Memoirs of Adventure Creative Writing Contest (NA) - Official Entry Thread

[rjwz]

When I'm not slaying gods or obsessing over glamour, even the Warrior of Light has his pastimes. For today, gathering is on the calendar. Or it would be, if I weren’t so stubborn.

It wasn't the botanist’s axe that troubled me so, but rather that of the warrior’s, pleading to be unsheathed — to exact revenge upon the beast that had slain its owner.

At the levemete’s request, I made my rounds just south of Summerford. Strangely, as I began to dig up the La Noscean soil, it was almost as if I could sense some kind of powerful presence.

Warily, I scouted a dark figure in the distance; a creature, both burly yet lanky. As I drew in, it revealed itself to be a massive, mountainous… goobbue.

This goobbue, towering before me in all of his flowery, mossy greatness, was nothing to sneeze at. By tradition, I spare no monster and certainly no goobbue in my way, but for the moment, logic prevailed as I sneakily tiptoed around him.

Though, as the other tradition goes, my logic never fails to disappoint. He quickly turned around and heartily slapped me in the face.

A single hit had knocked me out, and I returned to the aether, soon awakening in Limsa Lominsa. So began the cyclic tragedy, for my ego would never allow the tale to end so abruptly. And besides, Mr. Zango wouldn’t let me off so easily.

Upon my first return, I came in gear that was befitting of my new goal: to best this vile, putrid fiend, here and now. In other words, it was a long day. The traces of moldy phlegm that linger in my attire, even now, are a testament to either my bravery or my stupidity.

A dozen attempts had passed before long, all comprised of throwing myself against a literal stone wall. But by Thal’s balls was I going to see this goobbue pushing up daisies — not from his head, but from the ground.

Countless tries later, a fellow adventurer drew near, likely to witness another personal Calamity. But swiftly, she activated her linkpearl and uttered:

“S Rank ▶Middle La Noscea ( 24.2 , 20.1 )”

Were those words a declaration of war? A magical spell from the arcanist's guild? Clearly, it must’ve been the latter, for it summoned what seemed like the entire continent before I could process an answer. A colossal crowd lied patiently in wait, thirsting for goobbue blood, until one began to dash forward and draw his attention. Like a stampede did the rest follow, weapons raised, delivering unto him a pain even greater than my own. Within mere seconds, he fell, and in another few did people say their thanks and disperse.

At the time, I hadn’t a clue what kind of spontaneous murder meeting I bore witness to. All I knew was that I was in sheer awe from such a beautiful display of teamwork; and though it put a dent in my pride, watching the systematic destruction of my foe was cathartic enough to repair it.

Rest in peace, Croque-Mitaine, until we meet again… down here, in Eorzea.


(Gaelicap)

[callykarishokka]

“Hey, red mage, you’re gonna need to help the healer out for this.”

Excuse me?! was the initial thought. I stared at the tank, a burly shirtless Hrothgar with a gunblade toted over one shoulder. The second damage-dealer, a ninja or a dancer or something – it didn’t really matter, as long as they did their job right – stood there and said nothing. The healer was mum, too.
This was not my job. This was absolutely not the job of a red mage. I had a single healing spell and a single revive spell, and that was it. That was the extent of my ability to ‘help the healer heal’.

There wasn’t time to argue, though. The Hrothgar didn’t wait for a response. He hurled himself right up to the giant angry dragon perched in the middle of the snowy hellscape of a field.

For roughly five minutes, everything went fine. Mostly. As fine as these things tended to go, anyway. The living snowglobe that was The Burn was a mass of indecipherable white around us, but everything else moved clear as crystal, if only because everyone else was stark and dark against it. I sent a few heals here and there – stupid healer, do your job – but it was nothing intolerable. For a moment, I thought that everything would be fine and the healer would pull themselves up.

Then, I noticed the tank – stupid white Hrothgar – wasn’t looking so hot. He wheezed and heaved between movements, visibly aching.

After that, I noticed that the healer was down. How in the heck?! Is it really so hard to stay out direct line of fire?!

I think I let out a hysterical laugh, thin lalafellian voice ripping the sky. “Scrap to you all, I’m the healer now!”

I got the healer back up. I then promptly gave them a solid heal of my own. Then I healed the tank, just to make sure that everything was on the up-and-up. I couldn’t keep this up for long; I wasn’t made for this sort of extended drain.

The other damage-dealer then decided that it was a good time to fall. Nice of them, really. The healer had that one handled, though, finally, but then the tank fell and that was on me to fix.

