Final Boss Phase 1 Theme "Paved in Solitude" - FFXIV OST

Warping the spacetime continuum
Full Dawntrail playlist here: • FFXIV Dawntrail OST
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[@ApexGale]

"No planet threatening entities," they said. "Filler beach episode," they said. WoL grumbles and pulls out the orange fruit gummy again

[@crowdemon_archives]

My ManRa WoL just wanting a monster hunting adventure 😅

[@messiahnyx971]

And to think Emet selch mentioned other areas

[@KilelSix]

I prefer to call it "the magic skipping stone"

[@ZiriO]

BunWoL sighing and putting down their cute drink and gathering gear to get back to work...

[@pll3827]

Hey, at least we got a commemorative Azem interdimensional key thing out of it.

[@elinfini]

> Are you still alive? Activating reserve power. > Are you still alive? Disengaging safeties. > Target area delineated. Commencing erasure. And then chaos ensues...

[@godsil11]

being the first in my discord to clear, and then joining some others, genuinly enjoyed seeing them react to surprise EX mechanic

[@WhiskaAliapoh]

As a Scholar, that is the time when I'm like okay Expedience go! Need all the movement. Plus throw on as fat as a shield on everyone as I can just to be safe.

[@LuceDGooseVT]

@@WhiskaAliapoh can confirm, Expedience is a GODSEND there lmao

[@Raya.T]

fucking hitting us with prey marks after a spread flare x4 and then an acceleration bomb immediately followed while dodging the entire room for a normal trail was ridiculous and i loved it

[@janstraka8674]

That entire externination segment was "no thought, just panic" for me. I got sniped by the very last mechanic 😂

[@ZeronesZG]

There is something uniquely terrifying about a godlike machine saying "Do not be afraid. Death is not the end.". Especially after seeing and meeting the Endless.

[@jacobsiron6929]

And doubly so after you just turned them all off

[@koshilowell9531]

Feels more like a threat than reassurance

[@vaidenkelsier7757]

ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?

[@VersusMe101]

At the end of it all, we still had to kill a god in the machine on a floating platform in cyberspace. Don't you ever fucking change, Final Fantasy.

[@pastaboy1338]

thanks for your compliment.

[@FaerieFire]

never thought I'd see a Twitter mutual in a random FFXIV OST comment section

[@VersusMe101]

@@FaerieFire Greetings, gamer!

[@Eddy_Whimage]

Yo, is that a Hrothgar? Awesome! :D

[@DeltaEternity0117]

A Deus ex Machina, one might say.

[@AraArandom]

Why not play Dawntrail? We got: --Oversized Snake Bird -Man literally too angry to die -Computer that makes you play Mario Party minigames

[@Sassjor]

Oh I thought the angry man was the Arbiter from halo.

[@Lyu-Phy]

Angry man was brought here from the DOOM franchise.

[@voistar5387]

*Crosses out second bullet point* -Lizard Vergil, complete with Sin Devil Trigger form.

[@wontononionslicer1004]

You are giving me reason to play it on new game+…

[@rinnnnnnnnnnrin]

​@@Sassjor nah he's not nearly cool enough to be arbiter. If he was written better than maybe

[@Oppurtunafish]

the ground grid warping was so sick. Really creative way of visualising the mechanic

[@lomasj3]

Yes, much more of a fan of that type of telegraph vs "obvious orange cone"

[@283leis]

real talk first time they used it I didnt see it until just before it was too late. Didnt get out in time

[@sylviafloof5674]

I'm the sort of nerd who screamed "IS THAT A FUCKING PENROSE DIAGRAM" when I saw it it's not jsut grid warping, it's using a physics diagram used to show the infinite past and future and infinite space (in 1 dimension anyways) in a finite space the edges are the infinite future she uses a diagram showing the infinite future to kill you, to protect her dream of an infinite future for the endless.

[@inspirations365]

@@sylviafloof5674*pushes up glasses*

[@Xv8M4g3r]

UV Mapping go brrrrrrrt.

[@pokemondude45]

Hang on, Sphene. We'll set you fre- *Key reacts to Azem's crystal* ... change of plans. We shall take back that which is rightfully ours

[@Loispealz34]

Sphene asking herself why the WoL is constantly saying "minemineminemine" to a thousands year old artifact the milala possesed.

[@Hyskaris]

'Are you still alive?' me bleeding from the eyes and spitting out a tooth: yeah, hit it again, this time with feeling

[@GmaerXQ]

Me with 2 deaths, 1500 MP and out of CDs: “I didn’t hear no bell.”

[@Dubleduke]

My monk, currently taking every AOE known to mankind: “skill. Issue.”

[@ChrisKatsu-]

Ok Mappingway!

[@abysswalker1282]

My lala paladin with 5 vulnerabilty stacks: "come and get me you oversized automated graphic card..."

[@ApexGale]

@@Dubleduke My monk, at 3 vuln stacks and soon to be 4: "Riddle me this" *Feint* +Riddle of Earth

[@nilzero5686]

There's something very tragic about it all. We just had the ancients and their utopia, but the Alexandrians' artificial world isn't that. It's a decaying unsustainable digital world filled with tacky attractions and inhabitants that are just recordings of when the place had real people in it. Also just to really make it obvious, the final zone's music is playing on dead mall speakers. The unlost world is a dead mall and your quest is to turn the lights off and close up shop.

[@meoth966]

It's so disturbing and beautiful yet sadness everywhere. The final area is like hitting the weakness of humanity.

[@Soooooooooooonicable]

Emet Selch: "Yet you claim I recreated Amaurot and populated it with phantoms of our people. A bizarre indulgence that would be insulting to their memory."

[@ZeronesZG]

​@@SoooooooooooonicableLiving Memory is somehow even more sad. The illusionary Amaurot served a purpose for Emet; to remind him what he is fighting for and to show us his people's way of life. Living Memory is not a means to the end, it is the goal. An eternal mural of what was painted with the blood of all that lived.

