Our next Lightwarden awaits.
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_______▼ CREDITS ▼________
Edited by Daniel Floyd
Thumbnail art by Dan Jones
________▼ MUSIC ▼_________
♫ “Pray Return” by Chris Logsdon
https://lnkfi.re/pray-return
________▼ CHAPTERS ▼_________
0:00 – Introduction
0:41 – QUEST: “Acht-la Ormh Inn”
5:28 – TRIAL: The Dancing Plague
17:37 – QUEST: “Acht-la Ormh Inn” (continued)
30:44 – QUEST: “The Wheel Turns”
#PlayFrame #FFXIV #FinalFantasyXIV #Shadowbringers
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Everyone forgets how terrifying the Fair Folk are until it's too late.
It's time for Final Fantasy Friday, everyone: although this question isn't really limited to FF…
What was the moment or event that made you a gamer
THE BABYGIIIIRRRRRLLLLLLL
35:24 The indomitable human spirit, undeterred as always.
45:34 By Hydealyn those PJ's are adorable, they have lil Chocobo on em. Comments don't/do let me know if those are a real thing, as much as I want them I also can't afford to go bankrupt and I know how much official SE merch costs.
Feo Ul got the warrior of light to kill the king for them, took the throne for themself even though it was the warrior's by right, and spun it like they were doing a favor. What a hustle.
~ Tumble down again
Fa-la-la-la-la-la ~
So many area's night soundtracks remind me of the music from Dark Cloud or Dark Cloud 2. Makes me want to find out how to play them again. 🙂
Lightwarden: Titania
Name origin – Greek mythology, Titanias were the daughters of the giants known as titans
Name Reference – Titania is the queen of the faeries in William Shakespeare's comedy play A Midsummer Night's Dream. She has her own Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titania_(A_Midsummer_Night%27s_Dream)
33:11 THERE HE IS, THE BRAINROT INDUCER. 💜✨ Good to see you again, Mr. Emet Selch! 😀
Finally, a proper formal introduction to Foxy Grandpa. Like most other Ascians, Emet-Selch's name comes from Final Fantasy XII, where the espers, aka the scions of darkness, were complemented and (after they rebelled against the gods) opposed by the scions of light. Emet-Selch was the scion of light associated with Gemini, and the Angel of Truth (Hence the Emet part of the name, as the word "emet" is Hebrew for truth), whose role and zodiac sign were contrasted by the scion of darkness Zalera, Angel of Death. Zalera first appeared in FF Tactics, where he possesses Marquis Elmdore and uses him as a pawn in a scheme to awaken fellow esper/Lucavi Ultima, the High Seraph (remember her? Durmin fought the FFXIV incarnation of her back in the Stormblood alliance raids).
Emet-Selch is a dramatic motherfucker, as you can see. Some exposition from the Stormblood alliance raid claimed Solus zos Galvus was a great patron of the arts, remember. Imagine if a theater kid ended up growing up to be an immortal being of chaos and also several important emperors or imperial advisers throughout history, that's what we have here so far.
CERTIFIED B A N G E R ALERT
34:37 – So fun fact, unlike a lot of ShB's cutscenes, this one is not locked to a certain time/weather (such as all of the post-Lightwarden cutscenes at this point, which are locked to night/clear skies), meaning that the sky is shown in its 'former glory,' it reflects the current time and weather in your game. Dan actually got a decent enough weather for it, if a little plain.
But let me tell you the comedy of having Emet gesture to the sky and it's full of fog, or raining, or just drearily overcast.
(Additionally! I mentioned in my comment on video 8 (though I was very late so I imagine not a lot of people saw it), most sin eaters/Lightwardens have attack names based on medieval/archaic – and more often than not, fictional – torture devices. Titania here is our main exception, because their powers are still based on the Fae King's. But keep an eye out in the future!)
Hm… pure speculation but seeing as how beings of this world can be promoted to Lightwardens, I wonder if that might be the explanation of Ran'jit's strength. Would help explain how Eulmore can placate the sin eaters. Him or Vauthry maybe.
On an entirely different note: Durmin tucked those sandwiches *away*!
Today's boss music is brought to you by Masayoshi Soken, with vocals by Paula Kaye Gerhold, and lyrics by Michael-Christopher Koji Fox. It's called What Angel Wakes Me, so named after a line from William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer's Night Dream" (also the name of Titania's phase transition move), where the king of faeries, Titania, is awoken from sweet slumber by Nick Bottom: "What angel wakes me from my flowery bed? I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again."