It was a dance of staying just out of the path of danger while also making sure three toddlers didn’t die. It was as if they were doing their utmost best to get as many wounds as possible, healer included.

In the end, we pulled it off. The dragon wailed and fell, death throes echoing in to the midday sky. But only because I got it done.

The other three stumbled off and away without so much as a nod of thanks. No gratitude; no commendations.

But the swell of pride makes it the most cherished of memories.



(Gaelicap, please)

[Sebbie]

A memoir? An account of my fondest memory? As if I could choose one out of the many. After six years, there are too many to choose from. But I suppose I could start with one of my earliest...

Taking those first fledgling steps into the lands of Eorzea, seeing this vibrant world for the very first time, choosing a homeland from the verdant, vibrant emerald gem of the Shroud. Setting foot into Gridania as naught but a fledgling adventurer and feeling that sense of wonder, taking those first steps into a fresh new world of fantasy, adventure and magic.

And as that first day became the first week, and the first week became the first month, and the first month became the first year...I realized that at long last, I had finally found what I had sought in the years prior: A place I truly belonged. I have so many fond memories of Eorzea- of my adventures within, the friends gained (and those lost; dear Haurchefant, I try to smile every day, my friend), the enemies overcome, the hurdles mounted and the challenges surpassed.

It has been six long years, and while not all the memories may be good, there are far more good than bad. I felt myself stepping into the shoes of my Warrior of Light, becoming them and allowing myself to be transported into their world. The laughter that they shared, they shared with me. Their joys and sorrows, their anger and dispair, their triumphs and defeats- all of these, my Warrior and I came to bear together.

We faced the might of the Garlean Empire together. Brought low an Ascian. Ended a thousand-year war. Liberated war-ravaged lands. Felled a mighty beast of fire and a mistress of ice. Passed a test of judgement. Defied fate and made our own path. We fell into the pits of deepest despair, and clawed our way out tooth and nail and denied the attempts to stop us and bring us low.

Together, we have surmounted the insurmountable. Made possible the impossible. The unbelievable become believable. My friend, since those first uncertain steps into this fantastic new world, we have never wavered, never faltered. And through each of those six years, we have held fast to the original sense of wonder we felt when we first set foot into this realm.

You ask me to recount my most cherished, my fondest memory? Well. That memory is you, Warrior. We have laughed, cried, shed blood, felt every sort of pain and heartache, joy and happiness and experienced them as one. You are the Warrior of Light. And I? I am, as I always have been and shall always be, your guiding hand...

(Scarf of Wondrous Wit. Thank you for reading.)

[Epona]

It was nights such as these, calm and stagnant, where I would find myself lost amidst the skies, like diamonds, pockets of light upon an endless ocean. War torn, and weary, I looked upon my scarred hands until I felt my eyes sting and I thought--surely this was what I had been searching for all this time?

The years had left me bedraggled and tired. Waking before the sun to stare upon mine own reflection and gaze at the shadow housed within. From a vantage point high above the distant snowcaps of Coerthas, names and faces flew through my mind like glimmering motes of light, like the stars themselves, fading with the coming of the sun.

Beside me, I hear commotion. My beloved emerges from their tent, scrubbing sleep from their eyes and wearing an expression that begets their familiarity with my morning habits.

“The sunrise is beautiful.” They say,

I am only a man. Weak in constitution, gorged on power beyond what I could comprehend. Destiny was a far reaching current which had pulled me upon all directions for so many years, but it was the gratitude that kept me going. The knowledge that those I had never met, and never would meet, were somehow saved by my actions. Insurmountable responsibility.

There were many things I kept close to my heart. Faces that lingered. Voices I could swear I heard when the evenings got too dark and quiet to bear. Many, I know not where they are. But one I do.

We reach the cliff overlooking Coerthas by mid-morning, and pause to gaze upon the spires of Ishgard as they challenge the heavens with precision. The age of Dragonsong had long since ended, but it was only now the people were beginning to heal. I could see signs of construction bringing broken stone and glass to life once more, and my heart leaps.

At the apex of a jutting cliff sat the snow laden stone which kept my breaths at a reverent murmur.

His shield, worn with rust sat as it always had.

I smile. Take my seat beside the stone. My beloved comes to rest beside me, and we break bread beneath a cloudless sky.


[I choose the scarf of wonderous wit if chosen. Thank you for reading!]