[@AmnesiacDoe]

Living Memory may have been unsustainable, but it wasn't a twisted/empty heaven!! IDK where people keep getting this from. They had no right to juice all of reality to fuel it, but the people we killed were happy. They were real. Children who never were happy in life, lovers who never got to be together. We don't get to pretend we just emptied the recycling bin to save ourselves the trauma.

[@MrKanooe]

We "wiped" an entire shard, the only survivors are the ones who merged in the source...that's, gruesome to say the least, tragic at best...

[@TheOnlyLonelyBoy]

"Be at ease, everyone! Your aether will soon be replenished." If that line doesn't cement the pure tragedy that has been Sphene's prison for years unknown to all but time, what does? Living Memory is filled with those who are thankful to Sphene's efforts and boundless love for, and yet are ready to let go and fade away to where they should be; a memory. Sphene is trapped in this cold metal chassis, frozen in the final moments of her life filled with fear and panic that everyone is dying and there's nothing she can do to save them. She doesn't need to do this. She KNOWS that she doesn't need to do this. Alexandria survived a Rejoining. The memories of all those who came before, who sacrificed everything for this to happen, can live on. Her prison, however, will not allow her to deviate from her dying gasps. It needs that Reason to keep her on this collision course-- a Calamity mere moments from happening not just on the Source, but all Reflections, repeating the Storm Surge over and over again in a vain attempt to keep a vegetative memory on life support. It's a heartbreaking tale of a ghost in a machine.

[@lolilikedragons3528]

a...GHOST IN THE SHELL hmmhmhmhm

[@WriggleNightbugYukkuricraft]

We now have a balance in the X.0 final boss category. We now have: - 2 individuals from a warmongering nation with access to deific powers (Gaius, Shinryuu) - 2 old men with a vision (Thordan, Emet-Selch) - 2 girls packing reality-warping firepower (Endsinger, Queen Eternal)

[@TenebrisGladius]

Don't forget 2 insane lizzards hellbent on killing everyone - Nidhogg and Zoraal Ja

[@InnocentGuillotine]

@@TenebrisGladiusneither are x.0 final bosses.

[@leafgreenbeast]

endsinger: i will spare life of the suffering of death by killing them queen: i will spare life of suffering of death by continuing their lives forever

[@Ededdeddy97]

I liked how Endwalker was about the fact that pain is inevitable in life, but Dawntrail was about finding the people that make life worth living and remembering the good times we had with them. 7.0 MSQ had some clunky portions but it was the most human story we’ve ever gotten and it was very touching

[@UmbreonMessiah]

Thank you for just....GETTING IT. All the complaining on the internet is so tiring.

[@belowaverage3451]

It's also largely about accepting death

[@Salt_Mage]

Yes, time circles endlessly, the hands of fate trained ahead All things change, drawn to the flame, to rise from the ashes To begin, we first must see the end...

[@skyash7566]

​@@UmbreonMessiahidea good, but how they write dialogues and script, geez

[@Zephhi]

@@skyash7566 exactly. People gotta understand the criticisms. I personally enjoyed Dawntrail's main story, but my final ranking for JUST STORY probably goes Shadowbringers > Endwalker > Dawntrail > = Heavensward > Stormblood > ARR

[@nevy4256]

Legit the coolest trial they've done yet. Dawntrail has the best dungeons and trials by far

[@AresLodin]

Still can't get over Emet Selch, Elidibus

[@nevy4256]

@@AresLodin Hades fight I've kinda soured on, just kinda boring running it now. Seat is still one of the peaks though

[@PervertedNovaxc3]

They really upped the difficulty of the dungeons this go around. Some real tight checks and new mechanics that I can see reappearing down the line.

[@TeemoTheScientist]

They definetely amped up regular content difficulty this xpac, and as if that wasnt enough role quests require you to understand and take on multiple mechanics such as tanks needing to mitigate raidwides to save healer, take tank buster towers, intercept tethers and so on. I honestly really like it and look forward to what they are cooking for savage.

[@AresLodin]

@nevy4256 I'm just talking like pinnacle of hype. Hades, Elidibus, Hydaelyn, and Endsinger. Literally in order of "there's no way they can top this" and they did

[@etchyasketch2851]

Theres a million good and cool things to say about the trial and Dawntrail. But my biggest joy was that the Azem Crystal was saved for a special occasion. EW patchs really overplayed that hand but its special and cool again, so thank you writers.

[@phenik403]

I think I actually prefer the crystal more than how the scions were handled this expansion. Trial 2 felt a bit forced with the appearances. At least the crystal is a canonical way we don’t have to fight alone without needing a full roster. The fact it gets played as one of azem’s main fighting tactics I think has some charm in that as their successor we also now hold that power.

[@petratyraanderson]

I think the real big issue is that we don't go solo into dungeons anymore so it feels weird not to use the trust system ​@@phenik403

[@zeehero7280]

yeah a shame theres as many bad things to say about DT. although most of them are just abuot story writing and some bad voice acting (mostly wuk lamat) At least the dungeons and mechanics and music are excellent.

[@jacobkern2060]

​@@zeehero7280 Nah, the direction hasn't been this poor since ARR. Some of the scenes have the proper volume to them, others are yelled in lowercase. Sena just gets the worst of it because Wuk Lamat has, like, a third of the voiced lines this expansion.

[@ZeronesZG]

​@@jacobkern2060 Yeah, some of the scions sound really off. Most of the newer characters sound well. Wuk lamat has some issues, but the VA has a lot of lines and does a really good job in most scenes. The issues is that, be it the actor, accent or direction, fail to reach higher notes. So scenes where she is supposed to be yelling is more aggressive talking.

[@Krysta1Rose]

The realisation that Queen Eternal looks like a locust... Considering what they do is a big think

[@warriorofdawn876]

Uh, it's... actually supposed to be a huge mechanical dragon, not a locust.

[@kllcmd8980]

@@warriorofdawn876 according to whom exactly?

[@zeehero7280]

a giant robo locust!