Dancing on the wind up and down again
Round and round the bend
Fa la la la la la
From a flow'ry bed to the clouds ascend
Tumble down again
Fa la la la la la
Yet with each descent do we rise again
To our hearts' content
Fa la la la la la
Fly away my friend for a day and then
We'll begin again
Fa la la la la la
Till down turn the skies
Wonted quiet, wanton silence
For long do we lie
Wond'ring when we'll be
Dancing on the wind up and down again
Round and round the bend
Fa la la la la la
From a flow'ry bed to the clouds ascend
Tumble down again
Fa la la la la la
Yet with each descent do we rise again
To our hearts' content
Fa la la la la la
Fly away my friend for a day and then
We'll begin again
Fa la la la la la
Still down turn the skies
Gentle song gently wand'ring
Along in the night
Joyous cries ring free
La la la la la
Lying lost in thought
Do you love me not?
Follow these
Petals cast aloft
La la la la la
Will you, when I'm gone, remember me?
Ring a ling a ling
Lovers in the spring
How the garden sings
Ever green
Spirits lush, we bring
Ring a ling a ling
Braving anything
Together, we
La la la la la
Learn to play our part
Navigate the dark
Up we reach
Catch a falling star
La la la la la
Lock it in our hearts eternally
Ring a ling a ling
Flying without wings
Kites without a string
Loop and leap
To these crowns we cling
Ring a ling a ling
For we'll all be kings tomorrow
Autumn's whisper soaring high
Lulla lulla lullaby
Baby's breath and butterflies
Sing in our sweet lullaby
Summer child with heavy eyes
Lulla lulla lullaby
Come our lonely angel nigh
Sing in our sweet lullaby
Time wilts and fades
Luster lost in the rain
Bows to the blade
Till the spring calls again
I love Emet-Selch, and it's so good that we finally get to talk about him properly. I hang on his every word, because he might just be the single most interesting character in ff14. Every word carefully chosen, every moment movement so full of character. Take a look at how he walks. That is not a man, that is a puppet being dragged through the motions in a cruel imitation of life. His animation is beautiful and could be it's own new frame plus video.
I know it can be trite if done poorly, but I am an absolute sucker for "aww, it's so cute and innoc- oops, turns out it's homicidal" type characters.
Luckily, Titania here is done quite well.
Oh good… an Ascian joining the party. That's not a concerning turn at all. I'm onto him…
Go forth Claude, show us the meaning of haste.
From warrior of virtue to lapdog. Pathetic.
ahh, that first taste of sweet, sweet darkness
yum
I was one of the people who ran this Trial with Dan with my Lalafell alt, Zhake Smolumber!
And there's a funny story about this alt.
For April Fool's Day this year, I thought it would be funny to Fantasia my main character Zhake Ulumber from Elezen (Tall Elf lad) to Lalafell for the day. That way, I could ask the DTC free company "Hey, is the world being rendered something like… 50% larger than normal to you guys? What's going on??". This got a few people wondering what I was talking about until they saw that I was smol, pieced it together, and laughed. Much mirth was had that day ("Did you leave your Elezen in the dryer?" "SHOOT, I forgot he was dry clean only!!"), and overall was a popular prank!
So popular in fact, the other Lalafells in the DTC greatly encouraged me through kindness and headpats to make him an official alt. So I did. Bought a Story skip and a Ninja Skip (inside FC joke reasons) so I wouldn't spend another 200+ hours getting SOMETHING up to snuff. A short time later, as I was levelling up Archer to Bard on the side for other future shenanigans, the Dan signal went out looking for help on this very trial. I wanted to do this on my main, but obviously couldn't afford to log out/in again cause slots fill FAST. Had a lot of fun with this Trial, and I'll be sure to help out in the future as well!
I can't believe the lengths you go on editing playthroughs, Dan
If someone could answer me, several of these mechanics (and I'm talking all the way back to base game) seem like you have to know them before hand. So, is it impossible to go through the game playing blindly? do you have to google every boss before you do it lest you get wiped repeatedly?
– i love how whimsical yet unsettling Titania's theme is, truly fitting of the Fae King
– Ran'jit is so joyless he's inmune to Fae's tricks
– I'm calling a Sus check on Feo Ul's intentions to become the next Titania, but hey, better to have a Titania that likes the Crystarium
– oh right you did promise the Ascians getting their time in the spotlight, & boy oh boy this guy is a Theater Kid
– "if we can't beat them, Gaslight them" – Emet Selch, probably
Hi Emmy <3
I'm so happy so many people get to meet my husband for the first time~
And before anyone asks: No, I cannot fix him. xD
Ahh, the memories of farming Titania EX for the mount. Fun fight, honestly, at least when everyone knew what they were doing. There's some nasty moves in there. I do love the boss theme, though. Very fun and whimsical, yet also a bit unsettling. But more importantly, we're finally introduced to who's probably my favorite character ever, Emet-Selch! Very fun introduction. He just gets better.
will Durmin's adventures take a break after dawntrail launches?
There is not much in this game that still bothers me, but that song… that song… it haunts me.
