So I Did The Vault In FFXIV...

Why must we feel pain? Why must things be this way... In my Journey to play through FFXIV I have finally gotten to a culminating point in the Vault for the Heavensward Story... it was brutal to say the least...
0:00 Just A Game
0:48 Live Reaction
4:32 Stinging Wound
9:18 Why Do I Care so Much?
10:50 Another Brutal Story
Use Code "CDG" for 15% off ALL Orders at Koffee Kult!
www.koffeekult.com/
Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @caffeinateddad
Hey there KZbin I am the Caffeinated Dad! Grab a cup and listen in!
Make sure to like the video and hit the subscribe button!
Interested in buying Steam games for cheap? Check out Fanatical!
www.fanatical.com/en/?ref=caf...
Caffeinated Dad Gaming Website:
www.caffeinateddadgaming.com/
Memberships now available! This helps support my channel so that I may become a full time content creator! If each one of my subscribers supported with $1 I could achieve that goal!
Membership link:
kzbin.info/door/Ykq...
Support my Channel through Patreon!
/ caffeinatedda. .
Want to become a Highly Caffeinated Goose? Join my Discord!
/ discord
Instagram Page:
/ caffeinated. .
Caffeinated Dad Tweet account:
/ caffeinateddad1

[@Jimm1621]

Haurchefaunt’s death didn’t hit me nearly as hard as his father breaking down after. I cried with him

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Edmont collapsing was brutal

[@suiginmigasuto3356]

That was hard.

[@jjswifthd]

I felt that HEAVILY. His death was just the initial shock, and his father breaking down was what finally set the tears in.

[@EratoTiaTuatha]

Same. The biggest hit for me was the moment I realized the next quest objective after Vault was the Fortemps Manor and it hit me that I would have to tell someone that their son died protecting me. And then the actual scene with Edmont 100% delivered.

[@edtazrael]

Yeah. His father breaking down hit hard.

[@BaithNa]

Welcome to the real endgame, emotional damage

[@Alkiryas]

And glamour plates

[@edwarddeguzman3258]

@@Alkiryasto hide the emotional scars

[@Willbotx]

This game does a good job tearing your heart apart lol..

[@timothygottlieb2013]

no amount of mitigation will help you survive this tank buster.

[@AwesomeSimmo]

This is only the beginning

[@MelvaCross]

The death scene itself never made me cry. The scene thereafter with Edmont, though? Seeing how this dignified, noble man cannot contain his grief, trying his best to keep composure but being too overwhelmed by emotion? This whole spiel about a knight's duty is something he surely said countless times when he held speeches to honour the knights who have fallen in their line of duty under the Fortemps banner. He tried to hide behind familiar, practised language. Letting the autopilot do the talking. But the emotional wound was so severe that even that wasn't enough... Haurchefant's death only saddened me. But Edmont's grief burst through all my emotional barriers and made me weep for "some pixels on the screen."

[@professeurgideere5856]

Plus, that time is finally the time where Edmont can recognize Haurchefant as his son and not his bastard.

[@GmaerXQ]

From the moment Teledgi’s plan takes hold with that sip of wine, you, Alphinaud and Tataru were alone. Anyone who was on your side have either walked away, been imprisoned, or whisked away by fate. Pipin gave you a chance but had to deal with the situation. Limsa, Gridania and Ul’dah are gone to you. The only place you had to turn were the frozen, unyielding, isolationist cynics behind the giant frozen gates. And Haurchefant welcomed you in with open arms. He lead you to Fortemps manor, got you sanctuary behind the gates and made Dragonhead a bulwark against your would-be captors. Everything you are able to do after the Bloody Banquet is thanks to One Man being your friend. You, Alphinaud, and everyone you save from there-on is all thanks to him, seeing the good in you despite the giant “REGICIDE” above your head.

[@tlmaslar]

If i could like a comment more than once, this would get a thousand. These are my exactly feelings. Haurchefant was the first character I-we- had real, natural kinship, friendship, love with. Not forced, outside from the scions, who need us for world-saving derring-do. He was my first friend, the first character i bonded with, my first step to love and obsession with FFXIV. He chooses to help and support us. He did love us (memed translations from Japanese and French aside), and he was singularly the only character we’d met who has no ulterior motives in helping us but to be our friend and companion. He wanted us safe to the last. Do not despair, my friend. For you are not without allies.