[@Aethereality]

I knew she looked like some sort of insect, I just couldn’t figure it out

[@williek08472]

I cannot unsee that now

[@arlissven1555]

>Goes to corner with flare marker >Nearest safespot is 2 circles away > "Fuck"

[@akrob1152]

>The the dorito stack dodges the circles even farther away from you >"Fuck"

[@9oomtar]

slither gaming

[@dumbsterdives]

as soon as i hit that mechanic i went to the corner with my flare and then IMMEDIATELY went deer in headlights mode and blew up from the accel bomb while panicking about the triangle stack and died. that mechanc was MEAN and i love it

[@Anuca]

​@@9oomtar During this fight I did the sickest last second slither escape when I was seperated from the whole party.

[@ProfessorBuckz]

Gotta love how Absolute Authority was as close to a savage mech that normal can get 3 Flares Triangle Stack markers 2 Gazes on top of only have 2 safe spots for others. Actually goated

[@BrainNinjaMidget]

I've come to calling it The Kitchen Sink mechanic. Because Queen Eternal throws everything and the kitchen sink at you for that one. Random bullshit go!

[@andrew9k424]

constant (albeit weak) raidwides during all of that too

[@ProfessorBuckz]

@andrew9k424 yes that too LOOL, although they were all easy to solve there was just so much shit at once XD

[@nytheris2848]

Happens around the time you get LB3 too so I wonder if they designed it with that in mind. Like they expect that most of the raid will just die and healer LB3 will be the best way to recover. Though on my first run of it, the other healer DCed and never came back, so I ended up solo healing it and we didn't have the option of LB3.

[@plazmadood]

​@@nytheris2848 I was tanking, saw the countdown and instinct made me hit the LB. A bunch of us still died, but somehow we had LB3 again right after and a healer saved it.

[@grandruby5343]

The official name for the song has dropped, and it’s called Paved in Solitude, which honestly is a damn cool name for the final boss track.

[@cluelesskouhai]

i really dig them using parts of the alexandria theme from the prior dungeon, really hits that feeling of melancholy and loss

[@Cue-Ball.]

Living Memory theme.

[@rinnnnnnnnnnrin]

​@@Cue-Ball.Alexandria did it better

[@cluelesskouhai]

​@Cue-Ball. in hindsight it is more of a reoccurring leitmotif in all 3 but it comes out so strong here

[@lv.99mastermind45]

This was the most JRPG Boss ending to an FFXIV expansion and I'm fucking here for it.

[@Halomy95]

Endwalker was more jrpg like with the transformation imo

[@Saihamaru]

if we are talking about last boss vibe, then hades comes out on top just count how many forms/phases he has.... truly fitting for a JRPG last boss

[@backgroundcharacterj5071]

So we're all in agreement that the last 3 expansion had the most JRPG final bosses

[@threestars2164]

You are for lowering the quality of this game??

[@backgroundcharacterj5071]

@threestars2164 oh the characters still sucked this expansion but phase 1 was still fun

[@MirbyStudios]

remember that time in FF14 when we became NetNavis and had to defeat a powerful virus? WoL.EXE! Battle routine, set! Execute!

[@omnicbuddy4543]

I'm glad I wasn't the only person who had some serious MMBN vibes. Loved it!

[@Sofia_Sif]

I gotta say using nothing but our Souls to fight a reality eating supercomputer in the remnants of a dead world we just took offline was not on my list of things I thought would happen. But I'm not complaining

[@jamesrandall470]

Found the other Megaman Battle Network fans, hello my people

[@magictrev640]

Hell ya!

[@TheBonkleFox]

"Light Man! Jack in!"

[@FrogofWarRS]

My only singular complaint about this boss is that we have to wait until 7.1 for the EX version of this trail.

[@muchhorrorsuchwow]

Oh we wiped again? Darn, I guess we got to keep listening to this!

[@Sofia_Sif]

The EX of this is gonna murder the shit out of me but I want those goddamned wings

[@meganlandstrom8580]

I like this way better than the DT theme in the second half of the fight here Here’s hoping first half of the fight is the mount music! Probably won’t be, but one can hope 😊

[@rexxel8867]

​@@meganlandstrom8580me too really hope it's just phase 1 music

[@Lyu-Phy]

Oh the wings will be glorious

[@samuffert]

What a sequel series huh Captain it's just the first chapter of the new 10 year saga

[@dumbdoggie]

god this song and fight have stuck with me since I've finished. The Living Memory motif coming in at 2:10 just hurts me, it sounds amazing and really feels like Living Memory's "final breath", Sphene letting everything out in one last attempt to preserve the Endless.

[@randogai2915]

What mechanics do you want in this fight? “Yes”

[@ravennesvr8103]

When i saw the wall appear... all i could think about was the show Hole in the wall on TV... i loved getting hit by it!

[@randogai2915]

@@ravennesvr8103 SAME I yell HOLE IN THE WALL watching that show randomly as a child led me to this

[@wandregalbjornson1452]

The Thordan Extreme experience. Do all mechanics on after another and then do them all at the same time

[@BadaBadger]

Me, a Scholar Main: YAY EXPEDIENT VALUE

[@Yokai_Yuri]

​@@wandregalbjornson1452Thordan is one of the best designed fights. Even the Utimate version is better designed than the other Ultimates.

[@Skeeverbros]

It's funny. I finished Dawntrail just 24 hours ago and I did it as dps, which means I sat in this boss room with this music playing while waiting half an hour in the queue, yet here I am coming back and listening to it again already

[@daisyaran2084]

As someone that did the same because of Picto Brain, I'm in the same boat. Just did the fight last night and waited 40 minutes for the queue, but those opening notes had me HOOKED even before the rest of the song played, and here I am for even more lol

[@PKFl4sh]

Top-tier respect to anyone who plays AST on a controller in high-level content.

[@mlemlemmlemmlem]

I do, thank you lol

[@jeremywright9511]

@@mlemlemmlemmlem but how?

