Dragon Time - Heavensward Part 2

[@chrisbaldwin8570]

The 12 knights and King Thordan not only devoured the Eyes but the flesh and body of Ratatoskr, as told "And then fed upon her in the manner of beasts". The dragonic essence empowered the knights and their descendants as Thordan hoped, but the dragonic life force can be awoken through the induction of another source of dragonic life force. After so many generations pretty much everyone in isolationist Ishgard is related to the 12 Knights in some fashion.

[@thedragon133]

In other words... Sweet home Alabama! :D (I know, I know, generations and a big enough population, but the joke was too easy to pass up on :-P )

[@solusgamer164]

@@thedragon133 , not even close. A sweet home Alabama situation would require that the surviving knights were all siblings or something, but it's way too far away from that kind of situation to make the connection. There were several surviving knights of different houses. All partook of the feast, but only the 4 main houses stayed in power. After 1000 years, all the immigrants into Ishgard would have in some way or another had relations with descendants of all the surviving knights that had also eaten Ratataskr's flesh. So yea, not a sweet home Alabama situation at all.

[@SSDexter99]

@@thedragon133 More like a Genghis Khan in Russia situation

[@RyushiroK]

"We very rarely meet people who are genuinely stupid and easy to fool" Oh, I see you haven't played the Hildibrand questline xD

[@Illicien]

This was literally my first thought when they said that. Just straight up "Oh, you haven't met Hildibrand yet. Gotcha."

[@azurechan]

it's rare because any NPCs that would apply to are in the Hildibrand quest line, XD I mean that they are all concentrated in that one area.

[@Mhantrax]

Haha, omg, Hildabrand quest line rules.

[@qixaqyx]

And we're getting more!!!!

[@pinkchckn]

Small detail about Estinien telling people that they're not cool enough to fight dragons. Estinien thinks so highly of dragoons that if you are one during heavensward he'll refer to you as "azure dragoon" instead of "warrior of light".

[@Amovetv]

It's like Jeep owners waving to other Jeep owners on the road.

[@Zash0000]

The crystals were put out by Midgardsomr during the Keeper of the Lake duty. He wants to see if you (and by extension, humanity as a whole) are worth his aid, and it is not just the blessing of the light that is propelling you.

[@Ower8x]

And as you grow beyond your own limits, on your own you are breaking through the block he put there, one by one, reclaiming the blessing of light one crystal at a time

[@sorleytarrys8501]

And also If you can Break His Seal.

[@katarh]

Knowing what we know about Middy, Hydalaen, and everything else post Endwalker, it's also proof that as strong as Midgardsormr is, Hydalaen is that much more powerful. His seal can't overcome her magic indefinitely.

[@Arrek8585]

So at this point now you know the truth of FF14. It is simply this, "Insert emotional knife, TWIST!"

[@Ajguy]

The end of the Vault is what solidified this as one of my favorite games. That whole story beat hit me like a truck.

[@CloverJuice]

Not as hard as a certain elezen.

[@Ajguy]

@@CloverJuice 😭

[@LoboDiablo75]

To clarify, Lahabrea has always referred to 'us' as the Bringer of Light. You can even hear him say it during his speech in Praetorium

[@MrMiQT]

Recently, the voice actor for Lord Tortemps passed away. The community reacted with lines of vigil at the Manor, everyone as PLD glamoring Haurchefant’s shield. Very powerful tribute.

[@FreiCasull]

I remember doing this on AST and felt similar about not being able to heal him. One thing I later realized as I messed with more jobs and got further into the world building of FFXIV, White magic can only heal minor wounds and major wounds require rest and recoup as shown in several instances. Wounds that are much deeper, that causes a lose of limbs, permanent disabilities, or are fatal wounds aren't healable via white magic. Raises won't raise the dead either, they only recover someone who has been knocked out. The same description is present on the Phoenix down in the game which is one of the few items outside of healers that can raise someone.

[@Wuffskers]

it kind of has to be that way because with the amount of healers going around even just among the scions (Y'shtola, Alphinaud, and later Krile and Urianger), if healers could heal fatal wounds or even raise the dead then it becomes hard to have actual stakes, even if you just remove raise as a revival spell but have the other spells still be strong heals moments like with Hauchefant can't really happen, because someone could just heal him lol.

[@AStrangeWindmill]

@@Wuffskers Ironically, there probably are some truly gifted healers out there who _could_ have saved H, and maybe he could've lived if he had gotten swift and significant medical attention. But even as a healing class, you're a field medic, not a fully stocked hospital.

[@Roymoney1998]

That move in particular shows up later and when you get hit with it it nerfs all healing that can be done. This tracks because it was a spell DESIGNED to kill your character, a person with natural regen abilities so even if ya tried he was dead.

[@KMCA779]

@@AStrangeWindmill fun fact: that attack has a healing debuff in the extreme trial.

