temulun spoke of the Dusk Mother as a "jewel".

(2)
We later learnt from Udutai, the lorekeeper of the Oronir, that Azim and Nhaama were lovers. He spoke of them thus:

Alas, he was of the sun, and she of the moon. Apart they must remain, lest day and night cease to be, and with them all creation.

My thoughts at the time... Could this be a garbled memory of a Rejoining, and its consequences for mortal life?

Even more telling, the Ascians describe a Rejoining as the "Ardor", a strong emotion, not uncommonly associated with passionate love.

Udutai also said:

As time passed, Azim's yearning for his beloved grew deeper still. Was there truly naught that could be done, he wondered. At last, he knew. "If the Father cannot be with the Mother, then he shall go amongst her children. Now and ever after."

So it was that Azim took a fragment of his being and with it fashioned an avatar. Clad in scale of midnight, he descended, and sought out the xaela.

The hint, it seemed to me, was that Azim created agents ("children") of his own, to be his proxies among mortals. Now, what does that instantly remind you of?

(3)
And Udutai said:

When Nhaama looked down and saw the avatar of Azim, she knew him at once, and shed tears of love and longing. When they struck the earth, they arose anew, as a counterpart to the Oronir. Their fates entwined.

The tale is specifically meant to explain the creation of the xaela and the raen but, keeping in mind the distorting effect of oral historical traditions, it's not hard to extrapolate from here the hint of Hydaelyn's anguish, her search for an Answer to the eternal question of why mortals are forever wont to sow the seeds of their own destruction.

Imagine if the truth behind the Sundering was that it was Zodiark, not Hydaelyn, that sparked or triggered the creation of mortal life, his "avatar" to reconnect with Hydaelyn.

Hydaelyn grew to love his imperfect creations, in turn crafting counterparts of her own, but in so doing also realised that mortals, forever torn between two poles, are doomed to an endless struggle.

Hence, her anguish. Hence her continuing search for an Answer.

[Mysterysword]

Funny how I didn't think of it until it was specifically spelled out for me, but Magnai gathering all the women of the Steppe before him, reminded me of the ball in "Cinderella", except this had a very different ending.

Anyway, it feels thematically odd to have 3 stories set in Eorzea and 1 in Othard, but I guess we can't suit a trend. This story, like all the others in Storm tales, could've done with some better editing (start a narrative in the present tense then abruptly transition to past tense, no, that's not confusing at all), but it's time to accept that whoever did the HW tales is gone.

I had a working theory that Magnai's soulmate, if she even exists, is actually a Raen, and he'll never find her by just sitting on his throne all day. Good thing we kicked him off it so he finally has time to go look for her!

[AphraelAmarantha]

Snip

It's interesting that you have brought this up. I've always kind of head canon my Wol as being the daughter of Hydaelyn AND Zodiark, but nobody, not even my character or the Ascians know this. But it would explain the strange vision of the dark crystal at the end of 2.0 and would be a huge plot twist lol. The WoL having to fix mommy's and daddy's problems would be funny :P

[FJerome]

That description by the khatun, who's clearly clairvoyant, reminded me instantly of the Mother Crystal. Temulun spoke of the Dusk Mother as a "jewel".

I think she may actually have the Echo. (Mind, I think it's possible that every Shaman on the steps has the Echo. Most forms of clairvoyance we've seen in this game have been Echo-related.)

[LineageRazor]

I enjoyed this story, though once again have to complain that it seemed more fluff than substance, barely expanding upon what we already knew. It's mentioned in-game that Magnai summoned all the maidens of the land to find his Moon, and that Sadu metaphorically spat in his face - and that's pretty much exactly what happened here.

I do like the whole Magnai/Sadu dynamic, and the idea that Magnai is looking for love in all the wrong places (he thinks he wants a dainty flower for a bride, and in so doing is potentially missing out on finding his Moon in a woman who is not quite so submissive). However, I do think that they need to do more to develop Sadu's side of the equation, if they're really looking to set these two up. Right now, the "drama" is Magnai overcoming his built-up notions and recognizing that Sadu is his Moon - but what if he does? So far, nothing about Sadu's portrayal indicates that she wants anything to do with Magnai romantically, and sees him only as a foe (albeit, possibly a worthy foe). This isn't Tsundere posturing, as far as I can tell - she seriously can't stand the guy (and it's not hard to see why).

I think I'd also like to see a bit more about how Oronir WOMEN fit into this. Do they also seek their Moon? Or is it only the men who deal with the whole Sun and Moon thing, since Azim was male and Nhaama was female, and Oronir women have to find their mates... well... I guess the same way, but without all the sun-and-moon romanticism? The text in the story is pretty gender specific whenever the sun and moon comes up - it's always men finding their moon, never women.

I also liked the framing of the story as a campfire tale, though I wish it'd been clearer about who was telling the tale. The only hint comes in the first image, which appears to be of the Mol village. I missed that, at first, and thought these were Oronir telling the tale. This made their snickers and mockery of Magnai a bit shocking for me on the first read-through. I'll admit that I was a bit disappointed to realize that it was probably the Mol telling the story; it would have been interesting if Magnai's own people thought him as much a twit as we do!

. . . Actually now I'm more confused than ever about the status and role of women in the Oronir, given that Magnai was simultaneously expected to be leader one day and constantly at the beck and call of his elder sisters.

This is pretty much the No Hero to His Valet trope. A person may be a big deal to strangers and casual acquaintances, but to his family and close acquaintances he's just another human being. In the case of his sisters, they knew him when he was pooping in his diapers, so they're going to be a whole lot less in awe of him than your average Xaela.