[@mlemlemmlemmlem]

@@jeremywright9511 just need to know how to organize the buttons and remember where everything is

[@alittlebirdi]

When the countdown hits and you panic, wondering if it's tank LB3 time or not.

[@maerto]

That was me LOL. I hit LB3 then cotank hit LB3 on next countdown and didn't know whether we were supposed to lol

[@omnicbuddy4543]

That's why I was glad I had someone in the trial who'd already done it. They said "don't panic," so I didn't LB. Then everyone else panicked and we wiped like four times. Awesome fight!

[@steveh1474]

The LB is refunded. Let the first timers tank LB, it's a good moment let's not ruin it for sprouts

[@omnicbuddy4543]

@@steveh1474 Good to know! That was smart of them

[@redsteelfox4386]

THAT WAS ME I JUST DID IT ANYWAY CAUSE I GOT SCARED

[@Soooooooooooonicable]

Meteion and Sphene kinda parallel each other. Meteion was all about killing everyone so that no one needed to suffer anymore, but Sphere was about keeping her people alive forever so no one would have to grieve or be forgotten. Both initially had good intentions, but their ideologies were twisted by circumstances that were put upon them.

[@0332288]

The last worlds also mirror each other. While we were bringing hope and adding new connections to Ultima Thule, we were quite literally killing the Memory zone and everyone in it. Turning that beautiful golden world into a gray tomb HURT.

[@strontium9041]

@@0332288both are lessons about how to deal with loss. UT is about having hopes for the future, while LM is about how to let go of the past and move on. Both teaches us that life is beautiful because it is fleeting, just because it may end or doesn’t last forever doesn’t make life not worth living

[@TheImaggine]

its reflected on the final map too. As in Ultima Thule for instance, the music, is quiet and distorded but as we progress it gets lively and loud. In Living Memory the music is there , 'alive' and we , as we progress, shut it down, into the silent tomb that it is

[@pointdowguy9359]

Sphere is literally just emet selch. Her plan is to kill everyone else to save her people

[@75skyloftmexican]

living memory literally is Emet’s last words manifested “Remember us, Remember we once lived”

[@rh666]

2:13 why did my eyes become watery!!!!!!

[@vapv3656]

This motif is one of the best in the series. It's so fucking good.

[@Tantan-vt4cf]

@@vapv3656 YES I love it so much already in Alexandria dungeon, hearing it again in this trial is pure joy

[@vapv3656]

​@@Tantan-vt4cfI personally adore it in Skydeep Cenote... It's so emotional...

[@RebelLombax]

Fun fact that's final fantasy 9 memories of life your hearing

[@maallos334mi8]

It’s an ode to days long gone, the fleeting happiness that despite everything still remains.

[@mischitary]

My headcannon is that for the entire expansion prior to this point, the WoL was holding back to let Wuk Lamat win her own battles, but at this one moment at the very end they're like "Fuck it, it's on now."

[@r3q901]

Some might laugh at this, but it's entirely within reason. Her father *did* ask us personally to see to her getting the experience she needs to protect and lead her people. Between her and Koana, I don't see Tuliyollal in better hands. She's the cutest too.

[@vaidenkelsier7757]

@@r3q901 Yeah, that's how I felt going through the story. I was there to back up Wuk Lamat and help her get through her arc. But in this moment? (Well, and when we had to trounce Zoraal Ja) Fuck it, we ball.

[@Emilyheartz987]

It’s literally the point, and was told to you that you were to hold back and let wuk Lamat grow and learn. When you duel galu jaja in the beginning, after the duel he tells you what wants from you. You and the scions had done your growing and now you are mentors, guiding someone through a journey of becoming better.

[@GreyGunstar]

At least 6 or 7 different points in the MSQ where the WOL is like "I keep forgetting, mofos on this continent don't know who TF I am" and ends up visibly restraining themselves from showing that they slay gods for fun

[@CallMeNoa]

That's not a headcanon it's literally stated in the text.

[@kyouko_kasodani]

pretty neat that Alexandria's theme is called "A Trail Unending" and this is "Paved in Solitude", so when you put the two together it's "A Trail Unending, Paved in Solitude"

[@hunteradams3269]

Hits a little too close to real life lmao 😂😂

[@NickName696]

The synth sound from 1:48 is my JAM! When i first heard it i instantly went searching for songs that had that type of synth in them.

[@ZokuroSuzu]

What did you find 👀

[@BelzeberRyu]

I also want to know what you found!

[@NickName696]

@@ZokuroSuzu The first soundtrack that came to mind for that particular synth sound was the Scott Pilgrim OST, but outside of that i couldn't think of anything else. If you're reminded of any OST that sounds like that please share, would love to listen to it!

[@venom_ross]

Leaving a comment here incase anyone finds anything similar lol. Zoraal Ja at least has a very strong Shin Megami Tensei feeling to his battle theme, specifically the mid boss theme for SMT 4 Apocalypse gave me a somewhat similar vibe

[@blackh9604]

Might not be your jam, but maybe Cheerleader by Porter Robinson?

[@TheIceLurker]

2:14 goes incredibly hard, one of my favorite boss themes.

[@loganreed23]

When Alexandria leitmotiff hits just right

[@keithfilibeck2390]

The giant Infinity symb9ol being the wheels on the Mech is a really nice touch.

[@acgearsandarms1343]

Sphene’s hair bangs did have an infinity loop.

[@Reynsoon]

Moebius?

[@loierhoward7396]

Wandering Minstrel: "So...this time, how about we ask....what if..Alexandria's eternal leader, the queen herself wasn't holding back-" Wol:"YES PLAESE."

[@UltimegaSeven]

That piano mixed in with the riffs. God tier

[@vervvyk]

Amen.

[@Scorchlette]

Something I love about this is that Sphene doesn't have a proper boss name. She's just the Queen Eternal.

[@hiiragi_nata]

I think this might be a reference to Necron, known as "Eternal Darkness" (永遠の闇) in Japanese, from FF9

[@miamha]

​@@hiiragi_natathere's some of necron's boss theme in there

[@christianrodriguez8577]

​​@@hiiragi_nata Imagine Necron being the final boss of the patches like Zeromus was for Endwalker.

