What lore do you ignore?

[Lyth]

One point that I'd like to gain some insight into is what exactly a 'Will of the Star' entails, beyond being just a poetic turn of phrase. I looked for clarification on this during the last lore Q+A as well.

The EE Vol. 3 puts forward this passage:
'Thus did the Convocation devise a ritual to make manifest the "will of the star" - a summoning of monumental scale which would not only reinforce the currents, but also eradicate the beastly infestation. It was a grand undertaking that sought to rewrite the very laws of nature.' (p.11)

This is purely speculative, but impression that I get is that this could operate in a manner analogous to Elidibus' role within Zodiark as his 'heart'. There's a primal sitting right at the planet's lifestream, directing and governing its flow. Darkness is related to movement, so Zodiark's presence can be used to accelerate things, be it the celestial currents (first set of sacrifices), or the lifestream itself (second set of sacrifices). You might expect that at that point in time, the star could have been referred to as 'Zodiark', as the Will of the Star. Hence the terminology.

Likewise, I suspect that's also the reason why Hydaelyn's Light-aspected presence tended to crystalize the aether within the lifestream once she replaced him, giving rise to the Mothercrystal. This makes me wonder what was the situation in the lifestream prior to the development of Amaurotine summoning rituals. Is there an even older primal form of 'Etheirys' itself that functioned as the 'original' Will of the Star?

On that line of reasoning, the Twelve mentioned redirecting our prayers to the star:
'The only thing to change is where your prayers find their way. Henceforth, it shall be this, the instrument of blessing, that receives of mortal hopes - hopes that shall be given back to the star,' (Lv. 90, The Heart of the Myth).

The question is, what do these prayers actually do? Do they have a direct impact on the lifestream, or do the hopes and dreams that we generate over the course of our lives power 'Etheirys, the primal', to keep the planet running?

Again, all speculation, but there are enough unanswered questions floating around about the lifestream currently that I hope we get an answer at some point. I'm hoping that the Ceruleum issue on the New World contains a link into this.

[Enkidoh]

The 2010 lore was that the planet was named Hydaelyn but not many people used it because, to think to do that, you'd need to know what a planet was - and that you were on one - and that there were (or at least could be) other ones out there. If you were ignorant of all that, you'd never bother to learn (or at least rarely think to use) the word for the distinction. NPCs saying "on Hydaelyn" are rare, and most often are well-educated. Godbert, Cid, Jannequinard, Mikoto. The most unlikely one is Medrod, the miner out in the Shroud during early ARR, who says "Nothing on Hydaelyn is worse than what I saw..."

There was also the lyrics to Ravana's theme mentioning "falling down to Hydaelyn", referring to the land, so there is that (although of course a Primal song is not really canon when you think about it, his theme does sound like he's actually singing it himself).

Also, for the longest time SE's own propaganda/promotions for the game back in 1.0 tended to refer more to Eorzea as the setting rather than Hydaelyn, with the later almost just an afterthought to say "oh, Eorzea is part of a bigger world called Hydaelyn, but that's not important right now," so players could sort of be forgiven for wondering "did the world ever get actually called Hydaelyn pre-EW?" Still doesn't make it any easier to swallow the idea that it's been called Etheirys all along and we were just ignorant of that fact, because that's like saying "the Earth has always been called Terra/Gaia since Roman/Greek times so call it that rather than 'Earth'!" Maybe I'm just nitpicking though.

[Cleretic]

Still doesn't make it any easier to swallow the idea that it's been called Etheirys all along and we were just ignorant of that fact, because that's like saying "the Earth has always been called Terra/Gaia since Roman/Greek times so call it that rather than 'Earth'!" Maybe I'm just nitpicking though.

I still think the main key to understanding this is that the people using it are an entire nation of nerds trying to angle for a 'well, actually'.

[SannaR]

my character is all the scions, and a schizo, from everyone else's perspectives our character is just making voices talking to themself all the time, but we are so strong that no one dares call us on it.

Wouldn't this fit better in the crazy personal headcannon thread?

https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...nal-Headcanons

[SannaR]

One point that I'd like to gain some insight into is what exactly a 'Will of the Star' entails, beyond being just a poetic turn of phrase. I looked for clarification on this during the last lore Q+A as well.

The EE Vol. 3 puts forward this passage:
'Thus did the Convocation devise a ritual to make manifest the "will of the star" - a summoning of monumental scale which would not only reinforce the currents, but also eradicate the beastly infestation. It was a grand undertaking that sought to rewrite the very laws of nature.' (p.11)

This is purely speculative, but impression that I get is that this could operate in a manner analogous to Elidibus' role within Zodiark as his 'heart'. There's a primal sitting right at the planet's lifestream, directing and governing its flow. Darkness is related to movement, so Zodiark's presence can be used to accelerate things, be it the celestial currents (first set of sacrifices), or the lifestream itself (second set of sacrifices). You might expect that at that point in time, the star could have been referred to as 'Zodiark', as the Will of the Star. Hence the terminology.

Likewise, I suspect that's also the reason why Hydaelyn's Light-aspected presence tended to crystalize the aether within the lifestream once she replaced him, giving rise to the Mothercrystal. This makes me wonder what was the situation in the lifestream prior to the development of Amaurotine summoning rituals. Is there an even older primal form of 'Etheirys' itself that functioned as the 'original' Will of the Star?