The contrast between Ran'jit and Emet Selch is the prefect example of the difference between a villain and a supervillain.
Ah, Titania. I did the EX version of this fight on party finder. It took 13 parties to get a clear. I can't hear the music without going into a mild panic.
I started watching this series a few days ago, only to learn you are precisely where I am in the MSQ.
still not over clawde. what a legend of a crab, a name, a Look
Ah, everyone's favorite Ascian. not that the bar was too high.
So happy to have made it to a Dan run! Specially as tank.
Emet-Selch is so freaking CREEPY. He shows up and my spine cringes. EEEeeeuuuuugh.
"Catch a falling star…Lalalalala…Lock it in our hearts eternally…"
I think she knew.
💙
Ah yes, this is also when we find out that Il Mheg means "Kingdom of Rainbows" too!
34:00 Boy it is really unnerving when they show up and just outright announce themselves like that, huh? The last time that happened was Elidibus, wasn't it? At least, I think I remember him approaching Durmin, not Durmin catching him. Emet-Selch seems very different from the Ascians we have met before, but if anything that makes him seem more dangerous.
@33:30 THE TRASH MAN APPEARS. You will notice a lot of us are excited to see him, while at the same time insulting him a lot. The reasons for this will become clear. (This is not a foreshadowing spoiler, he's just a fun character while also being trash.)
BLU's Clues: Blue mages love flamboyance, and no one does flamboyance quite like the fae. The battle with Titania brings two new BLU spells.
At 8:13, the tankbuster is a Divination Rune, Titania's favored Word of Power for loosening the strings of one's aether and extracting it. In the hands of a BLU, it doesn't hit nearly so hard, doing minor damage to all foes in a cone in front of the caster. It does, however, steal a bit of their aether, restoring the BLU's MP. Practically speaking, however, it doesn't see a lot of use–the MP restoration requires at least 4 targets to be efficient, and BLUs seldom face a large group of enemies long enough for mana management to be such an issue that they need the drain effect.
At 13:25, we see Being Mortal, Titania's signature charged move, a reflection on the fae folk's complex feelings about mortals…in the form of a spectacular smackdown. This is what Durmin's party was racing that gauge to survive. For BLUs, it's a chance to dish out heavy damage while looking fabulous–an instant-cast, high-damage spell that sees the BLU sprout Titania's faerie wings, spiral into the air, and unleash a storm of magic. It's only usable once every two minutes, so it's best to line it up with strong damage buffs. Or, you can just use it anytime you feel like being a little extra. (Okay, a lot extra.)
1:19 But… it is a crab.
19:43 Oh hell yea.
23:25 Buddy, you got bigger problems, methinks.
24:48 Uh, Adjutant, this is what some might call an "untenable situation".
25:22 If you can face all this yourself, I call bs.
25:36 Runnin' away, eh? You yellow bastards!
26:58 Y'know, I actually appreciate how the fae act, unlike the dragons of Eorzea. Here, they act "like kids", not caring about whatever tomorrow brings, because they have infinite tomorrows. The dragons brood over wrongs centuries old, content to perpetuate a war that (at the time) would only end in genocide.
28:03 Best fae. She even looks good now, thought that may just be a scale thing.
28:40 I just noticed the castle has pixie wings.
31:27 If only the pixies liked board games.
36:11 The best laid plans, first contact, etc, etc.
40:21 Urianger, I forget: haven't you dealt directly with Ascians before?
41:44 That concept must take some getting used to. Before it was formality, now… evening *exists*.
42:22 While I wouldn't advise it for anyone of Durmin's size… I'd pop one of those wine bottles and just go ham on those sandwiches. Don't even bother getting a goblet dirty, and then just blank out. He's had a day and then some.
43:05 Like "why is so much of his skin crystal?", "How does it flex like that?", "Are his bones and stuff crystal, too?", and more.
44:25 Just eat and nod. Sandwich in one hand, wine bottle in the other.
45:11 Ah, Durmin can talk about Kwehfriend while stuffing his face.
Durmin's down to fight Titania, and that leads to another Primal Lore segment. The titular fae is the topic for this one.
Potential spoilers for the video down below:
"King and ruler of the faeries, Titania once defeated a Lightwarden that threatened Il Mheg, only to be corrupted by the aether that was subsequently released. For long years thence, the fallen monarch was kept imprisoned within Lyhe Ghiah." – Triple Triad card description.
The original Titania was once a kind-hearted pixie who united the faefolk under Il Mheg's proverbial banner against the Sin Eaters. This alliance, as well as Titania's method of unification, reminded these fae of the king of Voebert, and thus called Titania king too- as well as the Amaro, who presumably were taken under the wings of the fae. Their reign with a sound mind was ended, however, when they faced the first Lightwarden around the Church at Dammroen Field, and while they were successful, there were two consequences: that they scarred the northern face of the mountains nearby, and that Titania basked in the Lightwarden's aether, being converted to a Lightwarden as well.