[@silverhand9965]

Tbh they've done that as an anti-spoiler measure for a while now That's why Vauthry is Innocence, why Meteion is Endsinger, and one of the reasons why Emet-Selch is Hades in his trial (the name reveal wasn't technically necessary in ShB, but it was a useful gameplay trick) They just know a lot of players will naturally talk about trials, especially once extremes are out. And if you don't know yet, people asking in public chats for a Endsinger party or a Innocence party is a lot less spoilery than using their real names. Though to be frank, Queen Eternal is not that hard to figure out

[@readinghotline]

Similar to emet-selch just being "Hades"

[@zavos5659]

That "Random Bullshit, Go" attack during the final phase got me every time. idk if i somehow trigger the acceleration bomb (I've delt with them enough), but I always eat a 1-2 hit knockout.

[@oktinaa]

WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT THE FUCKING SONG THIS SHIT SLAPS HARDER THAN ANYTHING ELSE

[@Jykinturah]

I don’t know why but when this started playing and the boss revealed herself I couldn’t help but smile, this game is fun.

[@Sofia_Sif]

It might have just been nostalgia but this particular summoning circle seemed brighter and to pulse more when the pillars emerged. Also do remember this isn't our body, this is our SOUL we're using, Dawntrail's final boss is sending our soul into cyberspace and summoning the souls of other heroes to fight a reality eating super computer in the remnants of a dead world we just permanently took offline

[@stolfiemirajane7977]

man i love ffxiv so much

[@Lokiiri]

I just can't get enough of this theme. It's so energetic, but to me it also feels... sad, knowing the context. The only remnants of an entire civilization, an entire SHARD, clinging to the only existence that's left for them. It feels like in this song, I can hear their desperation, and empathize with it. ;; This expansion is really something else. I wasn't sure how they were gonna keep going after how incredible Endwalker was, but... damn, they did it.

[@kagamine14]

This song really hits a form melancholy that I love.

[@FatalFatalisFtFts]

I didn't expect GRAND CROSS OMEGA in a normal trial. That's a new one.

[@Traten65]

During the shift phases you enter two dead reflections where calamity struck. The first one was that of wind, there is so much wind ether around that she begins using only Wind themed attacks. The other one is Earth in a similar manner. Both planets are completely destroyed as well, they are beyond saving, but the planes still exist, which really means that only parts of them get reclaimed by Hydaelyn.

[@MissLilianae]

If that's true then that explains how Alexandria continued to exist in its shard via the barrier. I just assumed they pulled a Minfilia and blocked the lightning with the barrier.

[@netoak7]

I doubt they were transported to the reflections, this battle is only data after all. It's probable those are recounts and memories of the shards that the system saved previously in the search to sustain the Endless in other worlds before arriving to the source

[@Lyn685]

Who thought it would be a good idea to put a young girl's mind into a processor that is designed to turn the souls of the innocent into fuel? Poor Sphene.

[@DigitalCoffee08]

YEAH I kinda got the suspicion that she wasn’t acting ENTIRELY of her own accord, I feel like Preservation’s scientists could have programmed her to prioritize the Endless above all else.

[@kohlicoide2258]

@@DigitalCoffee08 Tbh i have more the feeling it is some kind of "What happens when you give a KI all of your memories without the emotions?" stuff like using technic to bring someone back "from the dead" She know she must protect her people, but she dont fully understand _why_

[@Lyn685]

@@DigitalCoffee08 Yeah, it was the program that forced her to endanger the world. But the love for her people was real.

[@0332288]

​@@DigitalCoffee08I think Krile's parents straight up said that. Preservation manipulated the memory data so Sphene would overly prioritize preserving the Endless.

[@ZeronesZG]

It is a bit too subtle, but yeah Sphene's prime directive is to sustain the Endless. She can't think of or entertain defying it, at least directly... hence her hinting to use several time to stop her through the MSQ.

[@orakuotaku]

I absplutely adore how it isn't some redemption story. Its 2 rulers who will do anything for their people. There is no right side just our side against them. We came out on top. Actually overall im really glad it wasnt just a "we are all friends" we need more opposition

[@netoak7]

To be fair, the genocide route isnt normal in a true right side, because Sphene was down to just kill everyone in any reflection to refill the memories of people long death.

[@hanegawamidori4081]

@@netoak7 I'm reminded of a surprisingly neat exchange between Optimus Prime and Megatron during the final battle of that character action game they were in, that amounted to Megatron calling Prime out for not doing everything possible for his home of Cybertron, and Prime responding that he refused to doom one planet just to keep theirs on life support.

[@ApexGale]

@@netoak7 it also just wasn't sustainable. she gets every shard, and then what? what happens when the aether runs out? it's a textbook case of "nothing lasts forever." sooner or later sphene would have been forced to confront that

[@netoak7]

​@@ApexGalethats the neat part, she knows it and tried any and all possible methods to avoid it in the first place. If I remember correctly it's stated that her principal directive is to maintain alive the Endless, sadly she had the memories of Sphene, and it happens that a gentle person won't be able to commit genocide alone or without hesitation.

[@netoak7]

And that her directive was failed from the beginning, like Meteion question that even Emet calla out Hermes for that

[@CyberSoldier101]

When I set out to go help a cute lion woman be king, shutting down an interdimensional block chain that feeds on planets was not on my bingo sheet Edit: A part of me wonders how this fight would go if we had our G-Warrior mech from ShB

[@Irisfantasies]

Dude imagine the G warrior outputting a star worth of pure concentrated dynamis in a lb4 just for this fight hahaha

[@ApexGale]

​@@Irisfantasies "Seventh Dawn Scion G-Warrior! Who the hell you think I am!!!"

