7.0 Concept – Sins of Meracydia (Fanmade)

[aveyond-dreams]

***Please note that the following is a proposed fan-made concept and not official Square Enix promotional material for 7.0, and is merely for speculative and entertainment purposes. Spoilers for the events of 6.0 are present to some degree in the following post(s).***

Final Fantasy XIV – Sins of Meracydia



Premise:
In the immediate aftermath of the Final Days that befell Etheirys, all seemed well for a time. Nations recovered and rebuilt, but something remained amiss at the heart of the star. In the Mothercrystal’s absence, having been consumed to save the world from destruction, the elements have slowly spiralled into chaos. Fire, Earth, Water, and Wind now fail and falter-the implications of which would spell disaster for the whole world after having already survived such a terrible ordeal.

To combat this, the Students of Baldesion devise a plan to setup a series of proto-crystals designed by Cid of the Garlond Ironworks in order to re-stabilize the raging elements. Cherbourg, a kingdom on the northern edge of Meracydia has reached out to the students for help, as the elemental imbalance is strongest on the southern continent, threatening to wipe out those not already lost to the land’s endless wars. With both familiar faces and new allies at their side, the adventurer sails into the southern sky to deliver Meracydia from its certain doom.

Full Plot Synopsis:

Gradually, the elements of the world began to wane in strength. Fire’s weakening has gradually made life in the colder regions of the world harsher, the rotting earth has ruined the land’s agriculture and threatens to bring about famine, the stagnant seas have led to the death of countless ocean creatures, and the absence of wind has prevented even the Dragons from taking flight for more than a few brief seconds. Even the great Tiamat cannot bear herself upon the wind to her home in Meracydia, to the place where she and Bahamut ruled in a long-forgotten era of harmony.

In collaboration with the greatest minds of Sharlayan, Garlond Ironworks has devised a plan to correct the elemental misalignment caused by the lack of a Mothercrystal-to setup a series of proto-crystals by which to regulate the elements in its place. While the original plan was to set up the crystals across the northern continents, after hearing of the dire tidings from Meracydia, the Forum has instead decided that the proto-crystals should be placed on the southern continent instead, where their effects might spread out and stabilize the rest of the world. The Kingdom of Cherbourg is especially affected, and requests the assistance of the Students of Baldesion with all haste, who gladly take on the commission.

The students assemble a company composed of the adventurer, the Leveilleur twins, G’raha Tia, Estinien, and 3 new travelling companions: the free-spirited Aurora, the magus Somnus, and the bard Rafael. Together, they set sail on a vessel specifically prepared for the journey to the distant south, but are caught in a terrible tempest not far from their destination, the harbour of Cherbourg city. With the ship blown to pieces, the adventurer and the twins are rescued by the maiden, Sereia, who lives at the Tenebrous Shore.

However, before departing the shore they discover a soul crystal that was in Somnus’ possession. Upon touching it, Alisae gains the power of a Mystic Knight and her once-white locks turn inky black, having been infused with the crystal’s dark powers. Leaving the coastlands behind, they find Estinien and Somnus locked in a bitter argument on the outskirts of the Crystalline Highlands regarding the location of his missing crystal, only to discover that it had chosen Alisae as the inheritor of its will instead of Somnus himself. The party encounters G’raha Tia and Aurora after a brief run-in with the hostile Mysidians who inhabit the nearby Lufenian Woodlands, and the Magi react with shock upon seeing Alisae’s powers being wielded against them, which are very similar to their own.

Rafael however, is discovered to have been apprehended by the soldiers of Cherbourg and is taken prisoner within the city. In order to gain their trust, the party sets out to establish the proto-crystal of wind on Mt. Bahamut, where Tiamat and her mate once made their nest. They also learn of the amassing of the fiends of wind at the mountain’s peak, who are preparing to unleash a deadly cyclone onto the lands below, and return with all haste to the Crystalline Highlands. There, they learn that the fiends born of the elemental imbalance are subservient to the Chaoses of their respective element-and consequently destroy the Chaos of Wind which had taken on a twisted form of Tiamat.

With the wind restored, Tiamat at once returns home with her brood and is celebrated by the Meracydians, who have longed for the return of dragons to the land for many years. In the distance, a mysterious robed mage observes them silently, and continues to stalk them from the shadows wherever they go. The party is admitted to the city and at last are able to meet their commissioner, the Princess Herena of Cherbourg. While most of the nobility are shocked that she went behind their back to ask for outside assistance, King Matthias grants his consent to the establishment of further proto-crystals, much to Prince Henry’s chagrin. Princess Hiruda, the youngest of the royals, expresses her admiration for the group and wishes them success on their journey. The party also learns of Meracydian religion. They believe in a God of light who will save them from “the abyss” which they regard as a metaphor for the ruined state of affairs on the continent, and one day bring about lasting peace in absence of their draconic protectors of eld. Upon inquiring about the notable absence of Allagan ruins, the party is made aware that Meracydians had destroyed nearly all of them after the empire retreated and that to even speak the word “Allag” is considered taboo.