[@sleepysera]

One thing to keep in mind with healing magic (and resurrection, for that matter) is that they can't LITERALLY bring someone back from death. They can heal some wounds and ailments, but if someone is very gravely injured, poisoned, etc. healing magic isn't gonna save them. In much the same way, resurrection, phoenix feathers and tonics bring someone back who has passed out, not who has actually died. There's a bit of extra lore in this specific case, that the knight who threw the lance has an ability that puts an anti-healing magic debuff on their target, but I think it's safe to say that even without that, Haurchefant was safely in the realm of "wounds too grave for healing magic to work" 🙂

[@NakuruKouChannel]

please, a rule to live by: if you don't want to be spoiled, do not, EVER, i repeat, DO NOT EVER look up ANY CHARACTER, EVER. EVEN IF YOU THINK IT'S SAFE. you are never safe.

[@Dyneamaeus]

See, I took Hraesvelgr's explanation of dragon memories less as 'it was like yesterday to us' and more akin with Midgardsormyr's previous explanation of 'dragons just don't move on until they get what they want.' Their emotions just don't fade without closure. That also somewhat explains why Hraes ate Shiva, he just could not let her go. As for the super knights, pray return to Praetorium, professor Van Belsar has an excellent lecture on the subject.

[@ralstlin939]

I loved your speculations for the bishop, I can only smile for you guys, we will meet again with your video at the end of HW :)

[@josiahneff719]

Was just thinking the same thing. The next video is going to be a fun one.

[@SadGirlXandra]

I swear I actually cried for Haurchefant. I was shocked and was thinking…. Did they really just do that to an important character????? And when warrior of light grabbed his hand I was sobbing.

[@zfezzani]

Best intro yet xD Note : At the end, with best boi's death, there's actually canon mechanics in the game (at the time of the HW expansion) that explains it. Paladins in Heavensward didn't have any magical defense reduction and that knight's attack was a mix of physical and magical LB prompt. They changed it in later patches as Paladins trained to overcome that weakness in lore. 2nd note : Even as a healer you couldn't have done anything, as in the world's lore when you're actually healing and rezzing the other players arenever in danger of death, more like being unconscious. As a healer you can never rez back people that actually died :(

[@udiar]

Also the attack used by the knight when you is used in an ex fight and if it hits a player you can read the tool tip and it tells you it prevents healing

[@Amovetv]

Best boi is a great term to skirt spoilers. Shall adopt.

[@tylerbaker2405]

@@Amovetv Title may change hands a few times. If mentioned in current content, people will likely think of a certain WoL fanboy.

[@princessjello]

Ain't gonna stop edda from trying to tho (lol?)

[@specialnewb9821]

@@tylerbaker2405 Honestly it could be one of several people but yes I thought of that one too

[@inoob26]

Funny that you mentioned how party members having no business being there in canon while one of the future dungeons canonically has one of your teammates being there because they happened to be on a fishing trip and decided to join you

[@LovelyRitaholic]

One thing I really like about FFXIV dragons as a dragon lore nerd is the accuracy of dragon classifications. The wyverns have two legs and arms with wings attached, dragons are "true dragons" with 4 legs and wings, drakes have 4 legs and no wings, cockatrices are mini wyverns, Amphitheres have no legs and wings and wyrms are legless and wingless. This is extremely nerdy but I just love when properties take the time to get these details right I can't tell you how many times a game / movie / tv show will be like "Dragons!" And I just sit there like "that's a wyvern >:(" because I enjoy pedantry lol

[@mohidwaseem7997]

Okay, god tier intros and thumbnails! It has now come to the point where I have all notifications on your channel enabled and actively wait for your videos/streams. Note 1: They did literally kill the sister and ate her eyes. Note 2: "Lolorito knows how to play the game that Taledji didn't." is the best description for him.

[@Amovetv]

Note 1 response: Gross.

[@ancientspark375]

So to clarify the Omega point - this happened during ARR patch content (yeah, I know, it's so easy to tune out that it's easy to miss). Basically, where Omega is stored (Carteneau) is so contentious among the Alliance members that they literally have a pact that any warfare between them in Carteneau will not be considered an act of war (this also happens to be the excuse as to why PvP can take place). This is intensified after you beat Gaius and it becomes clear what Allagan technology means (i.e., Ultima Weapon) - in fact, Gaius' efforts is what allows the Alliance to translate the texts required for them to discover Omega Weapon down there, so Carteneau is even MORE of a shitshow now. Part of the patch content explains Lolorito's plan was to send a huge portion of their refugee portion up to Carteneau and then claim it as a colony - that way, if the other Alliance members complain about imperialism, Lolorito can claim humanitarian efforts and go "Oh no, how cruel you all are" to them.

[@RothAnim]

Correction, not Lolorito's plan, Teledji's plan. Take in the refugees, precipitate a crisis, take over Cartineau as a place for the refugees to live, then use that to claim Omega for himself. When the Scions interrupted that plan, Teledji tried to assassinate the Sultana and blame us. Lolorito figured that out, then swapped the lethal poison for a sleeping potion. He probably intended to play along with Teledji until he tipped his hand, then revive the Sultana and clear the Scions, leaving us all in his debt. But instead, Raubaun murdered Teledji in a rage, and we escaped. I think maybe both of them had influence with the Braves, with Ilberd playing both sides to fund his revolution/revenge.

[@Salt_Mage]

Omega, not Omega Weapon, which is entirely unrelated and not even in this game.

[@samyie3279]

Was about to comment this much more clumsily. Tyty!