On that line of reasoning, the Twelve mentioned redirecting our prayers to the star:
'The only thing to change is where your prayers find their way. Henceforth, it shall be this, the instrument of blessing, that receives of mortal hopes - hopes that shall be given back to the star,' (Lv. 90, The Heart of the Myth).

The question is, what do these prayers actually do? Do they have a direct impact on the lifestream, or do the hopes and dreams that we generate over the course of our lives power 'Etheirys, the primal', to keep the planet running?

Again, all speculation, but there are enough unanswered questions floating around about the lifestream currently that I hope we get an answer at some point. I'm hoping that the Ceruleum issue on the New World contains a link into this.

For me it never came off as the will of the star even prior to Zodiark was a primal entity. Just that the planet might be or the Aetherial Sea might be semi conscious. Like Mogo is a sentient planet that also is a member of the Green Lantern Corps. Or be another nod to FF VII where it is hinted at that the planet has a conscious.

[WickerBag]

Late to the party but:

Thancred killed Ran'jit in Amh Araeng.

Thancred deserved that kill. Ran'jit deserved that death.

[ThorneDynasty]

Basically everything about Gaius post-SB. A really classic case of some writer really loving a character too much to admit he ever did anything wrong (besides being tricked), to the point of retconning really suspect things he did in the past, when it would be so much more compelling and dramatically satisfying to confront his moral grayness before you redeem him. It's actually hilarious how overt the sexual undertones between him and Livia were in ARR, and they thought the way to make him look better was to retcon her into an adopted daughter and just go "nuh-uh!" every time someone points it out. Just go back and patch the game text so he's actually ordering her to join him in his quarters to discuss their next trip to Disneyland or whatever and be done with it, you are not fooling anyone otherwise.

[Cleretic]

It's actually hilarious how overt the sexual undertones between him and Livia were in ARR,

I admit I'm rarely able to pick up on romantic/sexual subtext unless it's shouted at me (and I usually hate it when they do that), but I never got this idea. I always thought it was a pretty clear superior-subordinate relationship with an element of uneven emotional investment; Livia clearly has stronger feelings towards Gaius than Gaius had towards her, but even they weren't sexual. I never caught a single hint of sexuality from either of them... honestly, ever, that corner of the story is remarkably sexless compared to a few others.

The only evidence I see people bring up was when Gaius went 'see me in my quarters', and apparently to some people that implied sex. But I thought it was pretty clear that he was just taking her to a private location so he can chew her out for screwing up without getting overheard.

[SannaR]

I admit I'm rarely able to pick up on romantic/sexual subtext unless it's shouted at me (and I usually hate it when they do that), but I never got this idea. I always thought it was a pretty clear superior-subordinate relationship with an element of uneven emotional investment; Livia clearly has stronger feelings towards Gaius than Gaius had towards her, but even they weren't sexual. I never caught a single hint of sexuality from either of them... honestly, ever, that corner of the story is remarkably sexless compared to a few others.

The only evidence I see people bring up was when Gaius went 'see me in my quarters', and apparently to some people that implied sex. But I thought it was pretty clear that he was just taking her to a private location so he can chew her out for screwing up without getting overheard.

Most likely due to it being a trope in many a Sci fi or military fiction where the person who is in need of a verbal dressing down gets either A no dressing down and a steamy or aggressive smexy times. Or B the roll in the hay still happens with the dressing down happening before, during or after said intimacy happens. It happens so often that people tend to see it/read it as short hand as fraternization is going to happen. Why so many have had been grossed out by that scene. Due to the age difference and the obvious power imbalance. Why when Werlyt came out and they put in the whole there wasn't anything in between them many had a "Oh thank goodness." moment. Though it doesn't change how Livia talks about Gaius as even if you don't read her whole "You're keeping me away from my Gaius and only I can be at his side." crap as not romantic it is still kinda creepy for a person whose ment to be in a father daughter relationship.

[Cleretic]

Most likely due to it being a trope in many a Sci fi or military fiction where the person who is in need of a verbal dressing down gets either A no dressing down and a steamy or aggressive smexy times. Or B the roll in the hay still happens with the dressing down happening before, during or after said intimacy happens. It happens so often that people tend to see it/read it as short hand as fraternization is going to happen. Why so many have had been grossed out by that scene. Due to the age difference and the obvious power imbalance. Why when Werlyt came out and they put in the whole there wasn't anything in between them many had a "Oh thank goodness." moment. Though it doesn't change how Livia talks about Gaius as even if you don't read her whole "You're keeping me away from my Gaius and only I can be at his side." crap as not romantic it is still kinda creepy for a person whose ment to be in a father daughter relationship.

Thanks for pointing out what I generally suspected might've been going on. Yeah, Livia's absolutely and very clearly not okay, but the only indication of there being a sex thing going on comes from people projecting nonexistent subtext from other media onto it.

We know what FFXIV writing inappropriate sexual situations is like. We especially know what that was like during ARR, and it wasn't wink-wink 'you know what this means' subtext about a very specific trope. If they wanted that to be part of the text around Gaius it would've been written in twelve-foot tall neon text on the wall of the Praetorium. You wouldn't have to dig for that treasure chest.