[Tannlore]

From the journal of Tannlore Belegeria:

Smoke, ash, blood… these scents linger still in my nose all these years when my mind wanders back to that day. The heavy, oppressive aether of the elder primal clung to every fiber of my being, down to my soul. My eyes, filled with the rancor and seething hatred given form in the shape of an impending terra flare, could scarlessly believe what they were seeing. I and my companions had lost all hope, was it all for naught? But then it all vanished, in a blinding flash of light and aether unlike that of Bahamut; this aether was filled with hope. I was moving, being sent somewhere, but where? One by one my companions vanished before my eyes, until it was my turn. I turned my gaze behind me in time to see the world vanish, instead replaced by stillness, beauty, calm and peace.



I was in the twelveswood once more. But, how did I get here? Where exactly was I? I had explored these woods to the very dark depths and never had I seen a place like this. It was like waking from a nightmare, and I was happy for it. Somehow, I knew I was sent forward in time, beyond the reach of that calamity. My heart soared for joy that Eorzea had somehow survived that looming doom of flame and destruction, though mine eyes could see the scars in the land left in its wake. But was I alone? I could think of one friend to call.

I let out a whistle, a clarion call to my companion, my chocobo, “Hurricane”. We had been through much over the years. Was he still alive? Was he still looking for me? As silence greeted mine ears, my heart began to sink. Was I so naive to believe that he would survive such an event? But, then a reply, a clear “Wark” from the woods. I know that call, I’ve known it since he and I took to our journey together. Had he been waiting for me all this time?

With a sudden burst of movement, a yellow blur lept towards me. However, I did not panic. I knew this blur, I knew this bird, and before he could scarcely come to a halt, mine arms were wrapped around him. After seeing such anguish and devastation, to find happiness in this simple moment, to be reunited with my old friend, was beyond my ability to put into words until many years later in these pages. The years had been good to him. Someone had donned him in armor I did not recognize and marked him with a strange glyph upon his beak; one I would later discover upon mine own back as well.

My friend still journeys with me. Though I have been gifted many a steed of various kinds, from mechanical to magical, my companion still fights at my side. Together we journey on, as we always have, as we always will making memories to last a lifetime and beyond. Should you come across these pages, think of my companion. Spend a moment to remember and consider his contributions to mine battles. Battles, that saved the lives of countless people here and on another star. Remember the joy this simple chocobo brought to the heart of the Warrior of Light.



[Thanks for the read! My choice is the Gaelicap!]

[Cerat]

“There are many things you learn after spending years adventuring” I looked on at the faces of the children surrounding the campfire in front of me. Khloe Aliapoh, a young Miqo’te that is fascinated with the stories I have from my adventures, had asked Zhloe if she could get me to hold a story night for all the children at the Menphina’s Arms Orphanage. Having caught a break on my journeys I heartily agreed. “The first and most important lesson is to always believe in your companions.”

“The children here around the fire? They’re your family, are they not?” I smiled. “You laugh with them, you cry with them, you play games together and you eat together. When you become an adventurer, you do the same with those you meet in the wilds and in the Adventurer’s Guilds. While we often face GIANT monsters and even the gods of beast tribes together, there’s nothing more relaxing than spending time with your comrades, your family, like we’re doing right now.” My owlet, Hoot, let out a pleased hoo as she nudged up against me. She always seemed to understand the meaning of my words and that they included her as well.

“When I first met one of my dearest of friends, I was but a fledgling conjuror wandering through the city-state of Gridania. I had traveled alone until that point, learning both the bow and the conjuring arts.” I recalled. “She was trying to recruit adventurers to her Free Company, and while normally I ignored most such criers, something compelled me to listen.”

“What’s a free company like?” The pink haired Miqo’te girl name T’kebbe questioned.

“Well…” I pondered for a moment and looked at the children. “Why… it’s much akin to the orphanage here. While you younglings may not have chosen to be here, you’ve put together a bunch of scrappy young people and made a family. I didn’t know what it was like either when I first approached her about her Free Company either, but that was the start of some of the best times in all my life.”

I took time to share with them some of the countless stories of my times with my friends within the Free Company and without, of the fun times, the dangers we faced together, and the different places we traveled. Though it wasn’t as exciting as telling Khloe about all the battles I had fought in the journals she keeps supplying me with, the kids seemed interested all the same. I punctuated important parts with wild gesturing, and some fireworks I had saved up from the Moonfire Faire.

“The best part of the adventure…” I concluded my stories. “…is that while you may part ways with friends for a time, like me and those that I met in my first Free Company, you’re always connected through the bonds that made you family in the first place. So, make stories now, even just here in Idyllshire, and with those stories make memories and bonds that will last a lifetime. That is the true spirit of being an adventurer and why I still enjoy every moment of it.”