[@miridarkstar4769]

I love hearing you two discuss this. I still consider my character a Haucherfant widow btw. One thing about this story - remember as MUCH as you can. I mained a SCH at the time and yeah - I was like, come on - I've got heals, I've got rezzes! Hit like a freight train. Enjoy the rest of the roller coaster!

[@AyameAkito]

Being tanking the floor and being mortally wounded are 2 very different things is heavily implied that restorative magic can't bring people from the dead unlike in D&D or in WoW where when you die you become a ghost until you get back to your body.

[@Ziyanani]

Having to go tell his father broke me, seeing him go to save us was bad enough but then having to go and tell his father was absolutely awful. I was a WHM for most of HW, I was so upset that i couldn't help him.. I know it gets explained later that the magic in the spear is something that can't be healed but damn it I liked him, he was always so kind.

[@AyameAkito]

@@Ziyanani I don't think the amount of people that didn't feel a connection with Lord Haurchefant Greystone is any larger than 5% of the playerbase, most players, streamers and other content creators where touched by the gentle knight that befriend us, that took us in when no one would have done anything for us, was truely one of the most brilliant and loyal friends we have ever have, there is a reason why his Death and his words haunt us to this day the people in charge of the story know that.

[@silentsnow9254]

I played through The Vault 3 days ago and I am STILL reeling from his death. Major emotional damage.

[@ReaverPrime]

Regarding the "gather your crew" gripe, don't worry boys. There is a very clever way the writers make duty finder canon later on.

[@specialnewb9821]

I think even this is saying too much.

[@ThemisElidibun]

As you carry on through the game you'll understand more why the Ascian's call you something different than Warrior of Light. My kid and I just did the vault yesterday, I am playing through MSQ again with him, this death is the single hardest death for me in the game until Shadowbringers. My kiddo bawled his heart out. I really believe the story grows if you replay it at least once, Yoshi reads mystery novels and has said he felt this game should be like one, and after you play back through it you'll really get to see stuff you hadn't even noticed or thought was significant at all. We love watching you guys talk about the game!

[@Blitzwaffen]

Healing mechanics in FFXIV: Healing does not restore injuries purely through magic. It enhances and speeds up the natural healing of the body. That is to say, not everything can be fixed with healing and this is why surgeons and doctors still exist. Major wounds such as the loss of a limb or a hole through the stomach and all those vital organs, cannot just be healed up good as new. This is why Raubahn is still missing an arm after it was cut off. Speeding up a body's natural healing cannot heal what the body is now currently missing. Raise/Resurrection is not a "revive the dead" spell you nearly rouse people who have fallen unconscious. The only ones that can raise the dead are necromancers and the risen dead are then zombies/skeletons/etc. Not actually alive.

[@Valkross9]

I always thought that resurrection magic only works by invoking the power of the echo. That's why, as far as I remember, we have only resurrected other WoL's. I can't remember an instance where we resurrect an NPC.

[@Blitzwaffen]

@@Valkross9 Nope. As explained in the Conjurer's quest line Raise merely awakens those that have fallen unconscious. The skill has nothing to do with our echo ability.

[@sleepythemis]

@@Valkross9 You're thinking of (SPOILERS) . . . . . . . the Ascians/Ancients using their "Echo" to survive the deaths of their physical bodies, probably.

[@anniel9416]

It's always so fun seeing the game through the eyes of newcomers. I can't wait to see what you two think about Stormblood, let alone Shadowbringers or Endwalker! The story just keeps getting better and better imo.

[@SpideyCU]

Having only gone through HW recently myself as a shiny sprout, many of the questions that you guys are asking were in my head as well. It's kind of interesting for me to consider the times when I'm confused, but my character is also SUPPOSED to be confused, versus times where I'm confused and I may have misinterpreted something.

[@Amovetv]

This! I think I have a lot of self-doubt in my own ability to keep the story straight. Mostly I'm just worried of saying something profoundly dumb on one of these videos. But so far everyone in the comments are stoked to share spoiler-free explainers when I get something wrong instead of dragging me over the lore coals. Good people. -Garrett

[@seekittycat]

I love Ysayle and how she loves moogles because moogles are cute and fluffy. For me that's a reminder from the game that she has a naive and very soft side.

[@Amovetv]

Ysayle might be my favorite character at the moment. -Garrett

[@erockbaby3000]

Ysayle’s reaction to meeting the Moogles is so cute & hilarious

[@arathain2]

@@Amovetv If you want to really get Ysayle, listen to Oblivion, Shiva's iconic phase 2 theme. It's sung in her voice, and the lyrics give a strong sense of her. As for the choice of genre... Look past the cool demeanour and the formal Elezen prose. She's a punk at heart. Screw the system, screw her elders, screw the patriarchy. She'll bring it all down for the truth and justice in her heart. Seeing her reassemble herself after that truth is shattered is inspiring.

[@maik5201]

15:24 idk if you noted but the leftside elezen female is Alianne whom you know because she appears around your first trip to sastasha along with edda's party. She was with her grandfather.

[@JenDeyan]

You are thinking of Liavinne. Liavinne ends up dying in the attack on the Waking Sands and shows up again as boss in Tam-Tara Deepcroft (Hard). Alianne first shows up as part of the Crystal Braves.

