Thread: Revelations from Patch 5.4

Finished the Bozja 5.45 story.

Welp, we have... what? One patch left to resolve the Bozja story in 5.5 or 5.55? How are they going to defend Gangos, retake Bozja South, and capture Castrum Lacus Latorie in just one patch? Nevermind pushing into another zone!

A neat bit of lore: Lilja's dossier gives her a canon backstory and age now: 19 Years old. Given that she uses the standard Viera model, it would seem that Viera mature roughly at the same rate as Hyur, rather than in the delayed fashion of Elezen. As for her backstory itself...

Lilja Sjaris
Race: Viera
Age: 19
Birthplace: Rabanastre, Dalmasca

A new recruit to Garlond Ironworks, Lilja first awakened to her talents as an engineer while receiving an imperial education in her native Rabanastre. Her academic accomplishments won her acceptance to the prestigious Magitek Academy in the imperial capital, but ere she could relocate to commence her studies, resistance forces launched a large-scale offensive that transformed Rabanstre into a battlefield. The young Viera was forced to seek refuge in Doma, where she sustained herself by repairing machina and designing custom contraptions. Word of her uncommon expertise chanced to reach the visiting Jessie, who offered her a place at the Ironworks. Having been an admirer of the organization due to its part in the liberation effort, she accepted without a moment's hesitation.

Despite her cheery and optimistic facade, Lilja was a conflicted soul Like no few Dalmascan orphans, she was taken into imperial care and underwent schooling intended to instill a sense of allegiance to Garlemald. And while most of her peers remained fiercely loyal to their homeland, only giving their tutors lip service, Lilja could not muster up the selfsame passion. For though she could not approve of Garlean rule, it seemed to her that the alternative, a Dalmascan monarchy, would not improve the lot of the common man.

Further blurring the lines of her loyalty was the respect she came to hold for the occupying IVth Imperial Legion, which did not forcibly conscript civilians to its ranks. During a public address, its commander, Legatus van Gabranth, proclaimed that it falls to each man to use his talents to forge his own way in life. Lilja was among those present when these words were uttered, and they spoke to her more than any nation's standard ever could. Nevertheless, she could ill turn a blind eye to the man wrongs the Garleans committed against those they subjugated.

All of this served to make of Lilja a woman who opposed the Empire, yet not strongly enough to take up arms against it, the seeming contradiction giving rise to a storm of self-doubt. In joining the Ironworks, however, she was able to quell her inner turmoil by focusing on a new objective: to simply be herself, a free spirit unburdened by whatever chaos may unfold around her. Witness the likes of Cid and Jessie devoting themselves to their work, she recalled the words of van Gabranth—and duly set about using such knowledge and skill as she possessed to the best of her ability.

"Hm, perhaps I'm overthinking it...but what if we were to—"
"Ahem. You're definitely overthinking it, Lilja. Let's actually make the thing, shall we?"
"Yes, I suppose you're right, Jessie... Ah! There was one other idea I had..."
"<groan> Liljaaa..."

I was already pretty fond of her from her first appearance, but I think I may love this girl, lol.

EDIT: And onto the new Bozja content itself!

Mikoto's flash forward here gave me a bad feeling, seeing as how it cut short so quickly. Naturally, it turned out to be a trap. What I wasn't expecting to find out was that Misija—having borrowed Mikoto's Echo via Resonance—had the same power as her. I wonder, then who the donors for Fordola and Zenos were. I mean, aside from Fordola obviously having Krile as one of her donors, we don't know where exactly Fordola got her flash backs and Zenos got his... um... immortality, I guess?

And as I thought from the beginning, we had to kill the Blades. But once more, the way they go out is rather surprising. The dossier for the first set, the Trinity Seeker, tells the story of Blaz and Velibor more or less adopting Aggie as their younger sister before the Bozja Rebellion came underway. I've not gotten the second Trinity dossier, but I imagine it links the remaining three together as well.

The Queen being "not quite a primal" or something like that was kind of strange, and Save the Queen being akin to Auracite was an interesting thing to learn. Misija surviving and being detained to stand trial later was unexpected, but I suppose I've always been partial to the idea that dying is a poor form of atonement. Having to live with her crimes and potentially make amends for them also leaves open the possibility of further story content involving her.

Oh, and we've probably lost the Bozjan Southern Front. Whoopsie! I wonder if we're going to have to raid that gigantic airship for the finale in 5.5.

Oh, and... I do hope we prove Mikoto wrong about her flash forwards being set in stone. 'cause I really don't want her to die.

EDIT 02: Oh, and Bwagi's dossier mentions that as a fusilier, he fights with both a sword and a gun. I can't help but wonder if that might be a possibility for a 6.0 Job. It would probably be another ranged DPS if that were the case, right? Bringing us up to 4 Tanks, 3 Healer, 4 Melee DPS, 4 Ranged DPS, and 4 Casters (yes, BLU counts).

EDIT 03: More dossier goodness. From Mikoto's:

Mikoto's sister is named Kagura, and she's an ex-Archon, apparently. She was stripped of her title for openly criticizing the Forum's policies and abandoned Sharlayan in disgust. Moenbryda, in turn, became Mikoto's mentor precisely to look after her after Kagura abandoned Sharlayan. It was also Moenbryda's death that spurred her on to work in the field, apparently.

I get the feeling we're going to be meeting Kagura, either in 5.5's Bozja content, or in 6.0. And I also get the feeling that the writers really regret killing off Moenbryda as hastily as they did.

Originally Posted by Hank_Hotspur

I hope we get Balthier and Fran's hoverbike as a mount at some point.

I hope the leading man himself makes an appearance.

Originally Posted by Iscah

The whole thing just sounds horrendously demotivating, and - I haven't done the new patch stuff yet, but it's not a story that's left me fretting for the characters in the meanwhile or anything. I'll still try it out and see how bad it is, and hopefully get some glamour from it, but... ugh.

It's not as bad as they make it seem at least in terms of mettle. You only need mettle that high for doing Savage. Once you've unlocked Delebrum Reginae, your mettle no longer seems to matter at all if you're already at rank 15 and don't plan on doing Savage. I'd personally still keep it high though, just in case.

Originally Posted by KageTokage

I'm still not understanding why Mikoto's foresight even needed to exist as it thus far hasn't actually contributed to much of anything (Both finding Cid and where Misja was going could've been realistically determined through normal means), and it's pretty damned obvious at this point that she's going to be fine in spite of the last vision she had. The whole reason they tend to include such abilities in fiction is specifically so you can change the future, so the concept of an absolute future just seems silly.

If it makes you feel better, the Field Records themselves even note that Mikoto herself finds the ability useless. Quoting it:

"Like the Warrior of Light, Mikoto is blessed with the Echo, her manifestation of the power allowing her to see into the future. While resembling prophetic dreams and divinations, the visions that are revealed are events that cannot be changed, and given that she cannot see them at will, nor clearly, Mikoto does not regard the ability as particularly useful."