[@HasegawaRayven]

This is exactly the reason my title remains "House Fortemps Knight" despite all following achievements.

[@poro9084]

he gave us Waking Snow for few days:(

[@Ladywizard]

What gets me is ONLY Uldah even believed it yet still made you go on the run

[@redlunatic2224]

I know the path you've chosen brings a lot of pain, Warrior of Light. Yet we must keep walking. For those who we have lost, for those we can yet save.

[@RaquizRavel]

The part with the attempt to heal him was recently added. If you're a healer, you help as well. I'm so glad they added that, because originally everyone just sat there, and , as a healer, I kept yelling at the screen, 'Heal him! I can heal him! Why am I not healing him?!' The change made it so much tragic, because you tried and failed to save him.

[@HMNNO]

Super happy they added that

[@Kassilphe]

I wondered about that because I was like "I don't remember that part". For streamer their audience normally lets them know about the debuff the spear caused which you can see in the fight later on but a regular player might wonder why you can't simply heal this wound. I certainly did and I wasn't even a healer in that scene^^

[@UltaFlame]

"There was nothing you could do."

[@Dharengo]

I was confused because I didn't remember that part. So it's good to know I'm not just demented.

[@Dharengo]

​​​@@KassilpheI mean healing magicks can only do so much. I had no problems accepting that it wasn't possible to come back from being literally pierced and having a bunch of internal organs destroyed, just with healing magick. That's beyond just restoring lost hit points.

[@zzlai6235]

The sheer emotion in that single utterance of the word "fuck" on 3:41 is what drives us players to push so many new players to try out this game.

[@natebroadus8474]

The Vault hits differently for everyone. Some people got attached to Haurchefant, either as a friend or a husbando, and that's why it hurts. For dads, it's the stuff with Edmont that cuts so deep. Jeathebelle is another streamer that doesn't get super emotional, but did during the Edmont scene, because he's a dad and you can't help but feel Edmont's pain. That's the scene that wrecked me, too. Like Jeathe said, "no parent should ever have to bury their child."

[@NinjaWeazel]

God. OK I was pretty sad when Haurchefant got it, but when Edmont gives that broken 'My... son...' I was *absolutely destroyed*.

[@AnakhaSilver]

Edmont is what drove it home for me. I was numb and in shock until that scene that this came and happened. That we lost him like this, and there was nothing we could do.

[@danmorris3264]

Not even just fathers, as someone who lost a friend when I was still young, watching their parents break down, emotionally the same, hit me hard when getting to talking to Edmont and that's where I really broke down. It just paralleled too much with what I had personally experienced and watched parents experience

[@mrbastos]

it was definitely Edmont that got me. I was a newer Dad at the time, and imagining the grief of losing your child and hearing his voice...broke me

[@thepainsight]

Haurchefant's death brought me close to crying but Edmont's reaction to it broke through whatever little resistance I had left. Fuck even rewatching it is almost enough. What happens in DSR did not make it better either

[@Mocita]

It’s been 9 years since I first experienced this, and this still always makes me cry. Every time. I take Haurchefant’s last words to us to heart, and I smile everywhere I go in life.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

A smile better suits a hero

[@rezahydra]

I didn’t cry with Haurchefaunt’s death. It was tragic and sad, sure, but I was used to games killing off characters. Hell, 14 did already with the likes of Moenbryda even. Yet… going to Edmont… the father who was begged to let you into his house by him… the father who proceeds to quote his son on why they became a knight in spite of their upbringing… the father who truly loved this son… there’s a reason people like me were gripped with Heavensward. Yet it was no death grip yet, the claws hadn’t sank in. But this solidified that I would be playing till the end of 3.x at least. Now, a few days past 3 years after that day I too experienced braving the vault, I have to reminisce and remember… and reactions like yours always help to make my eyes glossier than they should be.

[@zzlai6235]

I think that's the thing about this game. W're so used to "NPC deaths" in gaming these days, even if some of them may hit hard, but at face value, it's just the death of another NPC in your entourage, with little to no impact outside of your own emotional attachment to the character or to progress the plot. I think what FFXIV does well in this regard is making "character deaths". It makes these deaths feel like it means something. They have their own relationships and values that the game openly shoves in your face and you are forced to experience the true impact of what the death of a character truly means.

