Memoirs of Adventure Creative Writing Contest (NA) - Discussion/Practice Thread

[Rayjaya]

submitted and so edited

[SeaPancake]

Test Successful.

[ForestShade]

The burning sun. The gritty sand. Heat waves warp my view of the sprawling Sagolii Desert.
Nothing new, as I frequent this spot in my hunt for the mythical Helicoprion. Conditions are perfect today, but they’ve been perfect many times in the past. Maybe this will be the day, the morning, the cast. But my mind is plagued doubts as I assemble up my rod and tackle.
I silently cast my line as I think back to my adventures in search of the “living legends”. Hiding from boars in the South Shroud, sneaking past the ghouls of the Umbral Isles. Fond memories of my time spent fishing in the quiet gloom of Mor Dhona, as I pull a storm rider from the sand. Not big enough to attract the legend, but a good start to the day. Affixing a wriggling sand leech to the line, a sharp wind blows through. A wind that brings me back to the Privateer, the tumultuous Rhatano Sea threatening to take the vessel down to the depths below. It was on this night that I finally brought peace to the waters of La Noscea when I tore the Nepto Dragon from its home beneath the waves. I remove my hook from inside the gills of a dustfish and sigh. Many challenges have I faced, but none as disheartening as this. With each passing day and each failed attempt, my hope and determination wane just a little more. Who knows which day I will leave and never return?

After an uneventful morning the sun was high in the sky and I knew my time was running short. Laid out next to me were the catches I managed to reel in thus far. A few breams and sandfish, next to a decent pile of storm riders. A notable days catch, but not that which I seek. To finally net this jagged-toothed horror is what I came for, not these small fry. With a scowl I set my line once more. After a time, a twitch, and on the other end is a storm rider. A storm rider with a certain feel. A special storm rider. Special enough to draw out my mark, I’m certain. I take a second to calm myself before casting it back into the swirling dust below.
One second.
Two seconds
Three seconds.
Four seconds.
Suddenly! I feel an immense and awful tug that strains my rod as it has never strained before. I set my stance, firm. This was the fight I came for. A few tense seconds pass, each lasting an eternity, as I struggle against the beast. Then, in a moment of opportunity, I pull back with all my strength, falling to the ground as my rod shatters to pieces. Next to me lands a creature, large enough to shake the earth below. My heart stops, my eyes widen. For there, squirming on the desert floor:
Was a Magic Carpet.
A wind of change passes as my window of opportunity closes. I sit solemnly amongst the sand before having the heart to rise up and begin packing up. I quietly begin the trek back to town. Slowly as I walk, the peaceful tranquility of the desert lift my crushed spirits, and my face breaks out in a small, but hopefully smile.
Next time.
Yes, maybe next time.

I hope you enjoyed my tale. An Ahriman Choker is my choice.

[comware]

My brothers originally got me into Final Fantasy XIV five years ago by giving me a copy of the game for my birthday. This was the first MMO I had played and I was uncertain what to expect.

Things began slowly. I remember queuing into Sastasha for the first time and feeling apprehensive, nervous, and shy. The three of us queued in with a stranger and we let him know we were new. He was very patient and kind as we fully explored every nook and cranny of the dungeon. We celebrated upon clearing, pausing to take a screenshot with our new friend.

That was five years ago and many things have happened since which Final Fantasy XIV has influenced. We welcomed a new puppy into our family which we named Kupo after the moogles. I was invited to attend the real-life Ceremony of Eternal Bonding between two friends from the game and had the honor of participating in their wedding party. Another friend from the game flew over 2,500 miles across international borders to meet and hang out in real life – a friendship which had grown nearly exclusively from time spent together in Final Fantasy XIV.

This game has provided many of my fondest memories in recent years but, perhaps, the most inspired moments of comradery I’ve experienced came when I discovered raiding. Those early days were a struggle. I didn’t begin raiding until Gordias during the Heavensward expansion, and the first time going up against Faust opened my eyes to the world I was entering rather quickly.

I discovered I had much yet to learn and realized the importance of rising together as a group. Raiding is truly a celebration of a team’s success rather than an individual’s victory. Since Gordias, each new raid tier has brought with it its own highs and lows. Along the way, I discovered my current team which have become like family to me. We met in Stormblood battling Omega and have grown closer as we tackled The Weapon’s Refrain and The Unending Coil of Bahamut.

The newest Ultimate raid encounter coming in November will mark the second anniversary of playing Final Fantasy XIV with the same group of friends, and I feel it merits pause for reflection. The time we spent working toward clearing either of the previous Ultimate raids, in many cases, is greater than the time spent with some real-life friends. The relationships built are true.