[@Salt_Mage]

Alianne was outside Sastasha as well, with her grandfather.

[@maik5201]

@@JenDeyan there's 2 groups outside sastasha. edda's party and alianne+ grampa

[@JenDeyan]

@@maik5201 Was she? Thanks. I missed that completely.

[@LadyFrostbite]

@@JenDeyan She and Isildaure are outside Tam-tara with Dolorous Bear's group.

[@LukeGarou]

Haurchefant may have been the first time you cried in this game, but I promise you it certainly will not be the last.

[@Ziyanani]

Alphie grows on you, partly you get to see the world kick the smug out of him which makes him kind of endearing. He learns and grows through the journey in heavensward, its nice.

[@Xilibrius]

I've really enjoyed your guy's journey and the way you break down your experience bit by bit and showing relevant scenes. I really hope you guys continue through all the way I know I'll be there every video for sure!

[@AyameAkito]

Just to be clear about the Crystals of Ligh being lit again is because Midgardsormr basically put a wall around the Blessing of Light which turned them off, they regaining their light means you are growing bot stronger and closer to the Light. Edit: Lahabrea calls your character Bringer of Light, he always has called the player character that, if you rewatch the cutscene before fighting him at the end of Praetorium he says "It is past time your flame was extinguished... Bringer of Light"

[@Skye_Blue]

28:00 Ha. This scene is where I noticed how the writing treats tropes. Like, whenever it employs them, they tend to either smack them down immediately so that they don't outstay their welcome, or the characters are really smart about them and they're handled in a way that makes sense. With Aymeric knowingly walking into danger despite everyone's warnings, it says a lot about his character and the Holy See. Other RPGs might have taken that scene and been like, "Oh yeah? Good luck, I'll catch you later." Then the characters woulda been surprised when they got word that things went south.

[@williamklett6660]

Notice how originally the crystals surround you and empower you. Now, you are empowering them...

[@kingdaphnes]

I'll say this, you are going to have sooooo many Harchefaunt dialogue options from now on. Man was a mine of inspirational quotes.

[@bakashinobi42]

RE the knights super mode: you might have enough information now to guess exactly what it is, but if you keep playing, you'll definitely know by the end (i.e., you may have missed a little bit not an exhaustive reveal) Also, syndicate meeting summary: in ARR patch content, it's stated that omega is a super weapon buried under Cartenau. What's you've missed outside of story is that this was one of the first PvP modes added to the game so there was established literal fighting between grand companies over Cartenau

[@WillKazeOh]

When it comes to the unexplained other players joining you in dungeons, even though the story specifically says it's just you that's supposed to go do things, they do that all the way until Stormblood if I recall, then they have instances of NPCs saying you should gather a party or something along those lines, so they DID notice the same weird problem and tried to fix it.

[@jacobb5484]

And in most situations when gathering a party is impossible due to the urgency or location they even provide a different explanation.

[@muzomuhlevilane3381]

Ysayle's character arc was so so good. I love her so so much. The build to The Vault and "a smile better better suits a hero" was brutal. The story just keeps going from here. Hope y'all continue to enjoy the ride Side note: At the end of Praetorium Lahabrea (as Thancred) referred to you as the Bringer of Light. So yes, he does plan on killing you (Warrior of Light)

[@mihaiflorentin88]

The Alphinaud story is a cinematographic trick that Square Enix played perfectly. In order to have a good character development you must give the audience reasons to hate him. Because those reasons were controlled by them, then they can also control what comes next in order to make the character grow.

[@cynicalmanatee]

With the crystal relighting, when you first meet midgardsomr, he thinks that you are being defined by a blessing you did not earn. He takes your blessing away as a test to see how much of what you are doing is because you have the conviction, vs crystal mommy told you to. Also, you guys should definately come back to zenith and complete the flying requirements. You can fly to the top of the big tower where you meet hresvelgr, and it is a breath taking view up there. I would highly recomment going up there around day break so you can see what the region looks like in the dark and stay for the sunrise.

[@midnightmiqo]

Still love these videos! Keep 'em coming! A general rule, don't worry if you missed something. If it is important enough, the game is very good at reminding you, and even connecting the dots for you in case you didn't yourself. You may miss coloring/filler to those points, but I find it just as satisfying, moreso even, when I get these after the fact. I think that is what makes watching new people go through this game so enjoyable (besides the shared trauma). There are layers upon layers upon layers of clues. From set design, to weather description, key items description, to random NPC dialogue. It all is there to serve a purpose, and nearly impossible to catch it all your first time through, so there is often a new revelation to enjoy while also reliving moments that hit you on an emotional level. I honestly believe that FF14 is emotional storytelling at it's best. Cheers until next video.

[@Illicien]

I scrolled way too far into the comments and haven't seen one person say it, so I'll do it. "A smile better suits a hero." is a line that, to this day, devastates players who went through Heavensward, and has been adopted by the community with regards to spoiler culture into "A smile better suits a spoiler." So if you guys ever ask a question and just see smiley faces in response, that's the community's way of going "You've asked a question that can't be answered without spoilers." I'm excited to see you guys adventure into Azys Lla and beyond!