[@rezahydra]

@@zzlai6235 I would not always agree. Plenty of examples I can provide of the opposite in 14 being true, of a character reaching their climax only to be brought back later in a diminished value or characters who die for nothing. Without stating spoilers in this comment section, Stormblood for me has 3 of these characters, two of which playing a major role in 4.x. Even Shadowbringers does not always rectify it, as I can think of yet another two examples there. It’s akin to, say, a Shonen series in that way, where deaths are either very rushed or treated like they never died in the first place as they seemingly survive the impossible. FF14 is much better at handling its primary characters and even a lot of random sidequest NPCs than most games I’ve ever played, and the writing and build up in Endwalker is something that is just from a writing point of view astounding and impossible to recreate without the time and planning of potential plot hooks this game takes. Yet in spite of that, there is still flaws. Many, many flaws in this writing. The fact that it becomes arguably the best written thing I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing in all media is in testament to that. And the characters breathing proof of.

[@zzlai6235]

​@@rezahydra Actually, that is a fair assessment of things. A pitfall that FFXIV kinda falls into is that it is still susceptible to a lot of common narrative etropes, though they do try to subvert expectations at points, but some of the tropes can make parts of the story corny and as you said, diminish the value of certain plot points. However, given its flaws, FFXIV does tick many boxes for me from a narrative and writing point of view .

[@TristamWolf]

This scene is important enough to me that I have Haurchefant's damaged shield tattooed on my left inner arm, so that it is always close to my heart. His words have helped me through tough times even outside of the game.

[@ursulcx299]

The death of Haurchefant didnt hit me as hard as other did, I wasnt attached so much to him. I remember looking numbly at my screen and being angry and hurt, but I wasnt broken. Not yet. The moment that really got me was hearing the incredible performance by Edmond's VA, how he transmitted all that pain the character felt with just his voice. It wasnt the biggest hit ff14 gave me, not eve the biggest emotional hit for me in heavensward. But it was a turning point in me going from "This is a nice game I play with my friends" to "this is my favourite game"

[@Pintsize_Phoenix]

And this is why my FC and I scream “screw elf Pope” any time we go it Foundation.

[@Tolly7249]

That "NO!" is so real. Everyone knows this moment, everyone feels the pain. It's been almost a year and I'm still not over the shock and sadness. The new VAs really make the scene too. And then they went and made it hurt *worse* with the 6.1 updated version. EDIT: Once you reach the end of the 3.x patches, go look up a video or two about the Dragonsong Reprise Ultimate, trust me you'll enjoy it.

[@Ladywizard]

what's funny is they wouldn't've have to swap VAs except the old ones were part of the VA strike going on towards end of ARR patches

[@Howlflame]

A little context on why Haurchefant was stationed at Dragonhead: House Fortemps is basically border patrol, keeping an eye on people passing in and out of Ishgard. By what I understand (and I could be mixing this up with fanfics I've read), the second son of the house takes charge of Dragonhead. It wasn't Haurchefant getting shoved out of the way by being put in charge, it was more shocking that he was acknowledged as the second son by running the place. By all accounts, Emmanellain would've been put in that position under normal circumstances.

[@xiaocheng6643]

Regarding Haurchefant's deployment at Camp Dragonhead: It is heavily implied, Edmont's late wife, the mother of Artoirel and Emmanelain, resented Haurchefant's very existence as proof of her husband's unfaithfulness. Having him stationed outside of Ishgard was, in part, to keep him out of her sight and thus safe from potential attacks out of spite. Also, his brothers didn't have the best of relationships with him due to their mother's influence.

[@ragateguh2825]

The way healer cant bring back the dead because, that resurrection spell works because you are faint, knocked out, in a state of near death, not dead. That's why after you got resurrected, you got a debuff called brink of death. That's why healer (alphi) cant do much, even you as warrior of light. (If you play as healer there extra scene that your character try to heal him 😢 ) And do you know why there are red telegraphs on the floor when you fight something? It's because your power as a warrior of light, echo. That thing makes you see the past or present. That's why. How dev put that attention to detail so what you do in eorzia is strictly to the lore.

[@UnashamedlyHentai]

spoilers, but that's not entirely correct. the attack that killed him is Spear of Fury. zephirin does this attack in the thordan ex fight and (in addition to being a wipe mechanic if done wrong) it also applies a debuff that makes healing less effective. it is magically preventing magical healing.

[@faeb.9618]

just a small correction, after regular raise it's called weakness, brink of death is specific to blue mage after self destruct!