The dragons led by Tiamat make clear their stance: they do not wish to contribute to further bloodshed and would sooner see peace restored than continue to propagate the war. This infuriates Prince Henry, but he is reprimanded by his father King Matthias. The princesses apologize for their brother’s actions and excuse themselves from the meeting. With most of the continent still inaccessible due to the elements raging, the dragons decide to return to Mt. Bahamut where they will focus on restoring their home. Rather than pledging themselves to Cherbourg, Tiamat instead pledges the dragons to the adventurer’s cause, having already been proven worthy of her trust. Before departing, Alisae gives her old rapier to Princess Hiruda as a souvenir, as she no longer has need of it since becoming a Mystic Knight.

After returning to the Crystalline Highlands to learn more of the lay of the land and the extent of Meracydia’s struggles over resources and territory, they decide to venture into the Desert of Equilibrium next, where the fiends of earth run rampant. Along the way, they learn more of their new companions and of their tragic backstory: Somnus once loved Aurora’s twin sister, Selena, but Rafael was forced to kill her after she was overtaken by a voidsent that had latched on to the Mystic Knight soul crystal he had presented to his friends. In order to overcome their pain and forge ahead, they decided to embark on the journey to Meracydia with the Students of Baldesion. The adventurer also notices the similarities between them and his former friends from another life: the ancients Venat, Hades, and Hythlodaeus.

After slaying Hecatoncheir, the Chaos of Earth, they are accosted by Elder Minwu of Mysidia, who decides to test their strength against his by way of a trial by combat. The party prevails, and Minwu concedes defeat, and offers them what appears to be an ordinary stone as a reward. Bewildered and exhausted, the party decides to steer clear of Mysidians moving forward and instead turns their attention to the legends surrounding the mermaids and the Tenebrous Shore.

Sereia, who rescued the adventurer at the start of their journey, reveals that she and her fellow maidens are in fact mermaids who have since evolved to be able to walk on land in the guise of Hyurs at will. Their original home, the Sapphire Temple, is now overrun with fiends of water and beseech their help in destroying the Chaos of Water, a being known as the Sea Witch. While the party enters the temple, bitter struggles continue between the soldiers of Cherbourg and the Mysidians, with Elder Minwu crossing swords with Prince Henry.

Their battle continues and the two pursue each other all the way to the Crystalline Highlands, where the returned party catches a glimpse of Henry’s true, cruel persona. When a young dragonet attempts to intervene in their battle, Henry slaughters it mercilessly and stomps on the creature’s corpse, to the horror of all who beheld the act. Rafael looses an arrow at him and takes out one of his eyes before the prince departs. Aurora desperately tries to revive the dragon, who is merely a child, but fails and breaks down into tears. Minwu rebukes the party’s sympathy, and harshly criticizes Estinien for his seemingly cold emotional response. Estinien loses his cool and slashes Minwu’s face with his lance, tearing off his veil and unmasking him. Somnus is given the task of burying the dragon, who remarks that he could almost see as its soul-bright and pure as sunlight itself-plunged down into the aetherial sea.

The Elder departs for the Lufenian Woodlands, but tells them that should they ever wish to learn the truth of this land’s present troubles, that they should seek out the hidden city of Mysidia. Pressing forward, the party becomes aware of the fiends of fire inhabiting the woodlands, and using the pebble given to them by Minwu when they bested him themselves, the way to Mysidia is revealed. There, he reveals the bloody toll that Cherbourg’s ambitions have taken on his people and of the Orcs they had taken in, finding them to be far gentler souls than their appearance might suggest.

They also reveal the location of a meteorite that fell around the time of the final days that was excavated and taken away by Cherbourg for unknown reasons. Fearing that it might hold some kind of dark power that has caused the elemental imbalance, the Mysidians want to reclaim the meteorite being held in the city and verify whether there is any truth to the theory. This is the reason why joined the battlefield, and may very well have already reclaimed the meteorite had the armies of Burmecia and Treno not fallen back unexpectedly, leaving them to fend for themselves. The Mysidians will guide the party to the Amethyst Crater under one condition-that they lay low the Chaos of Fire, Brynhildr, and set up the corresponding proto-crystal to save their home from being engulfed in its blaze.

After setting up the last proto-crystal, the party is guided to the impact site and experience a vision of a dark crystal falling from the heavens. They realize that after the defeat of the dark God, Zodiark, that his Fathercrystal must have fallen to Etheirys and that its presence is what has disrupted the elements of the world. The voidsent inhabiting the crater also give a clue as to King Matthias’ ultimate ambition-to wield its power and conquer not only the remainder of Meracydia, but the rest of the northern continents as Emperor Xande once did. Given that the Fathercrystal would not yield to him with the elements having been thrown out of order, he permitted Princess Herena to ask for outside help in quelling them. It is also revealed he plans to execute the party once their mission is complete, and that he punished Princess Hiruda for attempting to mimic Alisae’s swordplay, lambasting her as the weakest of his children and thanking God she would never inherit the throne. Princess Herena at the time is sequestered in prayer, having all but completely lost herself to faith amidst the strife she sees her people experiencing, and how truly broken she knows her family is.

Elder Minwu, having learned the truth of the matter, amasses his armies on the Last Battlefield-a historic site that has known no end to bloodshed since the days of ancient Allag. The adventurer also shares what they have learned with Tiamat, who ferries them to the Battle of the Twin Realms. Aided by the Orcs and newly returned Dragons, the Mysidians push forward and at last reach the bridge overlooking the city of Cherbourg, where the Fathercrystal is being held in the dungeons of the castle. However, before they can enter the city they must face Prince Henry in a transformed state-as the Dark Knight, Leon. Felling him, they invade the castle and fail to stop King Matthias from absorbing the Fathercrystal’s aether, becoming a hideous monstrosity dubbed “The Emperor” after having boasted of his plans to the party.

