Thank you to whoever wrote the Pandaemonium story so far [SPOILERS]

[Teraq]

I don't know what's the likelihood that feedback here reaches the dev team, but I figure I'll throw the bottle out to the sea anyway.

Among my circle of friends disappointed in the MSQ since Endwalker started, everyone was pleasantly surprised with the raid storyline in 6.2. Expectations were rather… rock bottom, as most of us had given up on the writing and handling of the Ancients' characterisation by the story. A lot of friends had grown cynical and thought Lahabrea would be portrayed as a boring villain worthy of 6.0's strawmen Ancients. Personally, what I wanted out of the story after the 1st tier was a fair and dignified portrayal of Lahabrea as a world leader of the Ancients, with a… complicated family life. Those were my hopes after 5.0 and 5.3 had done such a great job humanizing the Ancients, Emet and Elidibus, though the latter felt rather incomplete and rushed to me compared to Emet, and 6.0… certainly did not help on that front, huh?

Well, I don't know who is writing Pandaemonium, but they get it.

Thank you so much.

It largely went how I expected it to, with Themis being Elidibus undercover, and Lahabrea cutting off a younger part of himself, which I had reasoned to be his id, and actually being a loving father in his own way. And Lahabrea's real name being Hephaistos, of course. Obvious enough, but I was afraid they'd go against it just to subvert expectations. It feels good to get predictions right and for the plot to live up to my expectations, after 6.0…

Both Erich and Lahabrea were handled with care and humanity. Lahabrea especially was pretty much perfect as a dignified gentleman and reasonable world leader who has to contend with his responsibilities but is still willing to listen. That little scene of him arguing with Elidibus (again, living up to my headcanon and expectations of him cooperating with Azem often – it just made sense to me that the appointed mediator would be working often with guy who is always out and about) was exactly the sort of thing I wanted. And I am, as ever, here for Lahabrea's Venat call out.

Also very much appreciated the option not to judge Lahabrea's character; because indeed, we know nothing about his Ancient human self. Good of them to include the super judgmental replies for the Minority Report pre-crime accusation enthusiasts, too, huh?

The one thing I didn't expect was, well, Athena – but as a villain fan I must confess I loved her. Sassy female Hojo. I want to see more of her already. I hope she's going to feature into the third tier somehow, with just as much talking back and corruption. I love that the plot affirmed Lahabrea as an upstanding man torn (quite literally) by love, repulsed by going against the laws of nature.

Empathy, human conflict, showing Convocation members that aren't Azem go out on a mission, the Ancients' devotion to the planet and their duty… showing that it was perfectly possible for them to broadcast their memories… (stares uncomfortably at 6.0's incredibly convoluted plot)… As an Ascian and Ancient fan, it was basically all I hoped for and didn't think I would ever get. In fact, it's rather interesting how little Pandaemonium has to do with 6.0, beyond, obviously, the technicalities of us being there. Who knew that making an Ancient side story I like simply needed not to feature The World's Saddest Edgelord and The Messiah anywhere but as brief mentions if at all? (Just kidding. I knew.)

Thank you for giving me back some faith into the writers and at least one thing to look forward to in Endwalker.

The shot of Erich literally cringing at watching his parents have soul sex was 10/10 kino btw.

Become what you must, writer.