(Scarf of Wonderous Wit, thanks for reading!)

[Elira]

How do I choose a single memory from an ocean of countless joy? It's difficult. Eorzea is home to a precious part of my life. It has led me to meet people I hold dear; it has taught me lessons, the greatest being of myself; and it is a source of immeasurable joy.

Nonetheless, there is one, perhaps mundane, that I eternally reminisce with smiles.

I can't place less vital details - such as color scheme, or the music that played. Were the flowers shades of red and pinks, or were blues and purples chosen? I don't know. What I won't forget was the excitement before the moment, hands joined with nervousness - and contrariwise. It's easy to confuse the two.

I wondered then, if this is how I would feel for my real wedding.

We invited friends, and nearly all attended. Another detail I can recount - everyone present. There's a gentle joy that lingers from being surrounded by dear people, as you partake in a euphoric memory shared with your love.

The preparations before the ceremony, together in the room, are a blur. We had ourselves a few moments to settle our nerves before we rang the bell.

My gown was midnight-blue; matching blue roses adorned my head with the veil swirling to my ankles. I'd chosen only one ring as an article of jewelry - a ring he had crafted for me. In my arms, a matching bouquet of roses.

As for him, he donned a suit of red and black, and...Pince-nez glasses.

I still makes me giggle.

The walk to meet our officiant was steady. I avoided glancing closely at those watching, too shy. However, my heart swelled happily.

If you asked me to repeat the words spoken, I honestly couldn't in specifics. I simply remember how the vows and the exchange of rings made me feel. Unmatched joy and endless love for the person I was marrying. Those feelings remain within my heart even now.

We kissed, to seal the marriage. I imagined what the kiss must have felt like. Eyes closing, distance shortening until touch, and then - soft, warm love promised between lips.

Thus did the rose marry the iris.

Only in time would I experience it outside of imagination. A couple years since that day, and I didn't know it then, but my in-game marriage was only the beginning. We stayed together. Our love strengthened as our bond grew. Until, recently, we tied the knot in real life.

I felt an echo in the moment of our kiss of promised love, one that took me back to that day of game marriage, and I knew - the marriage within Eorzea was a pathway to forever with my love.

I have never loved a person - never imagined I could - as much as I love my husband.

Final Fantasy XIV brought me to meet my husband, soul mate, and best friend. Thank you, Square Enix. Thank you for creating the world of Eorzea and everyone within. I met my true love because of you.

And so does our real life adventure go on, forever intertwined with the adventures of Eorzea.

(If selected, I would like to have the Gaelicap)

[Zeta-Uma]

“So, if I remember correctly, the final aethercurrent should be in a broken building near here,” Sarangerel said as he looked out on the frozen pre-dawn horizon of what was once thriving farmland, before the Calamity, “and then I can take you to the Sea of Clouds”.

Niamh was, as a duskwight, used to be the tallest person in the room. But the dark purple xaela towered over her. She leaned against an ice-encrusted hay bale. Standing next to her in his armor, Saran effectively acted as a wind block.

“Thank you for leading me here, Saran,” she said. Her breath came out in white puffs as she spoke.

“It’s not a problem- I love helping,” he sounded so sincere, but she couldn’t help but wonder.

He was the first person she’d ever met in Eorzea, back when she’d first wobbled off the airship, lost and disoriented among the twisting docks of Limsa Lominsa. Everything had been confusing. She’d even wondered if she was even cut out for this, this supposed hero’s work. And then he had been there to adjust his glasses and calmly explain how to get where she needed. And when she first had to dive into dungeons, when she faced off with primals, and when she had her final showdown against the Ultima Weapon, he’d been there to support her.

“Do you ever get tired of helping me?” she asked.

Saran adjusted the sword on his back. “What brings that question on?”

“Ever since we met, you’ve been helping. Not just me- everyone you come across. Does it ever get tiring?”

Saran closed his eyes.

“There’s a part of me that’s sick of it. Often times I’ll break my back for someone without a thanks, and then turn around and have to do it again. So many people need help all the time, and they rarely acknowledge those who give it.”

There were shadows under his eyes she’d never noticed. A lump formed in her throat.

“Plus, sometimes when I’m running around doing things for others, I can’t do the things I want to do, or the same people refuse to help me. Yeah, it gets exhausting. But-” Saran paused for a moment as he jumped up onto the icy straw- “there’s good in it too. Back when I was doing the things you were doing-”

“Finding aethercurrents and playing whack-a-mole with Primals,” Niamh offered.