After a bitter struggle they successfully defeat him, and Estinien shatters the Fathercrystal into a thousand pieces with his lance, dissipating it into the air. However, their victory is short-lived as the unimaginable occurs: the will of Zodiark persists and gives rise to a new deity of darkness, this time a Goddess who overtakes the body of Princess Herena, spiriting her away into the void while still locked in prayer. At the same time, a distant pillar of light in the south alludes to the potential chance that someone has inherited the will of Hydaelyn, possibly the promised God of light that is worshipped by Meracydians.

Princess Hiruda, now crowned Queen by Tiamat, declares an end to the conflict between themselves and the Mysidians, raising Alisae’s rapier into the heavens. Joining their territories together, they establish a peace treaty and proclaim the party heroes and champions of the kingdom besides. However, the other nations on the continent remain hostile and may resume their attack now that the elements have been restored to order, and the whereabouts of the dark Goddess are yet unknown. With these new threats on the horizon, the party decides to stay in Meracydia for the time being and rename their group to the Wild Roses, in order to differentiate themselves from the more diplomatic affairs of the Students of Baldesion. Meanwhile, Cherbourg scouts cross over to the south in search of the mysterious light...

Elsewhere, Y’shtola successfully manages to cleave open a portal to an unknown dimension, and together with Urianger and Thancred, they step forward into the darkness.

Cast:



Specific Characters:

Aurora – a talented healer and dancer besides, this free spirit joined the expedition to Meracydia with her two friends in order to overcome the pain of losing her twin sister, Selena, by exploring the great unknown. With so much light and sun within her, you could almost say she is a spiritual successor of sorts to another similar maiden the adventurer encountered on a past journey, reunited by fate once more. When not occupied by other duties, she enjoys exploring every nook and cranny of now-abandoned dungeons in search of rare minions, some of which she keeps, some of which she sells on the marketboard. (WHM/DNC)

Somnus – a powerful wizard and swordsman with a short temper who joined the expedition to Meracydia to unlock the mysteries of the darkened soul crystal in his possession. Having lost the love of his life, Selena, to a voidsent during the chaos of the final days, he is especially interested in anything to do with the dark arts. With such unique hair and golden eyes, he reminds the adventurer of a similar mage he encountered on a past journey, reunited by fate once more. In his spare time, he enjoys joining parties to seek out rare mounts guarded by fierce foes, and is quite proud of his impressive collection. (BLM/DRK)

Rafael – a truly reckless individual whose skills in combat are dubious at best, but is nevertheless one of the most talented bards in all the land. Together with his friends, Somnus and Aurora, he wants to explore the mysterious continent of Meracydia and perhaps compose another ballad or two of their adventures. His lavender hair reminds the adventurer of a similarly careless character he encountered on a past journey, reunited by fate once more. Rafael especially enjoys GPOSE-ing with his friends, which helps inspire his music. (BRD)

Sereia – A peasant girl who rescued the adventurer from the ocean as their vessel was lost to the storm. She spends her days looking out over the Meracydian shoreline, singing a solemn melody over the churning waves.

King Matthias – the elderly, doting king of Cherbourg. He has served over 40 years on the throne, many of which were plagued by bitter struggles due to Meracydia’s endless wars over territory and resources, which were only worsened in wake of more recent calamities. By his decree, he gives his consent for the Students of Baldesion to enact their plan to stabilize the elements by erecting elemental Proto-Crystals across the kingdom.

Princess Herena – a young woman with a heart of gold who is guided by the ways of mercy rather than conquest, in stark contrast to her brother and father. It was she who invited the Students of Baldesion to Meracydia and to her kingdom, sponsoring them much to the chagrin of her fellow nobility.

Princess Hiruda – the youngest member of the royal family, who regards the adventurer and their companions with awe. She dreams of one day being able to explore the world beyond her kingdom’s borders, and especially admires Alisae.

Prince Henry – a dashing chevalier who has made a reputation for himself as a slayer of Orcs after they awoke from their nigh-eternal slumber several years ago, and heir to the throne of Cherbourg. He believes that his armies are more than capable of handling the situation in the kingdom, and despises the thought of outside intervention.

Elder Minwu – the current ruler of the Mysidians. A powerful sorcerer whose name is spoken in hushed whispers by the fearful citizens of Cherbourg. With the elements thrown out of order, it is all he can do to ensure his people’s survival in wake of renewed efforts from the armies of Cherbourg to enter his dominion.