[@Amovetv]

This is a great community behavior. Appreciate the history.

[@elixwhitetail]

It's also worth noting that, if they know what they're doing, commenters will give :) in response to all forms of future speculation whether the guesser is on the right track or not. That way seeing :) isn't an immediate spoiler in and of itself that tells the person they're right, but a statement of "we can't talk about this, you'll just have to find out".

[@Xaldarus]

I always find it interesting after watching so many streamers and KZbinrs go through the MSQ, just how many pieces of information are missed which RADICALLY alters their literal world view on the game.

[@altairscauldron9776]

That was a good discussion I really like you guys discussing about story and lore, my most anticipated video everyweek tbh. I'm too far ahead while my fried just started Shadowbringers which makes it hard us to have this kind of discussion without me accidentally spoiling him

[@Tsuna_SoulSilver]

Me hearing your predictions: Ah this put a smile on my face :)

[@thest0mpa]

Azys Lla is one of my favorite places in this game i hope you enjoy it and your predictions are so nice to see knowing what is gonna happen what you got right and what you got wrong is very interesting i hope you end up enjoying it

[@SeaborneWhale]

Ascians have different language for some things, they meant you when they said ‘Bringer of Light’, and the big energy javelin was meant for you (and absolutely would have killed you, as a sidenote!) ((And as an extra sidenote, it’s an ability that disables Healing, which is why you can’t help as a healer))

[@Redblaze27]

Yeah, its more them just being smug in regards to addressing you.

[@whothewu]

Fun little fact is what that title means in Latin

[@TheHolymadrix]

You guys are in for a treat, cant wait until you have more to discuss. About the random brave characters, you can talk to them anytime you return and they will have stories and lore. Really feels like the world is moving and not just your character. Got some great music coming up soon for you too, HW is just fantastic.

[@saulmadrid9950]

It's good to know you guys are getting a good grasp of the primal lore this far into HW. Another zone you are going to visit in the expansion, Azys Lla will talk a bit more about Dalamud, similar what's been explained at your chat w/ Hraesvelgr.

[@jedison2441]

One thing I am like withFF14 is the story quest never have a go kill (100) x creatures. Even if you have to something tedious it's like 5 things max.

[@Theheadless1858]

I think I might be misremembering but I believe the Padjali's immortality is tied to their presence in the forest. They can only leave if granted leave by the elementals for specific tasks or periods of time or else they age/die rapidly. This means Kan-E-Senna cannot leave the forest at will and more importantly she can do nothing without the elemental's permission which really limits any involvement with the MSQ. The other leaders are people, somewhat limited by their roles but ultimately free to do as they please. Kan-E-Senna is closer to a mystical being that obeys other rules.

[@soulnullify]

Everyone does Kan-E-Senna dirty and discounts her. She was the first to declare war on the Garleans at the end of ARR which convinced the rest into action. She's a bad ass.

[@elixwhitetail]

The elementals are screwy and pretty messed up, too. Leaving aside the whole thing with Odin and how the Black Shroud just randomly has a dark divinity roaming around committing mass murder, there are parents in Gridania arguing with a representative of the conjurers' guild because the conjurers are refusing to treat their child and are leaving her to die because "it is the will" of the elementals. Pretty much, our forest gods say your kid should die, sorry for the inconvenience. As a WHM this always made me uncomfortable.

[@qamarqammar7629]

Particularly poignant when we learn later that ... spoilers here.... Kan-E Senna originally did not want to be a Padjal but wanted to be more or less an Adventurer. Someone with an adventurous spirit not unlike our own but who accepted her role and stayed in the forest.

[@qamarqammar7629]

@@elixwhitetail I liked that they showed this side of things. Forests in fantasy stories are often Paradises of Perfect Harmony. But 14 shows us a more nuanced view: People can't live without respect and even love for the natural world, but nature is indifferent to human desires. Disobey their elemental laws and everyone goes back to living underground in bunkers. FF14 shows us the dark side of the city states right away in ARR - Ul'dah is an oligarchy with a sham monarchy, Limsa oppresses the Tribes, and Gridania is an ecological dictatorship. But we find a way to work with all of these people.

[@dustinmiller6364]

Always excited to see a new video! Hope you guys are loving the game and your journey through it.

[@hectortoledo8938]

On the healing Haurchefaunt part...it's a easy to miss, and a little spoilers of how the Lance works and it's not explained until a savage fight. But the Lance power basically negates healing power and it's force is too strong for a single person to take alone. And before shooting it they say "you will fall as did your ally!"

[@Salt_Mage]

Don’t forget that Paladins couldn’t even block magic attacks in Heavensward - Haurchefant did the impossible.

[@tibowmew]

I love this discussion and theory baking. I really can't wait for them to see the way the story goes and if they were close or not, because, as we all know, trying to predict the way SE will take the story is it's own exercise in futility 🤭

[@TheSylvirr]

"I would love this game more if they stopped killing everyone I love" YOU'RE PREACHING TO THE CHOIR.