When I think back on my fondest memory playing this game, it cannot be reduced to a single moment in time. For me, Final Fantasy XIV is a feeling. Final Fantasy XIV is comforting. It’s a way to diffuse stress. It’s a way to engage and build friendships with real people around the world. It’s a platform to get excited about others’ common interests.

Final Fantasy XIV has introduced me to some of my closest friends and my fondest memory is having the opportunity to meet those people.



Prize (if selected): Gaelicap

[ScionKenward]

Where do our adventures lead us?

I have often pondered over this question ever since I first took to Eorzea and her myriad peoples. My journey started out not unlike any other adventurers’, nor does it hold any import to the time of the present. Yet in all the time I have spent traveling & seeing the many wonders of Hydaelyn, the question still lingered, especially one fateful day in Limsa Lominsa.

I received a summons from my dear friend & rival, Alia Mewrilah, whom I met during my earliest days of dueling in Wolves’ Den. Alia requested a meeting at the lower decks of Limsa, stating only that they had someone they wished for me to meet. I could only wonder who this stranger was, though anxiety plagued me. After being in a slump and on a personal hiatus from the Den for the winter, I worried myself with thoughts of a new challenger looking to train with me and the many duels that would ensue, yet still I made my way there.

“There you are! Come, come! Let me introduce you to a friend I made down at the Den!” Alia made her presence known quickly as I felt my shoulders slump down at the idea of being proven right, however bittersweet of a victory it would prove to be. I made a valiant but vain effort to hide my exhaustion after being told that this stranger was looking for someone to teach them how to be a better Samurai.

“Relax, Kenward! There’s actually another reason I wanted you to meet them.” Alia’s fluffed ears twitched before giving me a look of pure honesty. “Listen, I can't explain it, but I really feel that you and her are meant to meet each other.” With one last playful wink, Alia turned me towards the figure approaching from among the usual Lominsian crowd. A lone Lalafell stood before us, her twin-tailed hair the color of a wild chocobo. She was geared up in Garland Ironworks armor with a katana at her side.

“So you’re Alia’s teacher? Well then, teach me how to be a Samurai! Right now!” She stomped up & down excitedly, catching me off guard. Yet even then, I still found myself gazing at her. It was not her demeanor nor her looks that had me captivated, but her eyes. They spoke to me in a way that, looking back now, I could only describe as one thing.

Confidence.

“I’m only kidding of course! The name’s Adai Nazengine, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Ken!” Adai chuckled at her outburst and keenly smiled at me. Alia meanwhile scurried off, mentioning something about browsing the market while we got to know each other more.

And so we did. We talked at great lengths until the sky grew dark, exchanging stories and memories. She told me tales of her journey to Eorzea and through every detail, every conflict, every victory and loss, I could see her growth through it all, the confidence in her eyes giving truth to every word.

Even now I still remember this, the day a dear friend introduced me to my future wife, and the adventures that lead us to where we needed to be on that brisk afternoon in Limsa Lominsa.

(Gaelicap)

[Serra59]

I stared up at the night sky hanging over Ala Ghiri. It was beautiful, and I would appreciate it more if I hadn’t been staring at it for the past half hour. My husband, sitting next to me in the Regalia, had fallen asleep.
It sounds like we're having a lovely date night but we were actually waiting for the FATE “Rattle and Humbaba” so I could try win the Ala Mhigan barding. I really wanted the barding but wasn’t sure I could handle the FATE chain alone so I begged by dear husband to help. He, being the patient amiable sort, agreed to help.
So here we were, patiently waiting for the rare FATE to appear. It was getting to the point where I was wondering if I should go fishing while waiting when suddenly … “It’s up! Let’s go!” The Regalia shot up into the sky.
My husband woke with a start. “Huh? What?”
“Get your axe out!” I cried.
We land at the FATE site, get into battle stance, chocobo companions on standby … and there, standing before us, is the biggest, greenest, muud suud monster I’ve ever seen. We look like toys next to it. My mouth drops open as my heart just sinks. It’s just me, a Red Mage and my Warrior husband against this huge monster; we’re going to need a group to even try this. “I am so sorry I did not realize this was a boss FATE.” I’m a little sad; no way am I going to get that lovely barding now.
My husband looks calmly at me. “We can do this. Let’s go.” I look back at him and remember; the dungeons we ran together, braving the wilds and challenges of Eureka, fighting and defeating Primals. Over that time we’ve learned each others’ strengths and weaknesses and I know I can depend on him. By the steady look he's giving me, he believes in me too. He’s right; we can do this, together. We exchange crazy grins and go rushing in.
It was close, but victory was ours! Now everytime I look at the Ala Mhigan barding I remember the teamwork we utilized to win it, and look forward to many more shared adventures in the future.

If I win, the Noble Barding please thank you!