G’raha Tia – having accepted the commission for the expedition to Meracydia, it fell to G’raha Tia to put together a band of adventurers to represent the students of Baldesion on their journey to re-balance the raging elements through the proto-crystals of Cid’s design. As an all-rounder, he is always ready to hop into the fray with his companions, both old and new. (PLD/WHM/BLM)

Estinien – the once Azure Dragoon of Ishgard has decided to join the expedition to Meracydia with his comrades, ready to defend them with his deadly lancework. Though dragons no longer rule the skies above the southern continent, he nevertheless wishes to see the land with his own eyes rather than waste away under the snows of Ishgard or the sweltering heat of Thavnair. (DRG)

Alphinaud – one of the adventurer’s closest friends and allies, whose healing magic has saved them from quite a few spots of trouble in journeys past. As an accomplished diplomat, he hopes to re-establish Meracydia’s ties with the outside world, though the task is much easier said than done. (SGE, ACN in 8-man trials if the player is a Healer)

Alisae – one of the adventurer’s closest friends and most valued comrades, with spellblade in hand she has cut down no small amount of foes (and stolen very many limit breaks) in their name. However, upon touching the soul crystal in Somnus’ possession, her white locks have become as black as evenfall, and she has gained the power of the fabled Mystic Knights. Despite this unexpected occurrence, she is nevertheless prepared to use her new powers against the foes awaiting them on the southern continent. (MYS)

Setting: Northern Meracydia



Zones of 7.0:

1.The Tenebrous Shore – darkened waves crash on ashen shores, littered with crystals that shine amidst the overcast skies. Here in this no-man’s-land does the adventurer arrive with their allies, a new world shrouded in darkness. The presence of water fiends has driven out many of those who once made their lives on this beach, save for the mysterious maidens who often gather by the coastline. A ferry can be taken from here to Cherbourg, in order to avoid having to cross an otherwise impassable warzone.



(Image Source – FFXIII-2 shores of Valhalla edited)

2.The Crystalline Highlands – an evergreen land dotted with crystals of blue and lavender, where deer graze as petals drift, carried on the southern wind. In the shadow of Mt. Bahamut, these lands are now terrorized by fiends of wind that ravage the land with barrages of cyclones and tornadoes, leaving much destruction in their wake.



(Image Source – Mobius Final Fantasy Landscape Concept Art)

3.The Desert of Equilibrium – once the jewelled capital of a nation who treasured balance above all, this land has become the very image of discord in wake of the elemental turmoil engulfing the land. Only a fool would dare trespass here, for the fiends of earth will not hesitate to drag their prey deep beneath the sands to feast.



(Image Source – FFXII Tomb of Raithwall)

4.The Lufenian Woodlands – a forbidden forest inhabited by the hostile Mysidians, who have hidden way their settlement amidst its boughs. Orcs and sword-wielding magi stalk the forest floor, and now all must contend with the ominous threat of the fire fiends whose flames could spell disaster for any unlucky to be caught in the thickets during one of their rampages.



(Image Source - FFXIII Sunleth Waterscape)

5.The Amethyst Crater – a crater whose violet crystals hum with eerie darkness, fiercely guarded by the Mysidians in aftermath of the Final Days. It is said that at the peak of the chaos, a star fell to the ground and created the crater, triggering the misalignment of the elements. The region is also infested with legions of voidsent who were drawn to the residual energy there.



(Image Source - Dissidia NT Interdimensional Rift Stage)

6.The Last Battlefield – a frontier where many have fought and died since the times of ancient Allag, but in place of dragons and technological machinations, soldiers of opposing nations throw themselves at each other in ceaseless warfare to no avail. By some miracle, the hostile nations of Burmecia and Treno past the southern mountain range have abandoned the battlefield temporarily, leaving Mysidia and Cherbourg to their own struggles. Far in the distance, the idyllic scene of Castle Cherbourg can be seen, whose soldiers will defend at all cost. Under normal circumstances, the adventurer can take a ferry to the Tenebrous Shore from the city proper, but unforeseen circumstances compel them to cross this battlefield with their allies in tow...



(Image Source – Ghost of Tsushima Screenshot from Gamerant)

Cities of 7.0:

Cherbourg, City of Light

A bustling city overlooking the seas beyond, where the Students of Baldesion make their new base in a tavern not far from the city center. Amongst the lavish manors of the highborn and more humble abodes of the lowborn, there is a significant religious element at the heart of city life. In place of the Goddess of balance once worshipped by the Meracydians of eld, they instead pray to a God of light, promised to one day deliver them from the thralls of the abyss. In recent days, faith is all that the people can turn to as the elements rage outside the city walls alongside the threats lurking in the wilds. The city is also home to various guilds for crafters and gatherers alike, alongside an inn where weary mercenaries might rest their heads for a good night’s sleep.



(Image Source – Castle Alexandria Concept Art from FFIX)

Mysidia, the Hidden City

A splinter group of Allagans who once called themselves the Lufenians broke away following the fall of the empire. They were once hosts to the voidsent, and through unknown means managed to expel them from their bodies while still retaining control over the magic born of the void, infusing it into their weapons. Over time, they chose to completely abandon the technological ways of Allag and embraced magic instead, dubbing themselves Mysidians. They despise outsiders and are hostile to the other nations on Meracydia, even going so far as to ally themselves with the newly awakened Orc beastmen as a means to keep the Kingdom of Cherbourg’s soldiers from encroaching on their lands.



(Image Source – FFXV Tenebrae Concept Artwork)

Dungeons of 7.0:

Lvl 91. Mt. Bahamut – the fiends of wind gather themselves around the mountain in an attempt to call down the ultimate windstorm from the heavens. With no other recourse but to dive headfirst into the tempest, the adventurer begins the climb up the mountain path to face the Chaos of Wind – Neo-Tiamat.