[@pokeblock3291]

Can’t wait to hear part of this in the final boss theme 3 more expansions from now on

[@r3q901]

If we end up facing a multiversal-level of threat then yeah most likely

[@lordsaladito]

​@@r3q901 i think its clear that we are going into the "multiverse saga" and that the crown is gonna be part of that final boss, maybe sphene comes back for a bit and she tells us that she is gonna give us part of her strenght so we can kill the boss so it doesnt kill the alexandrians

[@MultiSilver50]

Sphene is definitely an alternate take on Garnet/Dagger if she never met Zidane (Wuk Lamat being the Zidane of this expansion). Instead we get alternate version of Kuja being Zoraal Ja coming in contact with her first. She ends up becoming a mix of Garland and Brahne now.

[@jjc101]

I love when the writers for FFXIV remix the characters and themes of previous FF entries. It feels great when you notice a similarity but get to think about it in a whole new way.

[@david90906]

Heartening to see others out there noticing this too! It's unfortunate that it's kind of so specific that only the acquainted stand a chance of realising it

[@Zephhi]

it's cool af

[@Roojinald]

And incidentally, a Steiner in the form of Otis. Both are very rusty.

[@StarshadowMelody]

@@Roojinald _HEEH_

[@nicolaj990]

1:48 when this kicks in I just love the weird nostalgic vibes I get! Don't know where I heard this before but it affects me deeply :o

[@mr.vanillamilkshake3]

If the final dungeon theme was Sphene's normal battle music, then THIS is her Theme Music Power-Up! Also: gives me major Phantasy Star Online 2 vibes.

[@TheWallacemartin]

it really does. Even one of the attacks is similar to a Dark Falz fight

[@bellgems4091]

I begin think they temporarily hired pso2 composer lol

[@zeehero7280]

@@TheWallacemartin The wall isnt it

[@zeehero7280]

@@bellgems4091 pso2 is a bit different in music style. but it still has bangers. and I love the glorious engrish. like in Battle Stars

[@diargoa7942]

​@zeehero7280 uhh, Dark Falz Double?

[@Zephhi]

PEAAAAAAAAK ALSO THIS IS THE BEST NORMAL TRIAL IN THE GAME

[@lunalightblade3118]

I would agree with you, but Seat of Sacrifice exists

[@Zephhi]

@@lunalightblade3118 I mean I can’t disagree with that but I think mechanically this is the best one. Story wise that for sure tho

[@StarshadowMelody]

@@lunalightblade3118 I would agree with you, but Everkeep exists.

[@plazmadood]

"Greetings, and goodbye!"

[@hunteradams3269]

Honestly maybe the best final boss theme of any expansion

[@Abyss0fDelta]

The mechanical storytelling in this fight is so cool. Right after Sphene uses Absolute Authority, the LB bar fills up to max. That attack drained so much Aether from us that were flooding with Dynamis.

[@Benji-zf3ee]

at first try i thought i need to do tank lb there XD

[@lighttheabsol6177]

That or it's just the busiest mechanic ever put in a normal mode so they just wanted more casual players to have a healer lb in the pocket just in case :P

[@kllcmd8980]

@@lighttheabsol6177 you are aware something can have a mechanical and thematic meaning, right?

[@Reycied]

@@kllcmd8980 I believe that's called 'ludonarrative harmony'. And a damn fine example!

[@lighttheabsol6177]

@@kllcmd8980 Yes, but I don't think that every choice has thematic meaning. In this case, I just think it was a mercy throw.

[@FirnetheJackal]

i saw this video several times in my recommended before i finished the expansion, thank you so much for not putting spoilers in the thumbnail and the title

[@rvmaika5815]

Funny story, when I fought her for the first time, there were two separate instances where 3/4 of the party got wiped out… but both times, one of the healers survived and we somehow managed to bounce back. We won first try.

[@Amethystplaysgames]

In my first time going through this I had to use the healer LB3 after seeing me and the tank survive after Absolute Authority had finished - very satisfying considering I died to the very first mechanic lol!

[@Sofia_Sif]

Same! I'm a Sage and my Cohealer was a Scholar, even with us having used LB3 like three times we somehow beat it first pull lol, I thought it was over so many times

[@upyours7]

Same, I was Sage with a Scholar co-healer and we probably used our lb3 at least 4 times. Wiped 5-6 times before the Scholar and one Tank bailed, then we proceeded to have the cleanest 6-man clear, albiet a touch slow. I learned solo healing is kind of pleasant, no worries on wasting cooldowns.

[@StarshadowMelody]

I experienced something like that too.

[@RoyalCrustle]

Gotta be my favorite fight in the game. The visuals, music, mechanics and story are all so damn good. I am actually tempted to learn the Extreme once it comes out. Still never done any besides trying and falling at one in ShB.

[@4mb127]

Yeah, until phase 2.

[@RoyalCrustle]

@@4mb127 Naw, phase 2 is what nicely completes it at the end to make it the best fight in the game.

[@plainsalt]

@@RoyalCrustle FR

[@lavlavnder]

the album got revealed and it seems like this & the phase 2 themes are titled "Paved in Solitude" "Paved with Resolve" :O

[@xeshirem]

Thanks for using a no spoiler thumbnail. For that alone your channel as my support

[@one909]

2:14 - 2:59 this leitmotif always caught me off, no matter how upbeat the songs is. idk why this leitmotif make me feel pain and sad

[@netoak7]

I think it is because we take over her pain and sadness, we carry her theme and we add our spark of hope as we finally end her suffering. To be able to carry with those memories is our greatest triumph, but also our deepest sorrow.

[@one909]

@@netoak7 idk the context since Im a skipper. That means the composer did such a great job on the pieces ps: I still gonna watch the whole thing when streamer doing MSQ and they read the dialogue better since they gave emotion, voice acts and flavour

[@royox]

Because just before the trial you spend some time in Living Memory listening to this song while having your heart crushed several times.

