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

[NeriaAshdale]

The blizzard accompanying my return to Ishgard was no more welcoming than the one which cast me out. It’d been a year since I’d fled, abandoning everything I knew in search of a fresh adventure in Gridania. So far had I departed from the prim dinner parties, the services in Saint Reymanaund’s Cathedral, the slight cling of high Ishgardian collars against my throat that I no longer felt as though I was returning somewhere familiar. I was different, now. Cast out yet again, but stronger for it.

Ishgardian spires rose into a hazy gray sky, prickly as its denizens. I shuddered with cold as I passed through the gates. Haurchefant bade me welcome here under the care of his father, Count Edmont De Fortempts, and my Elezen appearance no doubt allowed me to seamlessly blend in. But that I was known here did not escape me. Some would have questions. And if asked, I would answer.

The Dragonsong War had cost Foundation so much. Dilapidated buildings at the city’s entrance crumbled. Smoke rose from the Brume in thick dark plumes. The separation of excessive wealth and dire poverty echoed stronger than ever in the eyes of the orphans who glared with our passing, dirty with soot and exhaustion.

Once welcomed by the Count my companions seated themselves to take tea by the fire and warm their bodies after the long journey from Camp Dragonhead. A lifetime in the cold afforded me less recovery time. Following yet another round of thanks I departed to investigate the city once more, Haurchefant’s inquiring eyes following me though he said nothing.

I headed up the long set of stairs leading up to the cathedral as I’d done so many times in the past, the bell tower and stained glass windows becoming more apparent the closer I drew. A beacon in the frigid snows, a symbol of Halone’s power and authority. As if anticipating my arrival, the bell struck, ringing out through the streets. Once, twice, eight times before silence descended once more.

Despite everything, for but a moment, I was a child again. Garbed in a holy rainbow dress, clutching my mother’s hand as my father laughed with Count Durendaire and reflected on the day’s sermon. Eager to play, to descend into the snow, to fire a bow or wield a lance like the enormous statues towering over the city below.

I breathed in the frozen air and let the snow melt against my cheeks.

Home. I was home.

[Bluebird Earrings please! Thanks for reading!]

[KeeKeema]

Choosing just one is the hardest part. So vast are the memories of times we stood together; memories of the monsters we’ve slain, the gods we’ve laid low, and the riches we reaped from the earth and sea. Through it all we stood side by side. We shared each marvel with virgin eyes and giddily chattered at all the Source and the First offered.

Truly our story has spanned many years. We saw an empire repelled and its weapon disarmed. We heard a song of war and antiquity finally silenced. We tasted the victory of liberation and the blood of our enemies. We felt the chilled darkness break through the oppressive searing light. Now here we stand married in this world and also in our own. A perfect confluence of time and passion.

When my brother spoke of introducing us we were too excited to wait for our first date. You transferred to my server and we met outside of Mih Khetto’s Ampitheatre amongst the soft lights and distant warm voices. We lay together and talked for hours not knowing that what started as a date would become an eternity of love.

From that first explosive second we set out the see the world. All the while becoming more entwined as we built memories in Eorzea. When we met in our world I couldn’t believe you existed. Someone kind and loving who could share two lives with me. From spending hours to topple Titan with my PlayStation 3 lag to the sweet victory of bringing down Voidwamer just last week; II have fallen deeper and deeper in love with you.

Like crystals in the void my memories are vast. Each glows with the promise of so many more to come. I hear our groans at getting Sastasha during our leveling roulette. I see us, two eager men ready to marvel at beautiful holidays and celebrations. I taste the sweetness of finally nailing that perfect glamour we have been working on for hours. I feel the warmth and adoration we share watching one another grow. These memories are treasures and like a Primal I hoard them. They make me stronger and more confident each and every day. They give me a reason to keep living and fighting through my worldly illness. They push me to do better, achieve more, and cherish every second of my life.

I couldn’t have done this without you. My warrior, my protector, my magician, and my support. I will love you until Eorzea crumbles, until new worlds are born, and I can’t wait for our feet to touch those new grounds together. For, what started outside of a small amphitheater beneath the boughs of Gridania, has grown with roots deeper than even the elementals can reach.