“Yes, exactly. Back then, I was really rushing through it. It’s a blur I barely remember anymore. Helping you means I get to see it all with fresh eyes.”

Niamh nodded. “I think I understand”.

“There is one other benefit to helping people,” Saran added, “I get to see them happy”.

“I want to see you happy, too. So one day I’ll catch up to you. I promise,” she swore. One day I can support you, too. Saran grinned from above.

“Until then, hurry up; I want to get to the Sea of Clouds before sunrise. You can’t imagine how beautiful it is.”

Niamh got up and, together, the two friends ran off to meet the sun.

To my best friend who’s helped me through this game, thank you.

(Noble Barding)

[Bruva]

It was strange seeing it happen from the other side.
It has happened to me more times than I’d like to remember. At first, there is a sense of vague dizziness, quickly followed by a spiking headache. After that, the feeling leaves the realm of easily described sensation. There is a sense of the self falling inward, deeper into one’s own soul, and yet at the same time there is a stretching sensation. It is as though one feels as if they are falling backwards, yet stretching their arm out across impossible distances.
I saw those same sensations beginning to play over the face of the girl before me.
The vision of the Echo was a man clad in golden armor. Gaius van Baelsar. He stood, proud and prepared for battle. He had been a vicious opponent, preferring overwhelming might over diplomacy.
Gaius vanished, and there was an image of my greatest betrayal. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that night. Such a cavalcade of horrendous memories. Nanamo choking on poisoned wine, her eyes bulging as she struggled for breath all while I sat there, helpless to save her. Ilberd, a man I thought was my friend, laughing over me as he and his comrades prepared to slaughter my friends. I’ll never forget any of it.
I saw myself, kneeling in a place I found all too familiar. It was a humble gravestone with a shield propped up against it. It was where someone very dear to me now rests. I visit there quite often, talking to a friend long gone, telling him about a life that he isn’t here to see anymore.
I pull at an impossible weight. My friend who has been overwhelmed by dark forces kneels as Alphinaud and I try to free him. We pull with all our might, but the eyes that have bonded to his armor and deeper into his very flesh do not shift. It is only when I feel the hands of two friends long gone that a flash of strength comes to us both and we pull the eyes free.
A crowd kneels before a noble man. A ruler long thought lost has returned, chasing away those who seek to oppress. It is a pivotal moment for the world, the first gust in a storm of blood.
It’s him. My Friend. The one who was able to see through this facade and glimpse into the turmoil that seeths beneath me. He smiles. The expression looks alien on his face, like it’s the first time he’s made it. I stand before him, quietly acknowledging him. I kill him after this moment. At least, I hope he’s dead. I can’t imagine what might happen if he lives.
The images cease. The girl stumbles back, the intensity of the vision too much to bear for a moment. She gazes at me with bleary eyes, trying to make sense of what she has seen.
“You… y-you… All that power… all that pain… It’s too much… Too much for anyone!” Fordola said.
“The things they’ve done to you. The lies, the betrayal, the endless fighting… yet here you stand, unbroken. How…? Why…?”
I smile a wan smile, because it better suits a hero, and answer.
“For those I have lost. For those I can yet save.”
I’d like the Noble Barding for my Chocobo

[Ryzoe]

I don't know who you are, but allow me but a moment for a tale...

When she stepped into the light, she did not see herself worthy of Hydaelyns call. A cold and distant roe running from one world to another, cutting herself free from the bonds of past, she started anew. Searching, as we all do, for something to fill the void within. What answered was a life she never thought she could lead. A life of unending courage and bravery, of thoughtless sacrifice and heroism. No time to second guess herself, no time to question her destiny, she threw herself into the path of danger time and time again. Always to save the world; always to save even just one.

She can't remember when it happened, just that it happened. Was it heat of battle or the countless adventures? She'd found something to protect, someone to love. An ostentatious Miqo'te with purple hair and a thirst for adventure. Someone who understood her pain, her passion, who comforted open wounds when the world seemed to turn against her. Together they've grown, fought, stood against tyranny, clashed with dimension altering super weapons, and crossed worlds. They've fallen in love, vowed to fight and die for each other, to protect each other.

She-I have found what I was so desperately looking for in the last place I thought I'd find it.

Whomever you are, I hope this finds you well and know that you too may overcome great obstacles in your own adventure.

Sincerely, A Happy FemRoe

(Thank you for taking the time to read my note ^_^)