[@Chris_the_Weavile]

Brink of Death is if you go down with the Weakness debuff. I believe it's Brush with Death that's from the 3(?) Blue Mage abilities that KO you on use.

[@Kit-G]

This is one of the things I love about FFXIV. I've never had a game play on my feelings in the same way.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Never have I had a feeling like this in a game

[@dbuy3]

Welcome to FFXIV!

[@Raletia]

The Dark Knight questline? Written by Ishikawa. She goes on to write in part of Stormblood MSQ and then become the main writer in Shadowbringers. So expect more of the same.

[@Windupchronic]

Do you know which parts of Stormblood she wrote? Curious to know if it’s Fordola stuff, or maybe post Stormblood with a particularly annoying brother.

[@Raletia]

@@Windupchronic From the credits I could find, 4.0 second half(Doman) & Omega quests. She also apparently wrote the Coerthas Central Highlands quests in 2.0, as well as coils and crystal tower.

[@mhDarkWolf]

I cried like a baby during Shadowbringers. 😢

[@Ladywizard]

@@Raletia It was specifically the Steppes she was writing on and all patch questlines... the world builder was head on the rest

[@ReaverPrime]

As a former combat soldier who lost his best friend to an ambush in Iraq, this scene cut me deep. As an infinitely overprotective father whose entire life revolves around his kid, the scene with Count Edmont broke me.

[@CixiaKyrrah]

The amount of tears I've shed over this game would fill a bathtub at least. Haurchbro was the template for another fanboi in my opinion.

[@TheManBehindtheScreen]

Rest well, Haurchefant. We're still smiling for you.

[@LightbladeRiulo]

The kicker was back in the day Alphanaud didn’t heal him. This is brand new for the current versions. Just selling how desperate the situation was. It hurts harder. Yes they made the most heart wrenching scene hurt more. Yoshi-P is an emotional vampire confirmed. He himself enjoys watching the reactions to scenes like these.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Gah that makes it so much more serious. It really really does well convey the feeling of the moment

[@argentbast]

Heavensward is important because it disrupts the status quo so hard. ARR follows a very traditional MMO mold. Bad guys bad. Good guys good. You fight Gaius but it is no different from fighting any other expansion boss in other MMOs. Then, after 2.55 you are reduced down to nothing. Your entire assets are literally in one room: Alphinaud, Tataru, and Haurchefant. These three are now your core. You can rely on them. You can trust them. They are all you have. Only to have that taken away, too. This also turns your conflict with Thordan in a different direction. The Thousand Years War and the Ascians are there and still a problem, but you have one very specific old man that has a very specific target on his head. He could have the best reasons for doing what he's doing, but it does not matter. He killed our friend and now he's going to pay.

[@katarh]

Losing him wasn't even the first time this game broke my heart - that was when G'raha went into the Crystal Tower. But this time felt a lot more raw, because it was protecting YOU.

[@SigmaTheWhiteFlame]

Camp Dragon's Head is an honorable position. You see the offspring of the other High Houses overlooking other bases. It shows that Edmont respect to his son, despite his birth.

[@robikkupegasus7039]

This journey will be fun, it will be sad, it will be everything in between...and that is why we love it so. Welcome to FFXIV, one of my favourite pieces of storytelling in ANY media, it's truly something else.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

It's worth it. Despite any of the other aspects of the game the story is worth it

[@aerieleah533]

I think 14 leverages somethimg special about mmos. There is a reason I care about some of these characters so much. There's something special that happens when you see characters develop over the course of irl years. Alphy is a special example for me, because he has come so far even at the point you're at. He has grown so much here from the arrogant sod arr gave us

[@Lord_Calf]

Thats why he still is my #1 of the game, even after i finished Endwalker, even got myself a potrait of him IRL, this game / story is so touching like none i played before and i still cant see this scene without a tear in my eye and makes me nearly bawl with Count Edmont. Thanks alot for your video, have a great journey in FF14, greetings from EU Light Lich

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Such a well done story. Such an emotional take. Also greetings!

[@paine_inflicta]

I have seen this scene many times, both in my own playthroughs, and on reaction channels like yours, and it still is a massive gut punch every time. It is such a masterful piece of storytelling, and while there will always be those that are unmoved by it, this is the moment for a lot of people where they realise that Yoshi P isn't pulling his punches.