Lvl 93. The City of Balance – the fiends of earth have retreated to the inner depths of this sunken city, where earthquakes shake the land in place of the harmony that once reigned here. With no Goddess of Equilibrium left to watch over them, the adventurer and their allies plunge into depths to lay low the Chaos of Earth – Hecatoncheir.

Lvl 95. The Sapphire Temple – once a site of great import to mermaid civilization, this temple is now overrun with fiends of water who serve their dark mistress and Chaos of Water – the Sea Witch. With no other recourse, the adventurer and their comrades brave the depths in order to fend off the coming tidal wave that threatens to wipe out what little remains of habitable coastland.

Lvl 97. The Lufenian Ruins – hidden in the Lufenian Woodlands are the remains of a fortress that once soared through the skies, whose deadly booby-traps and other technologies remain very much active despite the long years that have passed. The fiends of fire now draw power from the ruins, guided by the Chaos of Fire – Brynhildr.

Lvl 99. The Battle of the Twin Realms – Having caught wind of King Matthias’ true intentions, Elder Minwu rallies his army against the coming assault by Cherbourg, in a battle to decide the fate of his people’s survival and to give the adventurer a chance to break through the kingdom’s defences to reach the Fathercrystal.

Lvl 100. Castle Cherbourg – Having once more reached the Castle where they once received the king’s blessing, the adventurer leads their allies through its burning and bloodied halls, down to the dungeons where King Matthias has absconded with the Fathercrystal. Should he succeed in obtaining the dark powers lying within, it will spell disaster for not only Cherbourg and Meracydia, but the whole world beyond...

Extended Meracydia Discussion:

Tiamat’s Wing is a mountain range that was created by the summoning of an unspecified Earth-aspected eikon during the Allagan invasion, serving to separate the north from the south.

Madain Sari, similar to its FFIX counterpart, is a village of *true* Summoners who forged pacts with very real beings (based off the Espers from FFVI). The Allagan art of summoning drew inspiration from their abilities. The only survivor would be a lalafell-like being called Eiko, who opposes the Mysidians trying to taint her ancestors’ legacy by calling forth abominations in the form of the true Espers, who sealed themselves away in their own dimension to prevent their powers from being misused by anyone not of the actual summoner race.

Treno, a bustling merchant city and typical gambler’s den, is not too far off from Zozo, inspired by the slum-like dungeon city from FFVI. I imagine Treno’s architecture to be similar to its original form from FFIX, while incorporating elements and styles from Altissia from FFXV/Venice. I imagine it would be ruled jointly by representatives from its various noble houses rather than a single monarch. It would also be home to an Opera House, which I believe would provide an excellent location for productions/RP purposes or at least more ornate furnishings based off it. Naturally, there would be an opera scene and minigame involved.

Burmecia was flooded prior to the establishment of the proto-crystal of water, and is inhabited by a humanoid race of rodentlike beings that are similar in height to hyurs. They revere dragons greatly, and call their warriors “Dragon Knights.” Rafael would have a fear of the Burmecians, while Aurora wonders if there’s any place she can farm for minions of them. Estinien makes fast friends with them and incorporates their techniques into his own abilities. Burmecia is a kingdom, and its king would have been one of King Matthias’s most hated enemies. Prince Fratley and Lady Freya would have been central characters in 8.0.
Dali is a farming village, but the intended twist is that its inhabitants are in fact voidsent puppeteering the corpses of living beings. I originally intended to name it after Oerba, but decided against it. The plot in this region would revolve around liberating the villagers from their possession.

The surrounding islands are based off their corresponding locations from FFX, and would be geographically very similar to their source material. The sea monster picture I was able to find was the closest thing to a whale available on the website I used to create the map-the 24 man raids would have focused on defeating Sin after it had already consumed the isles of Luca and Zanarkand.

During the raid, you would meet Yuna who is a priestess rather than a Summoner, and she reveals that the fiends that have always plagued Meracydia are due to the resentment of the dead preventing them from returning to the lifestream, which the islanders call “the Farplane.” As a priestess she would be able to perform a sending ceremony at the end of each raid, before finally sending Sin itself. Sin would have been revealed to be the fiend version of her former friend, Tidus, rather than Jecht.

The lack of many references to Allag is due to the Meracydians’ hatred for what they did to their land, and so they destroyed nearly every ruin except for those found in the Lufenian Woodlands that the Mysidians continue to watch over-even speaking the word “Allag” is considered a social taboo. (This would help alleviate how tired many players have become of Allag, as a concept and name both.)

Meracydians’ reverence of a male god also stems from the disdain they bear for the summoners of Sophia-who they condemn as a false goddess whose callous views on the concept of “balance” caused suffering of untold scale for all involved. While nationally divided, the people of the continent are consistent in their religious views aside from the Mysidians, who worship no one.

While I didn’t create a map of the New World, rather than it being void of kingdoms or empires I imaged it would have a mixture of tribal lands to the north, with more Spanish-themed cities in its warmer areas, drawing inspiration from Mexico City, Madrid, Barcelona, Havana, etc. as opposed to Aztec style temples we’ve already been to on the First. There would also be small settlements set up by Sharlayan that work in close friendship with the local tribes in the north as opposed to being hostile with each other.