[@elixwhitetail]

Everyone looking on, knowing who is yet to die: :)

[@graycalls]

one thing to note about estinien- 'the azure dragoon' is a title granted to the inheritor of a set of magic powers. so, while yes, there is an unbroken chain from the prince to estinien, it's one from teacher to student, rather than father to son. the dragoon job quests go into it a lot, and you get some really good estinien moments out of them! you also get to meet the last azure dragoon, who is The Actual Best.

[@XtrmPlays]

Just a warning, there are some dungeons where watching a guide will spoil some story moments that happen inside the dungeon. Loving these weekly discussions on the story.

[@AlleluiaElizabeth]

Regarding how lahabrea possessed Thancred, at a certain point in the msq, Thancred comes back from some solo mission time and you can see he has a new necklace. It’s got a crystal of darkness on it. These are apparently necessary for ascians to possess a living person’s body. You don’t know any details about ascian bodies/possession beyond that at this point.

[@Krosserdog]

The Vault is the first dungeon where the dungeon design starts to shine. It has all the hallmarks that become better and better as you go on. It has direct story moments, great presentation, and the mechanics go up a notch. The last fight is so fun, it just introduces you to mechanics one at a time, and you can figure out how to deal with them even on a blind run, then it starts layering them on top of each other, so by the end you're trying to resolve the chains, damage zones under you, the horses, AND unavoidable damage all at the same time, while still having to do your own rotation. Even if you fail, the design of the fight itself means you'll start realizing it naturally. After that dungeon I honestly recommend not looking up guides for any dungeon or story trial, people are understanding if you just say 'hey first time here' even if you're the tank. Some people will even ask you 'hey do you want mechanic tips?' and will try to give them to you spoiler free, usually for mechanics that might be unintuitive the first time: "on this fight, chains mean you run apart, the rest you will understand on your own" for example.

[@eFeXuy]

ESTINIEEEEEEEN! _(He's the Azure Dragoon)_

[@TheYawningPanda]

One of my Favorite reasons to wake up on Wednesday

[@ponderingForever]

The body jumping side is such a good concept- love hearing these thoughts

[@knightdrako]

Yay its a Wednesday with my two new favorite sprouts!

[@duncanmacleod6274]

You will understand the power rangers mode that the Ward Knights have better a bit later. It's not supposed to be fully explained yet. Also yeah, definitely don't google the blessing of light or the echo. There's a lot of stuff about them that you aren't supposed to know yet. It'll be all over wiki entries and stuff.

[@Amovetv]

Thanks dude. The want to go back and read wikis to see if I missed something is strong at times.

[@elixwhitetail]

@@Amovetv Not everything makes sense yet, but it will. FFXIV is a grand old JRPG that's got an MMO built up around it, and nearly _everything_ has a future payoff in some way. You don't need to read external sources like books just to understand the basics of what's going on, unlike WoW. If it doesn't seem like you understand something yet, >90% chance it hasn't been explained to you yet and fun's coming down the road. There is short fiction on the website but it's supplemental to the game story, not where you find essential plot points. And, no spoilers, Endwalker will probably have you going back to refresh your memory on references just like the rest of us. Enjoy the ride :)

[@PreviouslyDelicious]

Watching people react live to the end of the Vault has been my new favourite pastime.

[@tomcoleman8702]

Gnomes are cute. Goblins are cute. Lalafels start out as cute, but the game quickly teaches you that they’re not. Between wine quests and butt pinching, to every Ul’dah plot… the game makes you start seeing them as Chucky and Bride of Chucky. You don’t see cute children looking people, but full and actualized adults. Most people don’t even realize this subtlety.

[@Kitamurasama]

The Thing about Teledjii and lolorito were trying to buy/dug out was the technology from the pvp group maps if you unlocked the pvp group content they tell you every nation of the big three is trying to gain control of the area, but they are trying to fight for it in a way no blood is spilled.

[@warm-heartedreaction6191]

i excite for you guys for everything that have yet to come

[@Cascade_Failure]

A little reminder for events that happened post ARR regarding Syndicate plans. It's mentioned that they want to buy territory in the Cartinaeu Flats (The sight of the battle with Bahamut) for the mass amounts of refuges that fuel the building crisis, and while they are all aware of the Omega weapon buried underneath, this is VERY different from the Ultima Weapon. Maybe you'll learn more about it some day :)

[@larskoenig6021]

just want to say, this is the tip of the heavensward lore iceberg :D

[@robertmarsh5322]

Questioning the Knight transformations is definitely a worthwhile question. It is not just a hand waved power form.

[@Amovetv]

lol, this is so much nicer than some of the replies pertaining to this point.

[@robertmarsh5322]

@@Amovetv I did some scrolling and see what ya mean, of the ones I saw on one mentioned anything explicitly stated in MSQ but still. You guys are not stupid, just telling you guys to pay attention and think critically about something that in any other game would just be rule of cool bad guy powers is all I need to do. Your thoughts and discussions that result is fun for everyone. Now that i've got your eyes a fun fact! Out in Mor Dhona is a fun side quest "Of Errant Epistles", you may find it worth your time.

[@ayatier3915]

Another enjoyable discussion! Can't wait for the next video. 😌

[@Darth0Prince]

"Power Ranger" knights are like that because any sort of strong collective belief in ff14 is capable of creating primals given enough crystals. And for a religion, well, they have enough followers to make knights of the round table thing come "true". That sort of mechanic was sorta covered in the coils of bahamut.