[@tlmaslar]

I did not expect to cry over this video, but here we are. Excellent work CaffDad. Your vacation is well earned. ~T.L.~

[@thyrussendria8198]

Rest in Peace, Haurchefant... A great knight, hero and friend...

[@akf_ua]

Had the honor and the pleasure of re-experiencing the whole thing with you and the other caffeinated folks right here live Feels awesome and a little bit starstruck to see my blurts in the chat box during the livestream pieces of the video Feels even better to be the one who suggested in the chat that you made a video on the Vault (yeah yeah I know you did have that in mind but still 👉🏼👈🏼😌) And finally, it feels absolutely amazing to have a person and a content creator like yourself firmly plunged into our FFXIV family Welcome! 🙌🏼 Once again… Thanks for being here and staying and putting in that work 🤙🏼

[@zrshade]

Going from The Vault to the DRK job quests was.... a journey. My character going from this gentle au'ra White Mage to a passionate, retribution seeking Dark Knight was my favorite arc I've had my character go through.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

It really flows... like really well!

[@Bardic_Knowledge]

Laughing at your reaction while crying at the scene itself. There's a scene later on where you get to choose to quote Haurchefant to someone in distress. I teared up instantly on seeing the quote. He made a lasting impression upon us all. May his memory be a blessing. Even if he's a video game character who can be alive again by starting a new game.

[@cooldog1994]

watching this with my haurchefant plushies, body pillow, keychains, it's safe to say that scene still fucks me up after all these years 😅 honestly, i think being put in charge of camp dragonhead was a position of honor for him, he definitely wanted to be on the front lines and not in the manor

[@Kitsune10060]

The death doesn't hit me like it used to. The scene after, with his father, THAT fucks me up way worse these days

[@70dark]

XIV has a lot of mounts but only Haurchefant's Black Chocobo Whistle has a permanent slot on my hotbar.

[@SailorSetsuna7]

People have already mentioned the part about healing from both Alphinaud and the player, were they one of the healing classes, but there's also one cruel joke in this situation when you play as Paladin What lvl is the Vault? 57 On what lvl do you unlock Clemency, the main PLD HP-recovering spell? 58

[@KyouTGD]

Welcome, buddy. I promise you, it gets worse. But we've been through it too, and we're here for ya.

[@Seedmember]

Ooh, they expanded the death scene. The line about the wound not healing wasn't there in the beginning. It was explained during gameplay that, that attack imposed a healing debuff, but a lot of people hadn't noticed it. Fun fact, when paladins got the ability to block magic attacks with their shields, people connected it lore wise to the WoL remembering this moment and developing the technique.

[@Altalus]

I played the Vault as a WHM. I was *SO* angry, repeating over and over again "I can heal him dammit, I can raise the dead, let me heal him !"

[@mr.mystere4999]

I can verify. I'm doing a very casual replay of FFXIV so I can experience all of the major MSQ changes firsthand. I got to this quest about three weeks ago. I knew what was coming and I was still not ready. The Vault still hit me pretty hard and the scene with Lord Edmont even harder.

[@mindfighter1]

Lord Edmont's reaction to the death gets me every time... Loved your break down of Haurchefant's character

[@Adrian-xn3ss]

It makes me so happy seeing another person experience the full emotional impact of this game's story. Enjoy the rest of the journey it just keeps getting better.

[@Alkiryas]

Dont be sad, here have some hot coco...

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Coffee.. I'll take the coffeee

[@alloounou6900]

That silent sit after the scene ended, not even attempting to move your character, said so much about how you felt at that moment.

[@OthelloSilvermoon]

We all suffered this pain, I had the very same reactions at first I was like you've got this Haurchefant you...*shield cracks* oh....god noooo.......... I just sobbed so hard at the "A smile better suits a hero" completely lost it bundle of tears for a few hours.

[@AzarathMetreon]

I’ll never forget how mad I was that this man died in my arms when I was literally a gat dang healer 😝

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Like cmon do the thing! Heal!

[@Prottoy959]

That scene hit me like a truck. He was the sole reason Me, Tataru and Alphi made it this far... He considered us "Hope incarnate". That set me up. Then after losing Ysale... I went on a murderous rampage in Azys La on the Garlean base for an hour or so, waiting for respawns, murdering them again and again... Until I was sated and turned in the quest. No videogame has done that to me before or since.