New Jobs:



Mystic Knight (MYS; Melee Scouting DPS) – Among the Magi of Mysidia exists an elite group of sorcerers who charge into battle wielding enchanted scimitars known as the Mystic Knights. The power lying within their blades is born of the void’s levin, flame, and frost, now trapped within steel as opposed to their own bodies as was the case during Allag’s invasion of Meracydia many years ago. In a world where the elements rage with such ferocity, that chaos becomes their strength.

Ranger (RNG; Ranged Physical DPS) – In modern day Cherbourg, there are those who prefer to live off the land, hunting with their animal companions at their side in the hostile wilds of Meracydia. The art of the ranger traces back to the era where Orcs and their loyal beasts were found in abundance all over the continent, with their traditions having since been kept alive by wandering tribes of Miqo'te. Armed with crossbows, they can temporarily enthral wolves, felines, and even bears to summon in battle for strong attacks in addition to their own volleys through the use of a special whistle. Now that chaos and darkness hold sway over the land, none are more prepared than they to weather the storm.

Story Trials:



“The Trial of the Magi” – (Lvl 93) Having been accosted by a mysterious sorcerer who has observed them from a distance ever seen they came to Meracydia, he at last reveals himself and chooses to test the adventurer and their comrades by taking on the form of a great wizard of eld. Though his motives remain unknown, his mastery over the arts of the Mystic Knight and his Orc allies make this Elder a difficult foe to overcome.

(Image Source – FFII Amano Artwork for Minwu, the White Mage)

“The Lion’s Rock” – (Lvl 99) Prince Henry, having resorted to using a crystal of darkness cut from the Fathercrystal itself has become the fiend of Chaos known as “Leon,” a legendary knight clad in blackened amor whose ungodly actions served to sow chaos and destruction wheresover he went in the stories passed down from generation to generation of Mysidians. Empowered by demonic energy, the time has come for the adventure to lay low this fallen prince, once and for all.

(Image Source – FFIV Amano Artwork for Cecil as a Dark Knight)

“The Fathercrystal” – (Lvl 100) King Matthias, having beseeched the Fathercrystal and received its blessing has now become the last Chaos plaguing the land – “The Emperor,” having been named so after seeking to mimic Xande of the Allagans by using its fell power to conquer Meracydia and the lands beyond the southern continent. With his mane of serpents crowning his now grotesque face, he strikes fear and terror into all who behold him. Free Cherbourg and all the world from his evil, and let the dark legacy of the Fathercrystal end this day.

(Image Source – FFII Amano Artwork for the Emperor of Hell)

Systems:

Female Hrothgar – the long awaited female Hrothgar race has arrived! These lionesses are as beautiful as they are deadly, and are more than ready to make the journey to distant Meracydia.

Trust Additions – Aurora, Somnus, and Rafael are now available for use in 7.0 dungeons. All 8-man story trials introduced in 7.0 now support Trust functionality. 8-man dungeons from 2.0 are now Trust compatible for a more immersive experience for new players.

Garlean Restoration – while the diplomatic situation in Garlemald has since been resolved, rebuilding the capital will be no easy feat and any and all help would be much appreciated in the reconstruction efforts!

Season 2 Characters – Each player may create *1* free season 2 character per service account. A season 2 character will begin their journey at the start of 7.0 and the player will start at level 90 with the job of their choice, other than Mystic Knight or Ranger. Following the completion of a short tutorial, they will be able to embark on their journey to Meracydia.

A Hero’s Bonds – During the course of your journey you will be able to undertake a weekly quest with *1* character of your choice per week in order to further strengthen the bond of friendship you have between yourselves. One player character may eventually reach the maximum bond rank on all supported characters, and quests include a variety of activities such as solo battle instances, touring of past locations, and even exchanges of gifts. Supported characters include Aurora, Rafael, Y’shtola, G’raha Tia, Aymeric, and Estinien.

Beast Tribes:



Orcs – beastmen native to Meracydia who once ruled over kingdoms of their own in the golden days when Bahamut and Tiamat ruled the skies over the continent. When the Allagan Empire invaded, they escaped capture by burrowing themselves deep beneath the marshlands, with their slumber having only been disturbed in recent years. While the kingdom of Cherbourg shuns and regularly hunts them down, the Mysidians have opted to make allies of them in order to ward off outsiders.

Mermaids – beautiful, yet tragic beings that were once bred by the Allagans as weapons of war, cursed with the power to enthral and lead mortals to their doom, and condemned to lonely lives beneath the waves. Over thousands of years, the mermaids have evolved to become more and more human like, with some even being able to assume the form of Hyurs in order to gain a place in Meracydian society, a necessity now that their underwater home is now infested with all manner of sea demons.


8-man Raid – “The Arcane Labyrinth,” hidden beneath the city streets of Cherbourg there was once a spell of great power sealed away: the tome of the spell, “Destroy.” The Mysidians who know of its existence want to completely banish the tome from existence, while others would rather use its powers to evil ends. Its guardian, the noble wizard Deumion, has not been seen in millennia and it is unclear what became of him...



24-man Raid – “We Called it Sin,” beset by fiends, the three main islands of the South Sea, Besaid, Kilika, and Bevelle, beseech the Students of Baldesion for aid against the terrors invading their lands. Borne upon Tiamat’s wings, the adventurer flies to the islands with their comrades in tow to deliver them from their fate.