[@Alovon]

Okay guess Yoko Shimomura barged into the recording booth for this as MY CHRIST THE PIANO

[@Taxmt]

I was thinking more along the lines of xi or taishi, but either way every aspect of this song SLAPS

[@elduardo2496]

"Boss, we already killed gods, what do we do now?" "MECHAGODDESS"

[@Sofia_Sif]

Not even a god, just a reality eating supercomputer who we fight with our very souls

[@thyleria]

I can't believe they're finally adding artcore into FFXIV

[@ramon6783]

2:14 this part truly pours out the feels to me. A friend pointed out to me how Alexandria is cool cus its the opposite of Ultima Thule... where you turn off the lights... and the music fades away. They've really made a zone in FFXIV where I think I truly don't want to come back to... with how heavy the atmosphere is.

[@chronoxtreme2427]

Something I haven't seen anyone else point out yet is that Queen Eternal is a subtitle for the boss, not it's name, like King of Resolve is for Zoraal Ja. The title is missing on purpose: Sphene deleted it to become the Queen Eternal to save her people.

[@legomaniac213]

Kind of an inverse of Emet-Selch, who was just listed as "Hades." he did say to "throw away all titles" after all...

[@suloea]

this song had me at tears the more i hear it.

[@DPSAgni]

1:57 - The MNK's Phantom Rush is in perfect sync with the music!

[@Xaveze]

First timer: "This fight is crazy." Me: "Don't worry." Me: "It gets worse." First timer: "Oh..." Actual exchange I had in the trial after a wipe, we hadn't reached Absolute Authority yet XD

[@alexninten8818]

Liked how before the fight starts the boss acknowledges how many more times powerful you are and how weak as shit the rest of the party is in comparison. That she doesn’t waste power and time killing just removing them from the battlefield to focus completely on you with no Distractions.

[@crowdemon_archives]

Unfortunately for the boss, WoL has a "fuck you" rock. 😅

[@legomaniac213]

WoL: "Unfortunately for you, you souless machine, I'm *NEVER* alone!" **activates Azem's crystal**

[@zanagi]

the way they separated WoL and the rest of the group was really cool.

[@Naoto-kun1085]

That was super hype

[@crowdemon_archives]

Also their worst bet lol

[@RetroNutcase]

Thank you for making this spoiler friendly with the thumbnail and title. I've already done this trial, but it's a nice gesture for those who haven't. :)

[@Cue-Ball.]

FFXIV community tends to do a 2 week spoiler embargo (from official release date, not the early access one) every time an expansion releases but sadly some don't follow it.

[@Sir.Cavalcante]

Has anyone else noticed something similar to the Azem Symbol at the top of the Key to the Dimensions?

[@paiz3505]

its probably a relic made by azem pre-sundering

[@Scarletglaceon1]

Good eye, I saw it too. Definitely connected to Azem somehow. Probably.

[@CMReina]

Yeah probably the next big setup, who is Azem and what have they been doing? They knew of the WoL arriving to help Elidibus in Panda, they're seemingly involved with this new shard travel tech that's unlike anything the Ascians have done and would have ever done.

[@system6bro]

Correct me if im wrong. Milalas used the azem key (lets just call it this wat) to escape the 5th rejoining calamity of ice into the shard that was already destroyed from the sources point by the 2nd calamity - lightning? I know they can explain this by shard havung different time flows most of the time. But if not then isnt it technically possible to move across time and spac to go back to Alexandria and save their ppl by taking them to another shard? This opens the nasty can of time travel worms tho. Also another thing lalas originate from southern isles... last time azem was mentioned pre sundering was saving an island from a volcano eruption so they key can be OG Azems.

[@CMReina]

​@@system6bro ShB showed us that time travel with shard travel is possible but until that's covered up fully and we're told time travel was involved I'm going to assume this is the timeline of events Alexandria's shard gets fucked by Levin and the world dies Alexandria figures out a way to save their kingdom and region with the stone technology Lalafells from 5th Calamity arrive some time after rejoining and integrate into the new kingdom, Alexandria starts to suffer from lack of resources to sustain their eternal life system, start to look into shard travel artifact to harvest life elsewhere Lalafells hide the relics away in order to prevent Alexandria from causing harm to others Sphene reaches out to someone for help, events of game happen.

[@lamkiba3094]

the first phase fills you with DETERMINATION

[@tetsuotools]

glad im not the only one who thought of hopes & dreams XD

[@Sassjor]

Haha I was just about comment something like that.

[@ChazEevee]

It’s definitely the part at 1:48 that made me think this haha, I was like yooooo Hopes and Dreams

[@jaredrevis4594]

That final quest did not want me to live, neither the dungeon bosses nor the trial

[@Moonvesper]

D E P L O Y I N G D R O N E S

[@nickwilliams904]

i like how this was structured this time every dungeon and trial except this had the option of trust NPC'S and for the final trial its 8 warriors of light story wise it makes you think WoL 2: wait i thought you were on vacati- WHAT THE HELL IS THAT me: i dunno trouble somehow always finds me basically at least thats how i did it

[@MayHugger]

I took it as our characters finally taking shit serious enough to consider needing help that’s on a comparable level to them. Everything until then seemed to imply our character wasn’t putting in 100%.

[@crowdemon_archives]

​@@MayHuggerwell, in all fairness, if WoL were to put their 100% in murderous intent, Dawntrail would've ended quite quickly lol

[@MayHugger]

@@crowdemon_archives Very true lol. Bakul Ja Ja or however you spell his name would not have survived past stepping on our Tacos.

[@royox]

@@MayHugger Literally the first half of the MSQ is a bunch of: Wuk Lamat crosses somebody This somebody talks shit to Wuk Lamat This somebody looks at the WoL WoL looks back The somebody stops talking shit and leaves

[@hahayes2997]

PEAKKKKK I've never been so obsessed with a sing since to the edge

[@cinnamonofficial8762]

And true to the expansion, the thing that won the final battle was what we struggled with all along. TALK TO WUK LAMAT

[@fawkes6352]

What in the seven hells were you up to, Azem...?

[@1candondor]

The more I hear this I'm pretty sure this is a "happy" necron theme. Fitting. Well played.