I would love the Gaelicap so my husband can make fun of me.

[Jaywalker]

There is a jungle named Rak'tika. While adventuring there a friend hurled herself into the Lifestream to escape certain death.

One companion of mine is a man calling himself Emet-Selch. For the purpose of this tale suffice to say he is of doubtful morals and glib tongue.

In our time of need, it happened that Emet-Selch possessed the means to perform a rescue and offered this course. What role I played involved carrying a lantern through the area in search of a workspace. Brighter suggested promise while the reverse would prove less useful.

“Once you've found a likely spot, all you need do is whistle,” Emet-Selch informed me. There must have been something telling in my expression, because it was at this point he stopped. Met my eye. “You do know how to whistle, don't you, hero? Just put your lips together and blow.



How else could I respond? I told him of course, took the lantern, and sped toward the trees.

Whistling. Wonderful.

I searched for perhaps longer than necessary. Every turn I made brought the light dim, and every one following that extinguished it. I stumbled over tree roots and fought the native fauna until, mercifully, the thing shone.

Just put your lips together and blow.

Easy.

A child could manage.



…and yet, through my own childhood, it seems I neglected this crucial lesson.

No matter how I strove or how ridiculous my expressions became, I simply couldn’t do it.

So I tried alternatives.

“Emet-Selch,” I said, respectably enough at first. This graduated to shouting “EMET-SELCH” into the forest at the top of my lungs, then to declarations of “I DID IT, THIS IS THE PLACE” and “PLEASE COME BACK” and “TWEET TWEET LOOK THIS IS ME WHISTLING”.

That man has not a bone of compassion in him.

“GODS DAMN IT.”

I practiced on mounts, which drew as little interest from them as my target. I paced the space. I knew, in those moments, deepest despair.



“You’re a few steps short!”

I looked up.

Sure enough, in those impractically heavy robes Emet-Selch was perched in a tree watching my performance. He gestured ahead some paces with the flick of his wrist.

Perhaps there is an accomplishment in making him grin like that. What time I spent staring in response, slack-jawed, was probably something to behold.

I trudged to the place. Gestured helplessly.

He gave a demonstration, natural as breathing.

One last attempt. To call what emerged a whistle is generous, but Emet-Selch began making his descent regardless.

Smug.

Let it be known the Warrior of Light cannot whistle without aid.

[Scarf of Wondrous Wit]

[pochaocco]

Crestfallen adventurer,

What happened to you? Where are your companions? There was a time when you laughed heartily together. A time when you fought valiantly together. But those moments faded just as quickly as they came. And now... now, you are alone with only questions to keep you company - questions that plague your mind and haunt your dreams. Did your companions abandon you, or was it you who forsook them? Do you know who your friends are? Do you even know who you are? The only answers that come serve only to drive you deeper into despondency. You are lost. You are broken. You are no one, nothing.

But, you are wrong.

You may despair in lonely solitude, but you are not alone. You may not see any path to take, but you are not blind. Look skyward and behold a singular star that has always shone brightly in this endless night to guide you back onto your feet. Stand tall, my friend, and embrace her light - a warm, gentle light that will dispel the doldrums and renew your spirits once again. And look ahead to the many extraordinary and blessed experiences you will share together as you endure and carry on alongside your most supportive and invaluable partner, your night star.

(Noble Barding)

[CrimsonKatana]

Many years I have wandered this Star… and many more I will wander still. I have not stopped searching. But what is it that I am searching for? This longing inside me… as if my very soul yearns. Every connection I have made on this endless journey feels like a small piece of a nigh-infinite puzzle – a conundrum beyond mortal understanding. What is the goal? To simply keep moving? Am I to wander aimlessly until my very bones split and my mind falls to ruin?

Every trial overcome replaced by another. Every goal achieved rendered fruitless. Why? Is there something of this life that I am missing? Is all truly as meaningless as what I perceive? And yet I still retain that feeling that there is something much more – something I cannot fully grasp.