[@Neoarchon]

Ohh my sweet summer child, pain has just started, this is just the tip of the knife, it gets pushed, pulled, twisted and much more. Looking forward to you experiencing more content

[@vteccomplex]

*ARR Ranking video* "Personally I kinda forgot about him...he didnt really make an impression on me" I guess now you understand why people love him so much.

[@JenDeyan]

I always think of the Haurchefant as the Cheerleader of Light. He was always on our side, cheering us on, helping us in any way he could.

[@The_Real_Mr_Al]

1:52 Why did this give me "Oh my gosh, they killed Kenny! You bastards!" vibes? xD

[@leukos22]

I remember going through that scene ages ago and it didn't really hit me in the moment as it happened. I was left stewing with what happened and like you I went to my quest journal, noticed the title, read the summary and then walked in to House Fortemps Manor. It really has to be said just how good of a performance Edmond Fortemps' VA did in that scene because stern and honorable facade masked his quivering voice followed by his body crumbling into the ground really cemented the gravity of the situation. It's something that feels so rare for a video game - let alone an MMO.

[@user-qi7wt4xn1m]

what really broke me was when you talk to Edmont

[@NakuruKouChannel]

You've just hit the "welcome to Heavensward" moment :) it will get better

[@discountdisco2273]

This is FFXIV's general "gloves are off" moment. This exact moment showed that the game is serious.

[@KintokiSan]

I think the first time I saw this scene it didn't really hit me how significant it was at first. I was still suspicious of every new character after the bloody banquet. I was like "why does this random noble family risk so much for me/us after I did 1 thing for haurchefant 1 time?" to the point of him laying down his life for us. but the moment I saw lord edmont break down I realized how important this moment was. that these are just genuinely good people who want the war to end. the writing got so good in heavensward that it's still my #2 expansion right after shadowbringers.

[@angelusgaston5922]

Its been I think 8 years since I did Heavensward and I still get teary eyed every time I see that scene or hear his voice. He was the first person who treated you as a friend and not just the Warrior of Light. Also the fact we lost such a wonderful person in Edmonts VA it's double pain hearing such raw emotion on that scene. Honestly this game has made me laugh but mostly cry because they make you fall in love with all the characters.

[@desdenova1]

"Why does this hurt...?" Ishikawa: "Yes."

[@XxUchihamistressxX]

I started in 2016, this was the fresh content. When I first saw this I was a bawling inconsolable mess and I needed to put the game down for a moment. Nothing and I mean *NOTHING* has ever moved me to the level of distress this one incident has done to me. And to this day, every time I see this I get choked up. This is what has cemented FFXIV as an unforgettable iconic masterpiece for me. Every time. RIP my beloved Haurchefant.

[@ninjafoxgamesgeekery]

While "The Parting Glass" is a shocking moment, I think The Vault's conclusion is the first really emotional gut punch the game gives you.... the first, but most certainly not the last. Edmont's performance is up there with Bernard Hill's Theoden for me. "No parent should have to bury their child."

[@FelixSunblade]

After all this time I still cry watching that scene. When he says "A smile better suits a hero" I just lose it man.

[@cocotaem5101]

His death didn’t land that much for me. Edmont’s response though THAT killed me 💔

[@moontalon3124]

My late teens and early adult life were spent playing Mass Effect from the day the first one came out all the way through to Andromeda, and some of the deaths in Mass Effect 3 absolutely GUTTED me. I had come to feel like these characters I'd spent several years getting to know were a big part of my life. It's incredible what good writing and character development to make you feel for a fictional character that doesn't actually exist.

[@gabryalservus157]

The only game before this one that made me feel the emotion behind its story was Halo Reach. Its wasn’t so much that I was sad (playing the other games you know whats coming) its more the feeling that desperate struggle that was ultimately futile, and the determination to carry on regardless. But I was able to just continue playing anyway as it was ultimately still just a game to me. For FFXIV, this moment was the first time I had to stop playing for a moment. I sat back in my chair, surprised by how much I gave a crap, I felt actual loss for Haurchefant. And I think it’s because, unlike other games where the character you play has their own story, or that your character isn’t really involved with the big events (a bit like wow, even though you and your group kill insert boss here), in FF your character’s journey is also your journey. A lot of us project ourselves onto our characters, and so we become a little more immersed in the story.