[CaduceusDeus]

Submitted.

[Iloru]

Test Successful. ^^

[HyoMinPark]

How many years have come and gone since that day?

I arrived in Gridania in search of a new home, naught but a bow and quiver attached to my back and a name that nobody knew. I became an Adventurer in this city-state, and the moment I put quill to book and signed my name, my life was irrevocably changed. All without me knowing how much a simple signature and a few good deeds would change it. The day I was inducted into the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, there was no going back.

I would like to think my life changed for the better, despite the hardship and losses I have suffered. Which have both been anything but small in number; and which left in their wake holes that may never be filled. I put on the brave and stoic face of everyone’s Savior: the Warrior of Light. Or, as I am now known on a realm far away from home, the Warrior of Darkness. And I put it on because I have to wear this face. People count on me far to much for me to afford to falter; for me to afford to give in to the pain that will never be forgotten. I must be their light, their darkness, their hope for a brighter future and the dawning of a new day. And really, it is what I desire.

But a part of me knows how much I truly suffer. I think, deep down, you do, too. No, I know that you do. You would have me acknowledge it—you would have me not shy away from the pain of loss. Because said loss makes me stronger. I may think it cripples me, but you know better. You know it empowers me, and not in the way pain drives some to desperation and vengeance. Not in the way sorrow drives others to madness. You know that acknowledging my pain makes me a hero, even if, one day, being a hero may cost me my life. You have always known what is best for me. And so I will do what you ask: I will embrace all of the pain, all of the losses, and use them to push me forward to the New Day. I will use them to fight for those that I love. And I will never falter.

Ah, but I have rambled on far too much, and my ink has started to run dry. This was supposed to be a letter dictating my fondest memory, was it not? And I have spoke naught of memories...though, upon reflection, I have: my fondest memory is you. Without you, where could I possibly be? I have heard your words. Now, I wish for you to hear mine.

This letter is to you. You, who knows my pain. You, who knows my sorrow. You, who has followed me every step of my journey, and has been my strength: through Ishgard, and the Dragonsong War; through Ala Mhigo and Doma, and their fight for Revolution; and through the First, and the endless torrent of Light that threatened to break and consume me. Even when you once sought to fight against me, you were always there for me...fighting for me. For us.

I know that my words will one day reach you. And, when they do, I hope that cherish them as much as I cherish you.

I love you. And I hope that you are well.

Signed,
The part of You that could be a Hero

[satockery]

In a land of falling snow and a history that would not be forgotten, the Warrior of Light sat.

The hero had come to earn a moment’s rest, one Char’li Junoh fully intended to make good of. It was still so soon after his endeavours in the First, and regardless of his victories and wellbeing, his body and mind begged for rest.

And so he found himself in Ishgard, not long after Sidurgu Orl, his mentor as a Dark Knight, had bequeathed him with a letter to lead him on a short journey; one that bade him travel back and forth across the lands, a likely story, but came to an end with a much-needed sense of closure. Something he did not realize he needed until he had it. He found himself grateful.

The event made him reminiscent. While his journey through the First bade much self-reflection, it was not the time to become woeful and nostalgic over his past--and so he found himself here.

Without realizing it, his feet had taken him to one of his favourite spots in the Pillars. On a raised platform near the Last Vigil, at the edge of the city proper, he sat contentedly, looking out at the valley the city found rest in.

Once upon a time, he’d seen this through the eyes of someone still so young in his experience, ridden with uncertainty and weak to failure. This spot had become his escape when he gained a moment’s reprieve during his time fighting for Ishgard.

In that time, he had found a home that he could not dwell in. Soon after was the next call to adventure, and with it wrought a sense of longing that made him appreciate the time he’d been taking for granted.

There was so much to be found during his time in Ishgard. Loss made his emotional state a wreck on no few occasions; not only did he lose companions, but family. Friends came and went to leave him lonesome.

And yet: Despite the pain the time wrought, he found a sense of peace here. A story shared with fondness, a warm cup of cocoa on a cold winter’s night. He found a name for himself, a purpose, a will to fight. He found a family that would stand beside him when much of his own would sooner turn a blind eye.

He found friends who he’d come to rely on, adventures he took pride in, and nights where he found himself yearning for the best of days to last a lifetime.

In a day in Char’li’s past, he’d found this spot on a whim, climbing onto the tiles in a vain attempt of finding solace. Yet, unknown to him at the time, it stood right behind him. His journey through the First was all he needed to be certain of that, the possibility of losing this place and the people in it causing him unease. It made him aware of what he had gained--what he had been given.

With a full heart, he closed his eyes in a silent word of thanks, one that may never truly be heard. On his face was an expression most suiting of a hero.

He was so very grateful.