[@reyennarhel2505]

Eventually they give a better explanation for "gather your people!" Yes, the crystal realighting is connected to Midgardsormr. Haurchefant - It was so well done that it was the first time I cried in game. And it even kind of became part of my headcanon for my WoL - his death makes her much more likely to do things alone because she can't stand another death.

[@DroopingFig]

I really like the solution they came up with for "gather your people." It takes a necessary exception people were willing to make for the sake of gameplay, and turns it into good story. It's self reflective design in a way I really admire.

[@reyennarhel2505]

@@DroopingFig Agreed! I feel the same about how they handle swimming underwater. Like yeah, it's a bit silly to be able to breathe underwater indefinitely, but they gave a story reason and made a mechanic people normally HATE into something manageable. I also love many of the other MMO staples they eventually give explanations for.

[@sshakababy]

I took me 3 re-reads to realise that by 'her' you meant the WoL coz your WoL is a female. Biggest 'DUH' moment for me 🤣

[@everyonethinksyoureadeathm5773]

The Azure Dragoon, is a title bestowed upon a lancer whom has distinguished themselves. Its not connected by blood since if you do the Dragoon quest you'll understand why.

[@duncanmacleod6274]

This is why I like Lolorito as a character. Nearly always a douchebag, but very rarely wrong.

[@TrueZero2]

He's very much a 'Devil on the side of the Angels' sort of character, isn't he?

[@arathain2]

@@TrueZero2 On the side of himself, mostly, but he has vision to compliment ambition. Mostly, he likes lots of money and power, has those things, and sees stability as his vehicle for keeping them. He acts against threats to the status quo, which he allows to change only slowly, when necessary, and with him staying on top. Utterly amoral, but you can work with him if you are willing to hold your nose.

[@tylerbaker2405]

@@TrueZero2 he's mostly on our side because he is the most powerful player in the existing status quo in Ul'dah. He has shaped the status quo to his liking and wants to be in charge of or have massive influence on any shifts of that status quo. As long as we are in "bigger fish to fry" mode with Garlemald and everything else going on, maintaining the status quo back in Eorzea is to our advantage. Thus our interests are largely aligned at this point. With recent shifts in the state of the world with the conclusion of Endwalker that status quo can be brought into question if the writers decide to go that route.

[@Slade951]

I was mad at him at first like how stupid is he to be getting the WoL killed. Turns out illbred was derailing his plans by so much it went out of control. Dorito plan was just to arrest us then later prove our innocence after he get rid of Teledji. Asshole move but he never meant to put the primal killer in any kind of danger.

[@Redblaze27]

He's a jackass, but probably not an evil jackass.

[@krelian4219]

Really enjoying the journey of the two of you! I can’t wait until you guys hit Shadowbringers and Endwalker, but do take your time, this game very much deserves it. 😁

[@Redblaze27]

I felt so dumb that I didn't work out whats up with the Holy Knights powered up forms before they just outright explained it.

[@NatyaVT]

"Which means Estinien is royalty?" Oof, that caused a rather visceral reaction in me lol. I actually waved my finger at the Television and explaimed, "No! NonononoNO! ...Estinien is just a farmer's boy." Being the Azure Dragoon in no way means that Estinien is descended from Haldrath.

[@NatyaVT]

Also, the Warrior of Light and Bringer of Light is essentially the same thing, when you engage Lahabrea after destroying the Ultima Weapon he addresses you as "Bringer of Light." It's just how he, the *antagonist,* sees and addresses you versus how the *world at large* see you. With FFXIV, the antagonist is usually the protagonist of their own story, so from his perspective you are to be vilified and cast down because you're an obstacle on his path.

[@Amovetv]

Yea... this was one I wanted to Google to see if I was wrong about but was also worried about spoilers. I need a lore-check friend that knows how to explain stuff without spoiling me.

[@elixwhitetail]

@@Amovetv I'm not from his fan community so I don't know how he'll respond (I imagine positively but I don't know if he'll have the time commitment) but you could ask Jesse Cox. He's fairly well known in the XIV content creator community and he's done lore guides, and when he's had a new-to-XIV person on co-streams before he's been hyper vigilant about chat not spoiling the newbie. I don't know if he'll agree to be your lore buddy but I trust him not to spoil you if he does.

[@Enderlinkpawnu]

I like it when you also have Dragoon leveled, in that scene where Estinien is telling everyone off, hes pretty much like “don’t hire a temple knight to do an azure dragoon’s job, come on Warrior of Light, lets go do some general dragoonery together.” This was expecially funny for me, because at this point I (on the free trial) had maxed Dragoon, and I was playing Machinist at the time. He still treated me like the azure dragoon, I just had a gun.

[@aslanameret]

I stopped after the vault as well and saved continuing for the next day.

[@inaban]

Glad you're enjoying the story!

[@wasdfit]

I love these speculations, just wildly shooting in the dark hoping to hit something. The next 3 expansions are gonna be a blast to see you two clear...slowly. So GD slowly. Anyways the knights are just like little mini primals and that's about it.