[@Tolly7249]

For me Haurchefant was like reliving the first time a game really, *truly* shocked and hurt me. Playing Phantasy Star 4 way back in the day, you come to a point where a character who's been there with you since the beginning and been a guiding force takes a hit for you, and you go on a desperate quest to find a cure. Only... when you return, it's too late, and they die in the main character's arms. As a teenager (yeah I'm probably the same age as our beloved caffiene father figure), it broke me. I didn't know games could DO that. And then more than twenty years later, along came Haurchefant and it was like being that sobbing teenager all over again, having my heart broken. FFXIV is *so* good.

[@MeilaPeterson]

omg your HERE NOW CONGRATS!! and i love to say it but.... it only gets better lol

[@filipvadas7602]

Haurchefant's death hurts, but Edmont breaking down after trying so hard to keep it together hits my heart in the d!ck EVERY TIME!

[@katnerd6712]

Heavensward: A Tale of Bastards and Orphans. Pretty much what it was about.

[@northslate4850]

As someone who started playing on Xbox launch, can anyone tell me if this game stops making me cry?

[@ericrose290]

The game will stop making you cry when you run out of tears😭

[@michaelstiller2282]

Yeah it doesn't stop.

[@orciencor6001]

Indeed, even when you think you have no more, it will find them. However, the *reason* it makes you cry will vary throughout. It's not always someone's death. So much to look forward to there.

[@simplydarkness2363]

It doesn't stop, it will continue to hurt. I would recommend a fuzzy blanket for future content and a possible plushie.

[@Tolly7249]

No. Never.

[@leristamerello8225]

One of the few times I ever cried about a video game character...not the last when it came to FF...but still one of the first. Its been a long time, but when my little sister passed it was one of the only times I saw my dad break down like that.

[@Mystical_Goddess]

I have played through the story on 3 different characters because I love the story so much, and even now watching this I cried yet again. This story always gives me massive feels, and connections the the characters.

[@vdinh143]

I really like your take on Haurchefant as a person. Most people just see him as a brother but he really is a true hero through and through

[@Blazieth]

What makes this whole thing cut deeper is that if you do the Vault in Duty Support... Haurchefant is your tank, unless you yourself are tanking, in which case he simply comes as Sword & Shield DPS.

[@KumquatPornography]

i played this part ages before the duty support thing... i didn't know this... agh.. .achhg... owff ow...

[@NightBane345]

Hehe, get ready for an even bigger roller-coaster ride of emotions. I can proudly admit, at times I've cried from the story of FF14

[@nikkbertschman2200]

Welcome to FFXIV. You’ve been playing a while but this is the moment that hit us all.

[@Steve-YT383]

Even ready to walk into Dawntrail, this scene still hurts the same as it did my first run 😢

[@bookwyrm5799]

i cried for Haurchefant and just kept crying all the way through to the credits and then edmont too just shattered me completely

[@lilik.3327]

My character is an Elezen, an exiled knight from Ishgard. He hides his origins through ARR and only in Ishgard, is when Alphinaud and Tataru connect the dots. Now here is the thing. Throughout the journey my character has mostly been this stoic workhorse but the banquet and what came after gutted him. The betrayal, the feeling of "I gave everything I had for Eorzea, to kill primals and bring peace and THIS is what I get? How can all these people think, let alone believe I'd be the one to assassinate the Sultana?", were already making him angry inside but as a knight, a protector of the people he pushed it deep down. He had to soldier on, he had to protect Alphinaud and Tataru no matter what. Then he gets swept up in Ishgardian politics yet again, journeys to places he never thought he'd see again (Sea of Clouds), uncovers a conspiracy that upends his and Ishgard's foundations of beliefs... And throughout the entire journey, Haurchefant was by his side. Haurchefant, another outcast. Haurchefant took the position at Dragonhead in stride and under his leadership the outpost thrives. Haurchefant is an example, an inspiration to keep going because a knight lives to serve, a knight is an indomitable force that cannot be brought down by something as simple as despair. Haurchefant shows my WOL that being idealistic about knighthood, protecting others is not far-fetched or fairytale like. And then this happens. I cannot describe the anger, the grief, the hurt. The Bishop and all his knights were as good as dead, living on borrowed time at that point. My WOL made it his mission to finish this farce, rebuild and carry on as Haurchefant would expect him to. It's the least he can do to honor his legacy.

[@TheIndigoEclipse]

I've played so many MMOs prior to FF14 that I tried to burn through ARR as fast as I could to reach 'end game' like I've been trained to do. But Heavensward is where I started to slow down and realized, wait, there's actual good story here! And ooooh, boy, Heavensward just continues to improve as it goes. Stormblood was... okay. But Shadowbringers onwards? What a roller coaster. This game will make you feel things.