As I slowly climb these steps, I begin to ponder the words of my adversary. I begin to recall the stories spoken by the shades that walk these streets. My heart glows with warmth as I contemplate these things.

“Hear… Think… Feel…”

As I reach the final step my mind drifts back to a certain poem. A poem that I wrote long ago in a moment of rare inspiration while gazing out at the Eorzean sunset.


Solemnly watching,
As the Stars doth slowly fall.
Where art thou going?
Whilst thou answer mine call?

Carry this Melody,
Observe this Calamity.
Ere guide with thy Heart,
To perceive what is all.

If all has meaning,
Then nothing is something.
Yet if none has meaning,
Then something is nothing.
Twin absolutes,
An entropic mix,
Pure attributes,
Of a World chained betwixt.

Silently drifting,
As the Moon doth slowly fall.
Where art thou fleeing?
Whilst thou ignore mine call?
Bury this Melody,

Beyond this Calamity.
Ere trust in thy part,
To restore what is all.


Like a beacon in the dark. Like an anchor for my will. Yes, this is where I need to be. All my wanderings have led to this very moment.

I reach for the great door before me with my newfound conviction. I may not fully understand the reasons behind my struggles as I live this life, but I know that if I just keep moving all will be made certain in time. As I step into the large room beyond the threshold, I see him standing there. This is the decisive moment.

Another piece of the puzzle.





(Author's Note: This story expresses my overall experience and internalization of the world of FFXIV that I have traversed through all these years. This is my attempt to convey these metaphysical feelings that have culminated within me. Thank you for taking the time to read my words.)

Should I win I would like the Bluebird Earring.

[Yunyunn]

Dearest Yaya,

It has been a while since I've sent you a letter, and for that I must apologize. How have you been? Are you doing well? Off on your own adventures? Sometimes when I close my eyes, I can still see your smiling face the night I left home. Mother was so upset that I had gone to take up the fight for Gridania. I will most likely have to apologize again the next time I come to visit and bring her some flowers. I've been meaning to come home sooner to see you both, but I have been busy.

They call me the hero of wishes. The daughter of Eorzea. The warrior of light.

They say I am like a star that shines through the twisted hulks of magitek, of blood, of pain on the fields of war. I slay demons, monsters, and armies with nothing but my friends below my wings spurring me further. Culler of the corrupt. Slayer of kings. An Eikon on the battlefield.

But that is not me. I am not the hero of wishes nor the warrior of light. I may be able to best the demons born of hate; but I can never seem quell my own.

I am your sister, Yun. I am small. Quiet. Lonely. And honestly? I am afraid. Not just for myself, but for everyone that believes me a wish granting hero.

The faces of friends surround me. Faces of sons. Daughters. Husbands. Wives. And more often than I'd like, children. Their faces smiling at me before battle, asking me to play a song to calm their nerves. And everytime they ask, I would always smile and carefully take out my flute to play our song. It comforts them as much as it comforts me, clearing out any distractions, and hopefully? It'll help keep them alive.

As horns blare and the chants begin, the rhythm of footsteps bring a new melody onto the field. It always beats louder than any note I can play, as everyone rushes into battle. They're charging at an enemy they know nothing of. They do not think of death or of losing, simply because they can see my back leading the way. Those faces. Faces of people that fully believe they will be ok because I am there. Because I can protect them. Because I am the hero of wishes.

But I cannot. While some survive many still fall. Their eyes will never open to see my face again, but I will always see theirs when I close mine.

Today we were lucky, losing so few. We took the capital with nothing short of luck and blood, freeing more people from a dim fate, though at no small price. I paced down the cooridors of the palace where the wounded were being treated, and took to the gardens on the roof. A spot where everyone could hear me. The winds broke against my cheeks, carrying the wails of those not so lucky during the siege. I close my eyes so I can see you once more, a face that will never smile at mine own. And I play our song until the cries fall silent once more.






I am no warrior of light, nor granter of wishes.

for if I was, you and mother would still be here with me.

Yun




(Bluebird earrings, please.)

[Senriko]

Here I stand, a Dark Knight at heart. To my side, a White Mage. To the other side, a Summoner. Though, it wasn't always this way.