Trial Series – “Summoners of the South,” a rogue faction of Mysidians that have obtained some of the last remaining shards of the Fathercrystal have enacted a plan to summon a host of long-lost Eikons: Maduin, the horned demigod, Gura, keeper of the seal, and Kuja, the forsaken angel. They have made their camp in the wastes of Madain Sari, whose ruins have long lain shrouded in mystery.



Deep Dungeon – "The Lufenian Matrix," a series of winding pathways running deep beneath the Lufenian ruins that hold great treasures, and hostile sentinels besides.
Relic Weapons – The Celestial Weapons, deep in the Lufenian Woodlands there exists a blue-tinged clearing where an enchanted lake can be found. Legend has it that Meracydian heroes of eld dipped their blades into its waters and in so doing gained the power of the celestial bodies. The lake, now bereft of power, may be restored and offer up what remains of its strength to those in possession of a special mirror...



(Image Source – Strangers of Paradise FF Origins Flying Fortress)

Further Analysis:

“Rafael” is the name I chose for Hythlodaeus’s spiritual successor since that was his first name in Utopia, the book where the original character is from.

I was tempted to go with a “Gran Pulse” theme for Meracydia, since in FFXIII the Pulsians speak with Australian accents, but didn’t think it would make for an ideal initial setting for the start of 7.0 so I kept references to that to a minimum. However, I very much picture the princesses speaking with a Vanille-like voice.

Following this, I chose to draw inspiration from FFI, FFII, FFIX, and FFX and arranged their elements in such a way that made the most sense to me, rather than continuing the trend we’ve being seeing of “X location corresponds to X location geographically, so they must draw directly from said real-world region.”

Giving “Aurora” a twin who died was so that the Dark Goddess could later raise up a simulacrum of her in order to cause Aurora to defect later in the season, but ultimately she embraces true freedom from her past.

I gave the three spiritual successors to the ancients player-like interests like collecting minions and mounts to make them feel more...real, in a way.

I refer to the elemental bosses as “the Chaos of X” as a callback to how the original 4 fiends from FFI in Japanese are supposedly called the 4 Chaoses.

The concept of the gods passing on their will to new ones comes from Dissidia-after Cosmos and Chaos were both slain, the gods Materia and Spiritus took their place. However in this case I decided to also switch up their genders.

Cherbourg is heavily inspired by Cornelia, the original kingdom from FFI, and San d’Oria from FFXI. However, since most concept art fails to depict the city of Cornelia along with the castle, I used a picture of Alexandria instead.

Overall, rather than a direct copypaste of Australia I thought more and more of the Mist Continent from FFIX, which is in a similar south-east corner of the world and retained many high fantasy elements.

Princess Hiruda is based off Princess Hilda from FFII, but with a different translation of her name (so as to not overshadow Hilda from Ishgard).

Princess Herena is based off Princess Sarah from FFI and Helen of Troy, with her name coming from a combination of those characters.

The concept of fighting your way back to the castle draws inspiration from how we slowly encroached upon Ala Mhigo back in Stormblood, though the Last Battlefield is more of a true warzone that has overtaken what little farmland remained-I imagine it would look similar Holminster Switch.

The trial bosses I selected for the main story come from FFII, for Season 2. That being said, it is quite likely we will face the Emperor in the Pandemonium raids as opposed to the real 7.0.

I selected a darkened shoreline for Meracydia to echo back to the continent’s troubled history, but I didn’t want it to be totally devoid of light and color.

Sereia is named after the word for mermaid in Portuguese.

I refrained from discussing ultimate fights in my concept, but I would like to see ultimates based off Stormblood next.

I also left a lot of details about Mystic Knight and Ranger vague-I do not want this thread to turn into an argument about whether or not we need new jobs or not, or if Ranger’s close relative Beastmaster should be limited...Ranger is mostly there because I had a flashback to my FFXI days where I remember Orcs often having monsters accompany them, if not accidentally aggroing when I was fighting them.

That being said, if I were to describe my preferred play style for Mystic Knight and Hunter, Mystic Knight would feel similar to Ignis’s spelldaggers from FFXV and Hunter would function similar to a ranged version of Reaper.

The word for our new enemies, the “fiends” is taken from FFX.

The overall plot of Season 2 would be the Dark Goddess of the void vs the God of Light, an innocent figure in stark contrast to gods like Bhunivelze. I imagine he would look similar to Joshua from FFXVI. He would “fall in love” with the life around him, and is interested in preserving a cycle of life on Etheirys, a concept he considers beautiful. However, he would brand the adventurer and Aurora, Somnus, and Rafael as new warriors of light/l’Cie by embedding crystals into their hearts, tasking them with the destruction of the Dark Goddess after being threatened by the voidsent serving her.

The ultimate aim of the Dark Goddess is to merge the Void with the Source and allow its inhabitants to feast on its denizens, and then feast on the remaining shards. After the planet was drained, they would take to the stars in search of new planets teeming with life to consume. The God would largely do his own thing, mingling amongst the various peoples of the world and remarking on the general-goings on as a narrator, as he tries to understand their plights.

The Void would be the setting of Season 2’s last expansion, and end with its restoration. Y’shtola and the other former scions would assist in this, while performing ongoing research during the expansions building up to that one.