[@bladethewolfartist7095]

This man who is not fully recognized as a fortempt went to his father a begged of him to grant you sanctuary despite everything. It just shows how much this man cared for not his potential title but for you and all the other people with convictions. His men if you visit them at camp dragonhead and speak to them just after the vault are in a state of shock and denial and it hurts to see.

[@tokyogirl345]

For me, I was spoiled and knew he would die; yet I was never told how. When this happened… it took me off guard. I didn’t think it would be this way. Yet then I realized it was foreshadowed. Think back to what happens before the vault, the solo battle instance at the bar? Haurchefaunt showing up? If you’re playing either a healer or dps… he shields you from incoming attacks. Then combining his words with his father… I cried even more.

[@RabidJohn]

FFXIV has some of the most surprisingly effective storytelling of any medium.

[@celanis7164]

Fun fact, the healing bit was added later I imagine the developers thought that a lot of players came through here with confused feelings as a healer. Yeah, this game can really grab you. Enjoy!

[@LivvieLynn]

There's even a player I believe on Primal who just RPs as Haurchefant on this map. It's a bit cringe but kind of endearing in a... concerning way.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

It's their time too lol

[@DaddyAsh3r]

Oh my sweet summer child. You have no idea what’s coming for you. The tears you will shed, the heartbreak you will experience and the shouts of joy you will cry. This game is truly one of a kind and I can’t wait to see you experience more of it.

[@squaretex]

Insanity - repeating the same task over and over, hoping for a different outcome. Like going into ANOTHER Vault video thinking "Maybe I won't start crying this time." ;P

[@CaffeinatedDad]

Maybe, there's a chance!

[@deadkodo]

It has been a long time since I have seen a reaction to this scene. Thie storytelling makes you care about the characters in the game. They are all so well written and the story is just so good. Thanks for posting your thoughts.

[@Shiirow]

probably because you know this character, youve engaged with them on a personal level and youve grown an attachment to them. unlike other games where the characters have zero actual character and simply monologue at you in some grandiose way as they task you with collecting bear asses or digging through poop for seeds. With XIV, they treat these digital characters as if they are real people, with real thoughts and feelings, so you start to identify with them as real people, having real feelings well up inside of you when one of them passes.

[@deiraredfern]

Someday I will be able to watch this without being affected... after how many times.... nope, forget it, always will be.

[@CaffeinatedDad]

It's going to be that way because your tied into the game. It's very well done

[@fangikun1791]

I've seen this scene countless times and it still hits as hard.

[@ericramirez2608]

As wonderfully tragic as this is; this is not even in my top 10 emotional tearful moments. I’m looking forward to your continued journey.

[@Teachidoll]

It's almost been 9 years and it still hasn't gotten easier.

[@sansfangirl4life439]

this scene breaks so many :'3 originally Alphinaud wasn't in this scene, but because of the trust system, they added him and to me, this makes it twice as impactful.

[@IRCannonFodder]

I hate that I missed this moment on stream. The moment hits hard for so many that pay attention to the story.

[@Someone-dv7hw]

O.o the healing scene is new! I didn't know that. But it is so nice that they did that. No plothole to be found now. Especially since it also perfectly links into the ex (I recently learned of THAT mechanic thx to mentor roulette, and I even was the off tank q.q).

[@raptorixrappy]

In the FFXIV Ishgard lore, the heads of the four main houses are usually in arranged marriages, and are expected to produce an Heir, a Spare, and whatever extra children born by mistresses are expected to train as knights for the front lines. Haurchefant is not uncommon being a bastard child of a noble. However, Lord Edmond's treatment of Haurchefant is a bit more compassionate than other known nobles. I imagine Lord Edmond set up Haurchefant as the commander of Camp Dragonhead so he wouldn't be directly on the front lines. Also Haurchefant's compassionate nature made him more amicable with the neighbors and traders, keeping isolationist tensions lower. I interpret that Lord Edmond was so devastated by Haurchefant's loss because he seemed to honestly love him as a son, even though society would not allow him to treat him as an equal to his other sons. It's also likely Haurchefant's mother was a mistress that Lord Edmond truly loved, compared to his wife that he was intentionally matched to.

[@maraacoma5121]

Haurchefaunt teaches us the importance of dodging mechanics.