I was once a Lancer, our White Mage, an Archer, and our Summoner, an Arcanist. We hoped and prayed that we could adventure together, foolish hope in our hearts, but alas, three damage dealers could not dungeon together.

Once we gained our soulstones, our now Summoner was excited to announce that he could fulfill the role of healer as our Scholar. The three of us were elated, finally we could adventure together!...If only it were that simple. This brief change of role lead to the deaths of many tanks, followed by a torrent of complaints. We were frustrated.

Our then Bard turned to me and said "Were it to be me, I could heal with a smile!" I asked him, "Well, why don't you?" I told him with confidence, "You keep us alive, and I'll keep you safe. How does that sound?" He turned to me and said, "Frankly, it sounds like an awful idea. Let's do it". From that day forward, he was a Conjurer, then a White Mage. He would learn to keep us alive and healthy as we battled on through trial after trial after trial. Though it always felt as though I hadn't kept up my end of the deal to the extent that I could have.

Fast Forward to Ishgard, where I picked up my Dark Knight soulstone. It was new to me, being in front, engaging the enemy for enmity, but I grew to love it. I could now protect my friends, who had promised to protect me. Together, we were a trinity, one who protects, one who heals, and one who strikes.

That is where we stand today. I do still have my lance, and he still has his bow. Occasionally we'll pick it up, but at heart, we're a Dark Knight and a White Mage, through and through.

While this wasn't particularly flashy or romanticized, I feel it was a fond memory. It was a step that brought us closer together as a trinity, and it's a mess I'll never forget.

Oh, the Summoner's still there, he went through some job changes himself, but those were mostly on a whim and not particularly noteworthy. He stood as a damage dealer from start to finish, but that's just how he is.

(If selected, I would like the Gaelicap)

[SynCelestial]

Throughout the years, the time I've invested within Eorzea has developed memories that I've cherished to my core. Recounting my thoughts in search of the fondest brings back all kinds of imagery, from epic endeavors to heartfelt encounters to lackluster pastimes. There would be some truth in saying none of my memories can be held above all others, but the one that I would most regret not to share would be my time with one of the best people I've ever met, something I believe to be a timeless tale.

As the sun sat high in the sky, its rays of light bathed the trees and rooftops of the neighborhood for all sorts of adventurers to bask in and enjoy along the green lush. I had just moved into the Lavender Beds not too long ago, and I was working on decorating a cottage...but not just any cottage; this small home was my very first, and it was all mine.

It would take a few days and trips to other places, one which brought me to Idyllshire, a place still unfamiliar. As I was heading to the summoning bell amidst a busy crowd of different races crafting all around, I noticed a girl up on top of one of the tents...I had no idea how she'd gotten up there! I was still new around those parts, and I knew I must had been missing something. I looked around for a way up, though I was admittedly eager to get back to my new home, so finally I did what would sate my curiosity the fastest. I asked the girl, a miqo'te with a pointy hat and stylish glamour, and just like that she showed me the way! I showed my appreciation to her by giving her a rolanberry, one of my favorite snacks. It was exciting to learn something new I'd overlooked, but I was still oblivious to one thing, which is that the kind miqo'te would grow to be one of my best friends.

A few days had passed and I was working on my cottage...I'd had the kind fortune of my new friend in adorning it in a way that made me smile proudly. She was dressed as trendy as ever, and was so kind to me, beyond just helping me furnish my new cottage. The miqo'te made silly jokes at every chance she got. It didn't take me long to realize how much she loved a bad pun, or what a total history buff she was. By the time the sun had begun to fall, we climbed up onto my new roof to look out over the lake. I was so happy and relaxed while we laughed about the silliest things.

It's been about two years now, and we talk almost every day over our linkshell. We've found out how much we have in common, and more importantly to me, how much we can trust one another. When I look at her search information now, I grin madly at the comment. "I'm your rolanberry". Each time I see it, I think back to those few days when we met. I think about when the two of us were just sitting up on that cottage rooftop, somewhere I could call home, next to a person that relentlessly made me smile.. In all of my time since I've come to Eorzea, that has been and always will be one of my very best memories.