The true backstory for the God would be that he was born in the New World, but in a Pharoh-like fashion one of the rulers decreed all male children would have to be killed due to a prophecy that threatened his rule. As a child he would have been placed in a wooden coffin and set adrift on the sea-delivered to Meracydia by the mermaids where he would be taken in by a noble family in Treno.

By the end of Season 2, the Dark Goddess would be freed of her possession and revert back to being Herena, but she would go on her own new journey rather than return to Cherbourg. The God would assume Hydaelyn’s place in the Lifestream and chooses to not interfere with mortal affairs afterwards, taking on a similarly angelic form.

In the ending, he would look upon the souls of Venat, Hades, and Hythlodaeus who would be asleep in crystal stasis within the lifestream, remarking on their familiarity. Sensing the light within them, he sends their souls back in time to be reborn as ordinary beings in order to further safeguard the victory against the void. This establishes that Aurora, Somnus, and Rafael are in fact the trio of ancients reborn.

I kept mentions of the Allagans to an absolute minimum on purpose-8 years of hearing their name has worn me out. I’d rather focus on the splinter group, the Lufenians, or another civilization entirely.

The Hero’s Bonds system is not intended to be a true romance story for these characters, I feel that by keeping it vaguely defined as a “friendship” allows for the stories to be interpreted in many different ways according to the player’s tastes, and consequently does not necessarily establish a set sexuality or preference for any of the supported characters.
I did not include an image of female Hrothgar on purpose-I do not wish to invite heated discussions or arguments about their design in this thread.

I felt it critical to re-establish the presence of Gods in the world by the end of the expansion, in order to reverse how we partially fell into the trap of “killing magic” again as is the case in several Final Fantasy games. Such a concept should only be considered at the story’s absolute end-and in my general idea for season 2 the benevolent God would remain to watch over creation from within the lifestream.

Acknowledgements:

I was able to put together these posts by using the following programs in addition to the image sources listed above: Gshade (ToS compliant program, used to make logo using the FFIX theme filter, as well as screenshots using filter: Neneko_Lorelai), Krita (further photo editing), and Inkarnate (for the map of Meracydia). Thank you so much to my friend group and the players who were the models for the characters in the images for accompanying me on our screenshot-taking journey across the zones (who have asked to not be named for privacy), without whom this project would not have been possible, and thank you for taking the time to read my post. While 7.0 is still a long way away, I hope this provided some food for thought and entertainment.


Full-sized images:
I have compiled the full-sized images I put together for this concept in the following album, which can be found here.

[Larirawiel]

Setting: Northern Meracydia

It's Australia!



Cheers

[SherlottaEryut]

I loved reading this - and the pictures looked amazing!

[Beytran70]

Honestly? I'd take it. I think maybe on the map there are too many cities and the like considering most FFXIV zones usually have only one major settlement, but otherwise seems solid. The Job options I think would fit, the basic story seems reasonable enough and makes sense, and having a new cast of characters would fit in nicely with what a lot of people have been talking about going forward.

10/10 would fan-buy this expansion.

[aveyond-dreams]

I definitely agree with both points regarding Meracydia's geography and layout, if it weren't for the moon revealing its general shape I probably would have gone for far larger continent as far removed from FFXIV: Austrailia as possible. While including elements from FFIX's Mist Continent helped flesh out the place, I put a few too many names on the map. However, not every named settlement is actually populated, with anything with a hollow circle being either in ruins, or otherwise inhospitable.

I'm happy to hear you guys enjoyed it!

[Raikai]

I didn't read everything yet (just glanced over but will do). I never thought about Meracydia being eligible to host a full expansion due to allegedly being a wasteland? Unless I misread something about that, or this whole "wasteland" status is just a cover up?

[aveyond-dreams]

While Meracydia was indeed ravaged by the Empire, the attempted invasion was a very long time ago. From that point on, they have largely shunned contact with the outside world to the point where no one truly knows what the state of affairs on the continent is.

It is quite possible that the land has since recovered to the point where it can support several nations, though for logical reasons these nations would be unwilling to interact with the northern continents. It is on this premise that my concept works on, with any mention of Allag now considered a social taboo and their hatred of them being so great as to have destroyed almost every trace of their presence on Meracydia.

[anhaato]

No indigenous inspiration anywhere?

[aveyond-dreams]

My thoughts on the development process for the concept and where I drew inspiration from are detailed under the Further Analysis spoiler tag towards the end of the first post, and expanded details on the continent's locations are under Extended Meracydia Discussion. Overall, my goal was to invoke core "Final Fantasy."

[SeverianLyonesse]

Meh. Absolutely nothing about this proposal resonates with my personal tastes, strikes me as good design, or even seems particularly likely to happen other than the general prospect of visiting Meracydia and maybe a Minwu cameo.

In particularity to what is in this thread and not other proposals elsewhere: I don't really see an actual *point* to your story, any grander themes or commentary. HW was about religious institutions and the perpetuation of tribal conflicts. SB was about the tragedies of war and colonialism. ShB was about class inequality, zealotry, and exceptionalist/regressivist ideologies. EW was about existentialism and fascism.

I simply do not see the devs putting out a generic expansion that just faffs about in fantasyland. So the best productive commentary I can give to you is: what is *your* story *about*? What makes it valuable to the player beyond just being escapism (which every other game does)?