[@emigohome]

I think you've scratched that familiar itch of mine! There's a bit of "Unforgettable Sorrow"/"Fleeting Life" in there from the dungeon and zone, too.

[@petratyraanderson]

I honestly don't hear any of them though I'm sure I would if pointed out ​@@emigohome

[@IianaDRK]

When it started I thought necron as well

[@limitedmayhem]

Necron agreed for sure 😁

[@lanisolfire5692]

All the trials in this expansion have been amazing,

[@royox]

"This expansion will not be a high stakes expansion, just a nice vacation story and some funny competition against other Scions, nothing deep". Then WHY AM I CRYING?

[@Nimoot]

I looked for a loop of this ... and yours loops perfectly as it is... Well Done Indeed

[@Victor_Johann]

I'm addicted to the 1:48 part. There's this hint of melancholy to it... I NEED an extended version

[@lightofthelives]

God this theme is so good

[@Toffeehammer]

I've seen people calling Sphene a "copy/paste Emet" already but I feel like you'd have to be painting in pretty broad strokes to think that way. The biggest difference between the two being just how remorseful Sphene is about what she's doing. Emet didn't feel bad about his actions to the very end. He said so just before he poofed for the second time. Sphene on the other hand declares her hatred of the queen she was based on because it turns out being created from a kind woman's memories makes large-scale genocide harder to do. She even goes so far as to delete those memories and reduce herself to the unfeeling Queen Eternal just so that inherited kindness won't stop her from doing what she needs to anymore.

[@christianrodriguez8577]

Considering the exp's theming on tradition, I feel like there's something more to it.

[@emigohome]

I can see how people might see her as a "copy" of Emet-Selch but, really, the Alexandria situation and Sphene herself are heavily borrowing from FFIX's end of disc 3 reveals and threats. It's an interesting way to open the gates to future MSQ involving crossing the rift, too! I know that post-EW was heavy handed with the FFIV and DT with the FFIX but... I think it's fun that there's shards that are like alternative universes of FF stories.

[@crowolf3862]

If sphene is similar to anyone, it’s Eldi, not Emet. She’s been programmed to be a primal like entity guarding her entire people. I actually found the similarities really poignant as a further exploration of Zodiark and how people reach the point where they find soul sacrifice ok.

[@MrKanooe]

And what if it's Emet who put that idea of saving memories in their minds, hm? It's still unclear of the Ascien influence on this doomed Shard.

[@Noah-uo8zb]

Saying Emet-Selch didn't feel bad is also a lack of understanding tbh, one of the very reasons he even approaches you in shb is his underlying guilt about the bloody path his kind has taken. It's even mentioned by Y'Shtola how the illusions in amaurot treat you as children, unlike the ancients who treat you as a familiar, because Emet subconsciously recognized modern humans as people, but very immature ones, which added to the guilt. The "not truly living" speech is clearly shown as something he *needs* to tell himself to continue, which is also cemented by the side stories. Yes, he does not regret having fought for his people and won't change his mind on that, but saying he absolutely had no regrets or empathy about the way they chose to do it is a very gross misunderstanding of his whole character.

[@roronoa1243]

Let Soken cook with electronic stuff more, the Solution 9 theme with its 808s and the breakcore drums in this theme got me so hyped on first listen.

[@Seshpai]

To me this sounds more like Saya Yasaki than Soken. It feels stylistically quite similar to Fleeting Moment from P11.

[@rallivsalado6806]

Could've also been Takafumi Imamura, I need the song credits and I need them now to properly thank the composers

[@Seshpai]

@@rallivsalado6806 It might be! I'm just going off feeling here haha. I do wish they'd hurry up with releasing the soundtrack disc, but it's most likely going to be a few more months still.

[@Cue-Ball.]

I feel Soken's one is the second phase theme. This does definitely sound more Saya Yasaki. As for Solution Nine could be any of them but most electronic stuff tends to be Imamura.

[@elinfini]

And now we have an official title (thanks to the upcoming OST): *Paved in Solitude*

[@r3q901]

The path that Preservation made for "Sphene" to walk.

[@shissona9572]

i had to tank this as a machinist for 3 minutes straight

[@vaidenkelsier7757]

Pretty sure that makes you an honorary Gunbreaker. Do you also like explosions?

[@shissona9572]

@@vaidenkelsier7757 Gunbreaker actually my tank class was doing msq as machinist XD

[@hanegawamidori4081]

I'm not shocked, the tanks in my first run had a tendency to get vacuumed up. Definitely the mechanic that'll catch 'em napping if you're used to mitigating through everything.

[@ApexGale]

Are you still alive?

[@DaimoHope]

Fellow MCH main, one question... How!?

[@juba1479]

Part of life is learning to let go....

[@jelly9026]

The mount from extreme better be playing the phase 1 of the theme. This would literally be my favorite mount if it does.

[@reneil8958]

Man i finally made it and finished story, and its hurts. Yoshida, you said it was going to be a chill vacation, damn it T_T

[@chelsthegameruiner8669]

Hoping that this is the mount theme when the extreme comes out, I love her phase 1 theme and will gladly suffer for the mount to hear it in the overworld

[@digisalamander2726]

For some reason Sphene kinda remains me abit of Lord Gwyn from dark souls. * Both wanted their Kingdoms to last forever but for different reasons Sphene to save her people and Gwyn as he feared the age of darkness * in order to make this happen it turn them into a husk of their former selves Sphene deleting her memories and Gwyn turning hollow Both rulers of an already dead nation that refuse to let the new age come.

[@wolfblade6569]

The boss gave me Megaman Battle Network vibes.

[@OtomostheCrazy]

Oh dang, the machin’s head looks like a horned version of Queen Brahn’s from FF9 Alternatively, the whole machine looks like Ultimecia from FF8, but as a robot

[@Everlarke]

Absolute Authority is one of the nastiest raid mechanics I've ever had the pleasure to experience.

[@GayLPer]

And that's why they ensure you can healer lb3 at the end