Had some fun linking NieR raids with FFXIV

[Osteichthyes]

I will preface this by saying that I am not familar with NieR's lore outside of very, very, very, basic things, so this probably won't be compatible and is almost certainly full of errors, but I'm trying to tie the NieR raids in FFXIV a little bit better, while trying to stay faithful to the themes presented in both games. This is only meant for fun and maybe a record to see how close I got (if at all).

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On a separate shard before the Second Astral Era, a technologically advanced society existed. However, they came under threat when the dragons appeared from the Interdimensional Rift who had been forced to flee from their own shard by Ascian hands. They came into conflict and a long war ensued. Causalities mounted on both sides and soon the very existence of the inhabitants came under threat. Using their technology and the study into travelling the Interdimensional Rift that the dragons employed they developed their final hope, their Dues ex Machina, and called it "Omega".

Tasked with a singular purpose and the ability to adapt to it's enemy rapidly, it turned the tide and the dragons were once again forced to leave a shard to find a new home. The shard, now ravaged by war, couldn't sustain the populous, and thus it was that the consciousness of all remaining life was uploaded to "The Network", and stored within the "Ego Collective", preserving the memories and personalities until such a time as they could find new host bodies.

A gateway was also developed to allow for the custodians of the Ego Collective to be able to explore any new shards. It took the shape of a white sphere and was sent out in the hopes that their civilization could be preserved. Machines had been created with various purposes, whether it was build, protect, scout, or destroy threats, though consciousness anomalies developed within the machines, and they began to take on personalities.

These personalities came into conflict due to incompatibility between their new found thoughts and their programmed directive, resulting in another war. One that would ultimately doom the society....

[Osteichthyes]

For tens of thousands of years the gateway traversed the Interdimensional Rift before landing on the First. Drained of all it's aether, it tried to absorb what it could, but ultimately couldn't as the Flood of Light made the aether dormant. Thus it remained until the Warrior of Light dispatched the Lightwardens and allowed the flow of aether to resume. Able to draw in aether, it was able to allow a sole entity to exit, 2P.

2P sought to rebuild their world, which would require the implementation of the Copied Factory, a recreation of the largest manufactory on their homeshard. However, an enemy designated at 9S stood against her as he knew that in order for their people to survive, the life of this new world would suffer as a result. Thus he took control of the factory in an attempt to stop 2P. Using little more than upgraded stubbies and Engels (who was little more than sentient construction equipment) he tried to hold her off while Hobbes tested various 2B models, but ultimately fell the to Warrior of Light.

With the factory in their control, 2P had what she sought, but now a new problem had appeared, the Warrior of Light. Capable of defeating 9S and still having the ability to fight on, they presented a threat to the Ego Collective. Thus it was determined that the best way to combat this threat was a pre-emptive strike.

The collective gathered all their viable combat units and proceeded to devastate Komra, but failed to stop the Warrior of Light as 2B had appeared. Understanding that they could not hope to prevail against the Warrior of Light and 2B simultaneously, they retreated into the Puppet's Bunker, a storehouse of various weapons that couldn't be used elsewhere due size, being prototypes, or being essential for functionality within the Bunker.

[Osteichthyes]

The Warrior of Light fought through the Bunker and arrived at a large open arena, where the constructs that the Copied Factory had create were being stored. Constructs that had been meant to house the personalities still stored within the Network. Knowing that these constructs were not for war, but failing to stop the Warrior of Light would be the end of everything, they formed together and bound themselves to a singular will. A desperate attempt, and an attempt that failed.

Thus did the Puppet's Bunker fall, and the situation almost beyond hope. The threats had not been pacified, the constructs were not ready, everything would fail and their entire civilisation would be doomed. The ultimate in desperate plans had to be taken. No small gateway would suffice now. The entire remains of their society would have to be brought through or be lost forever.

The Tower at Paradigm's Breach came into being as the last bastion, their final hope. The doors were sealed shut and locked beyond normal means. This was their civilisations strongest suit, and if they were to find any place to defeat the Warrior of Light could be defeated (or at least stalled) it would be here.

9S begun removing the seals on the doors of the empty tower, allowing for the Warrior of Light to transcend the Ego Collective and delve deep into the Network and defeat the guardians of the locks. Guardians in name only. While the combatants were strong, they weren't machines. These were the personalities of the civilisation, of their people. Working together to tired to hold off the Warrior of Light, but soon fell.

The tower itself was revealed to be almost completely empty. No machines or constructs, no guardians. Everything they had was already spent in the Puppet's Bunker conflict. Going back into the Network, the enemies started being less and less monstrous and became more like people, using names found in stories, their forms resembling their past selves. Everything that had remained was being removed one by one.

Reaching a platform to take them to the peak of the tower the Warrior of Light, 2B, and 2P were ambushed by Xun-Zi and Meng-Zi, though these were not machines of war, but philosophy, and caretakers of the network tasked with ensuring the preservation of those stored with the Network. Thus they too were overcome like so much trash.

[Osteichthyes]

Reaching the peak, the heroes were confronted with a false idol. Incomplete, trapped, weak. It was going to fall, but only had to buy enough time for the gate to be fully completed, for the desperate plan to succeed. In a way it succeeded, and brought forth the greatest creation since Omega, Her Inflorescence. The entire network was emptied into this being. Every single remaining mind from the network, every thought and emotion. Their memories going on to live inside this being knowing that there is no going back. It was either this or be purged. Their civilisation as they knew it was gone forever.

Her Inflorescence was not designed for combat, and could only rely on drawing upon memories to combat its foes. Memories of the train tracks and their passengers, of their city, their songs. The battle was hard pressed, but in the end, the being fell. Every soul that had been uploaded to the network, to preserve their civilisation had been destroyed. All that remained was the gate to their own world...

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I always wondered where Omega came from, and wanted to find a way to have such an advanced machine that could take on a human appearance have more meaning. With the NieR raids, Omega now has a reason for existence, the battle between Midgardsormr is explained, and the very little I know about Drakengard and NieR fitting in....better. The tone also suits NieR, a true Dark Apocalypse, and it shares similarities with the Ascians. A fallen civilisation and a desperate, an all consuming need to restore that which was lost.

Once again, this is by no means what the lore should be or even if it is compatible with NieR's lore. Just a bit of fun.