Gaelicap

[alin_laphel]

To whom it may concern,

I write this letter as a record for who I once was and who I am today. I would not be where I am if it were not for you, healer of a forgotten name. The memory is still vivid, a memory where I lack the skill and experience to guide a party. That quest where my shield often falter and our lives often at risk due to my ineptitude. The other adventurers in our team would continuously berate and mock me for my failures. You stood up for me. "We were all new once." You advise me on timing my skills and how to position myself in combat. Slowly, but surely, we made it through alive. AS you turned to leave, I wanted to say thank you but could only whimper an apology. "Don't sweat it. You'll get there. Just don't give up." And with that, you left.

How many years has it been since that moment? In those years, I have improved as a Paladin. Steadfast and brave, my shield holds true. Just as you stood up for me, I now do the same as mentor for adventurers. I wish I could tell you of all the people I have met and all the adventures I have been on. Those days are full of success and failures. Each day shaping into the person I am. Your words igniting my soul that drives me forward each day.

If the receiver of this letter is another adventurer of whom I may or may not know of, I have a few words for you. Whether you are a veteran of war or novice dipping your feet, just remember: You only failed when you have given up. Put your heart into your passion and it will return to you in kind.

If by some miniscule miracle that you are the healer from that quest so long ago, I have a few words for you. I hope you are in good health. We may have encountered each other several times unbeknownst to each other's identity. Or we may never see other again in a world as large as ours. I will always remember you for what you have done. For you, it may have been a small gesture where you stand up for the novice of the team. For you, that day may have been another passing day with strangers. Regardless of who you are and how you feel about it, there are two words I want to tell; two words that I was too timid to say all those years ago.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

A Fellow Adventurer

(Gaelicap)

[Emperith]

-----------------------------------------------
The Binding Coil of Bahamut (PST)

We adventurers, eight so bright
So-called blessed heroes of the light
Gathered together for a quest.
With some banter and some jest
Entered to the unknown depths.

Slowly through did, we progress
A strange little ball, a bow suppressed
Traversing through a maze of crystals
Battling enemies by the fistful
To find an end, we are already wistful.

Alas, the end! Yet, we still expected a battle
There lain a serpent so large, we can barely handle.
Still, with a hack of an ax, the snake did become two
But soon thereafter, Caduceus the snake was slew.
We gathered our wits (and some of the treasure)
Then continued on, for our goal laid further.

Deeper and deeper onward we pressed,
But again and again, there laid a test.
A puzzling monster of blue and red!
We were given some choices on how to end.
Room after room, another enemy to attend
At the exit, one final foe to contend.

ADS so aptly named,
A Deary Sight! we all proclaimed.
Still, with some lasers carefully dodged
and some [blunt] arrows perfectly lodged
Success! With only a couple mechanics bodged.

The next stage offered us no break
A maze that gave us all heartache.
An order of platforms that were made to follow
A bunch of enemies, so hard to swallow.
And in the end, our victory so hollow.

Immediately starting another gauntlet to fight
There was not a single named monster in sight.
Still with some careful position
And some hard-earned attrition
Did we beat the chess (and dreadnaught) into submission.

Finally an end in sight!
The last level of the fight.
A Dragon of mythical proportions
Our wills only suffer some distortions
But a fight, our fight, we duly gave our portion.

The twisters came blindly.
More snakes, ugh, so spindly!
Still, with some of us charred
and the rest of us scarred.
We can only proclaim ‘This fight, why so hard!’

Soon the dragon lay grounded
With the stage, purple flames, surrounded
The final strike pushed through
The great dragon, Twintania, lay slew
With a triumphant cheer, did we bid her, adieu.

With many a pose, all over her nest.
Did we finally deserve some rest
One final picture of our group as a whole.
One final look, one final stroll.
One final cheer, as we reached the goal.

A journey so long ago with friends so close
A lasting bond that none can oppose.
But like all good things must come to an end
Great memories and people, we can still depend
For once and forever, we are truly friends.
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Scarf of Wondrous Wit