[@drakedge2000]

I love watching your feedback on your playthroughs. All I will say is "That's an interesting theory" it's my friend group and my way of saying, huh, nice... with out spoiling any further story lol.

[@xenomemphate]

They haven't explained the super-knights yet, they will though. When they do, you will kick yourself for not figuring it out sooner. Yes, you are the bringer of light whom Lahabrea refers to.

[@donovanmarks1865]

I thought the power ranger knights were really clear as soon as they showed up, but if not, it will only become more obvious in time.

[@bandi138138]

31:30 You actually can’t. When you get hit with the same attack in the later fight, you’ll notice you get a debuff that prevents you from being healed properly. Our buddy was debuffed against healing.

[@AoiKaze2000]

At least I wasn't the only healer yelling at the screen "HEAL HIM!!!"

[@JenDeyan]

Tattooed Cloudhair Man is Riol. I always think of him as Thancred Jr. or Thancred Light. He has a lot of the same talents as Thancred. He's good at spy stuff like information gathering and infiltration. If you talk to those characters whenever you have to go back to the Rising Stones, you get a nice backstory on who they are and what they doing while the WoL and the Scions are out on their adventures. It really adds a lot of flavor to the overall story.

[@qamarqammar7629]

Riol was one of the Company of Heroes who defeated Titan back in the day. We first meet him on the quest chain up leading up to Titan when he showed us the Kobold Aetheryte.

[@JenDeyan]

@@qamarqammar7629 That's right. I totally forgot about that.

[@savagehowler]

Haurchefant basically uses the paladin move cover to try and stop the magic spear hitting you and back when hevensward launched cover only stopped physical damage lol

[@heronlim8462]

Ah, the Vault. Of course.

[@trisharachfal6553]

When talking about the “Bringer of light” they are talking about you, just being extra about it The scene after the vault is essentially an assassination attempt on the player character in case you need another reason to cry about that scene

[@NekuGrandChase]

Seeing sprouts unwittingly die to first time mechanics will always be a hobby.

[@vyris2663]

Some thoughts 1:00 "for some reason we're dealing with Moogles" - FF14 has a habit of indirectly telling you things. Remember the King Moogle stuff? His story may be exaggerated, but the point was Moogles (like Nyms/Tonberries) were caught between two warring factions who caused a Calamity (1st Umbral/Wind). Churning Mists (and likely Sea of Clouds) was the result, and these Moogles were left behind. 3:00 It's late now, but DRG 30-50 explains a lot. Thankfully, they moved away from prologuing job stories but some like DRK and SMN are minor epilogues to MSQ expansions. Also, I recommend one of you play MCH. Great story, more Ishgard, and it's a fun braindead class. 12:10 I'd recommend not overthinking. Without spoiling, you guys already understand the important info needed. (Allagan, not Garlean tech) 25:00 Missed that, nice catch! 29:43 - 29:50 Forgot this scene, but I'm blown away. They either meticulously planned everything or remembered and went back. 30:00 Midgardsomr purposely severs your connection to Hydaelyn, forcing a sink or swim situation. I think he's forcing you to become stronger, but can't explain my logic because spoilers.

[@bob513993]

31:20 Same! I was in a voice comms party w a friend of mine when we got to this part. I was legit flipping my shit, like “I’m a whole fking healer, I should be able to do something about this rn!!@:&;$&2@:!”

[@TheFrantic5]

I don't have anything cryptic to say this time that wouldn't be an outright spoiler, but I am going to lament that you're rapidly catching up to where I am (first third of Stormblood) and I'm still feeling burned out despite my best efforts. I've been playing hours of Satisfactory and Payday 2 to balance out my Fantasy/Scifi levels and hopefully I'll be able to get back to the MSQ before you catch up. Also I can't wait to hear your reactions for the last third of the expansion and the patch content. Fight on, brave warriors of light!

[@elaine_of_shalott6587]

You don't love Baemeric? Monsters! Lol. I love watching this every week. It is always entertaining.

[@jackalo34]

i love the predictions

[@ponderingForever]

15:50 - I guess this is part of the live service! Usually there's months between Story Chapters, so you'd get time to theorize and explore dialogue through side content before it's truth is revealed when the patch trailer appears online and the release date.

[@Theheadless1858]

The in-game lore of the healing is that healing basically enhances the body's ability to heal itself. You are not supernaturally healing the person as much as super-powering's the body's own regenerative systems. When you are in battle you do not die, the system labels you as incapacitated and the "resurrection" is just a gigantic boost to the body's healing powers so that the person can get back on their feet (even then when the person is back on their feet they have debuff as the burst of power fades and the final healing slows down). However, even the resurrection level skills have their limits. Given that you can only enhance the body's native healing, anything the body's healing could have not eventually healed by itself (decapitation, piercing of vital organs, loss of limbs, certain poisons etc) cannot be healed by magic.

[@MoonwalkSA]

Regarding "bringer of light", it's just the case that Eorzeans, Garleans, and Ascians all have slightly different terminology for things. You see this as well with the way that "primal" and "eikon" are the same thing, and there will be more instances in the future where fundamentally different groups of people have made different words for the same concept.