This ended the alliance, and Titania was sealed away in the castle of Lyhe Ghiah, where they spent their remaining days terrorizing the fae folk and those who managed to get the blessing of the fae.
Strangely enough, Titania shows the incredibly rare trait of being a sin eater who can properly speak and function in the same way a normal Spoken can- albeit with the same nature of a sin eater, meaning that they are still too dangerous to be in the vicinity of. And this combined with the fact that they can just invade the minds of those around them thanks to fae magicks, making them a particularly horrifying Lightwarden.
Titania actually bequeaths to an intrepid Blue Mage two spells: Divination Rune and Being Mortal. The former is a cone AoE that allows the user to restore MP at a small gain. The latter, however, is probably the stronger of the two and is often used in a Blue Mage's burst window, as it deals a whole lot of damage.
(As a side note, I use "they/them" in relationship to the fae. They have no actual gender and that's the preferred pronouns the game uses, so this is what I tend to use as well.)
Other side notes;
– The pixies are the first-released tribe for Shadowbringers, started after the quest "The Wheel Turns". Those that are interested must be level 73, be in Shadowbringers, and clear that quest to accept the quest "Manic Pixie Dream Realm" at the Crystarium. This questline continues the Fae storyline ended after that quest, and it's one of the tribal questlines that are actually worth doing if you're invested in learning more about the pixies.
– The Dancing Plague, the duty's namesake, is actually a reference to a real-life phenomena: the dancing plague of 1518, in which a huge group of folk from Strasbourg, Alsace (modern-day France, in other terms) were the victim of a dancing mania. Nobody knows what actually caused the mania, or even the correct number of people who died to this plague, but there were reports from around that time. Theories do surround the cause of this plague, even during the time- including demonic possession, which is funny considering Titania's ultimate fate.
– The song's name, "What Angel Wakes Me", is a reference to the Shakespeare play "A Midnight Summer's Dream", specifically Act 3 Scene 1. In turn, the song was composed as a waltz with a 6/8 time signature, and the lyrics themselves are written as playfully dissonant to the fight as possible to sell the fact Titania has gone insane even by pixie standards and now wants to play with you, even if their idea of playtime is "dance until they drop".
Feo Ul is best girl.
Fae or otherwise
Wait… that sleepwear… did you really record the entire scene twice with different outfits just to stitch them together in the editing? How much extra work is that with the New Game+ mode?
Playfriends, it's time to catch the Dancing Plague. This is your spoiler free lore comment!
Unlike the MSQ dungeons in Shadowbringers, the Trials still require other players. And honestly, a Dancing Plague needs dance partners! The Titania fight is popular with the player base for its whimsical setting and fantastic visuals.
8:13 – We've seen this marker before, but I wanted to wait till Shadowbringers to point it out. I believe this marker was codified in Shadowbringers. This is a cleaving tank buster, indicated by the angular square caution tape, as opposed to a circular red marker for ordinary or AOE tank busters. While the type of cleave (either a line through the tank or a conal attack) depends on the duty, it's always safe to get away from the tank when one of these pops up.
9:40 – Starburst AOEs will become increasingly common after this, and it can cause players some difficulty tracking the "points".
10:55 – Mustardseed, Peaseblossom, and Puck are all characters from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, as is Titania.
Triple Triad Card lore: King and ruler of the faeries, Titania once defeated a Lightwarden that threatened Il Mheg, only to be corrupted by the aether that was subsequently released. For long years thence, the fallen monarch was kept imprisoned within Lyhe Ghiah.
22:45 – This left vs right cinematography really shows how far we've come since ARR. This really juxtaposes the two father figures in Minifilia's life: Thancred who freed her but is sometimes cold because of what she represents, and Ran'jit, who would see her locked in a gilded cage for all her life in an effort to "protect" her.
23:45 – It's one thing for one kind of fae to seek you as playmates. It's another when ALL the Fae seek you as playthings. Where Titania commands, they obey. Assuming the Monarch isn't mad (by fae definition).
34:15 – Sometimes your opponent just turns up on your doorstep! Emet-Selch quickly establishes himself as NOT Lahabrea, and works via different means. But he's no fool, as Urianger knows.
45:18 – "Yeah, I've got a companion chocobo. Let me tell you the tale of Penny Desert-Cluck, and how I won her at a charity auction…"
45:37 – Durmin's PJs are craftable clothing, but its max level Master Recipes that requires items from Treasure Dungeons. I have a feeling these came from a fairy godparent.
Next time: To the woods!
(Next week's lore comments will be backfilled after the week, as I will be on vacation!)