Tag Archives: Vivienne Urselmert

FFXIV: Unbreakable

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This chapter is of course named for the soundtrack of the Fractal Continuum – which is not the ARF, I am aware (the music of which is named Imagination). But while Imagination is all beautifully desperate and heroic and I love it, Unbreakable is one of the most kickass dungeon tunes in the whole game, maybe even my favourite dungeon theme (yes, even over A Long Fall (Twinning dungeon) – that name always reminds me of a ONE OK ROCK song…). Unbreakable makes me want to learn to play drums. But that’s gotta wait because I’m learning bass guitar first.

I wonder if Azys Lla is supposed to be pronounced in a Welsh fashion, with the double-L? Given that, for instance, the level 60 24-mans take naming inspiration from Gaelic (Mhach, Cu Chulainn) I don’t think it’s out of the question. In which case everyone’s pronouncing it wrong. : D

I feel like Thordan’s motivations weren’t really adequately explained in the game? Why he came to Azys Lla (so that his primal form could absorb the Warring Triad? I would have liked better clarification at the time, especially since you don’t fight the Triad until later patches), and what he intended specifically to do once he became a god. It would also have been nice to have a better idea of Lahabrea’s plan, but at least his goals are clear.

I enjoy the in-game canon that the WoL single-handedly one-shots Thordan and knights out of pure rage. (BFG Division starts playing) Continue reading →

FFXIV: On the Hunt

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So my grandparents gave me a bonus gift this year, so I used it to buy like 5 FFXIV books, including the first Ishgard artbook and both Encyclopedia Eorzeas! I have no idea when they will arrive but since I think the Encyclopedias are being reprinted they probably won’t arrive until I’ve finished HW. Sure, all the info is also on the wikis, but it’s nice to have it in book form to flip through. (Also the Primals Blueray concert, let’s go!)

Vivienne isn’t actually ice-aspected; she’s Umbral Earth (Althyk, December birthmonth) and I headcanon that Fray is lightning-aspected. So when Alain mentions elements he’s really speaking more poetically.

Chapter 28: At What Cost

 

Chapter 29: On the Hunt

Cid had been enlisted into the chase, naturally, as the archbishop had left upon an airship heading into dangerous territory, and who better to aid them than the man with an airship and no fear of danger? The engineer was delighted to bear them on another adventure, and sailed them cheerfully into the Sea of Clouds to the far north. Continue reading →

FFXIV: Hurry Up and Wait

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Okay so I was like “I’m just going to put enough of the DRK quests that people understand the DRK quests are happening, like I’ve been doing with the other class quests” and then I rewatched them and was like “I have to put them all in because I love them so much”. (Thank you Natsuko Ishikawa!!!) So… hope you like DRK quests because more are coming! XD

It’s time to proclaim that I think Heart of Steel by Beast in Black is an excellent theme song for Sid! I used it for the second fight. (Also I looked up ‘tramontane’, it’s a northern wind.) For the first fight, I used Nail of the Heavens, which might have been Vivienne’s in-game theme-song if not for the fact that everyone associates it with BLU now. (I don’t remember Vivienne’s exact glam, but I think it’s something like the Omicron fending top and gloves, the Abyss pants and boots, and the Chaos helm (the Abyss helm is more stylish, but it clashes with the Omicron top)) (also I’m not sure what sword she has right now, because as soon as she gets Cronus Lux she never uses anything else, but the Baldur Blade is pretty close in shape so let’s go with that) (who else misses Dark Arts?)

Also it’s terribly annoying to me that Alphinaud has finally deigned to reveal when Elezen get their second growth spurt, because it’s thrown off my own plans to LET MY CHILDREN GROW. (I haven’t played since 5.0 so no spoilers please but one of my friends told me the news.) Sooo while I was planning to have the twins full height by SB, and started dropping hints about it already, I have changed that to reflect my new knowledge.

Chapter 25: Hraesvelgr

 

Chapter 26: Hurry Up and Wait

Estinien had remained behind to stand lonely watch over Nidhogg’s lair, while the Warriors of Light and Alphinaud returned to Ishgard to find if Cid Garlond were in the neighbourhood. While the others scattered across the city, some to the Jeweled Crozier, others to the chocobo stables, Achiyo, Alphinaud, and R’nyath went to the manor – for as Honoroit said archly, “When it comes to – ahem – exchanging information of uncertain origin, Lord Emmanellain is something of a prodigy.” R’nyath had winked at the boy. He knew exactly what that meant. Continue reading →

FFXIV: Loneliness

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So pretty much nothing happens this chapter except class quests! Figured that since I was always planning to add the DRK quests, I may as well add some of the others, as many as work with the characters, and then I figured I’d put them here before the momentum builds to the point where I can’t pause to throw in this sort of thing. Also can I say that the PLD quests are so bizarre that the NPCs are questioning it??? What is this paladin dominance thing??? I dislike. Achiyo doesn’t have anything to do with the Sultansworn anyway, so I wasn’t planning to include those particular quests in the first place. But I love Constaint so he’ll show up somewhere else eventually. My favourite class quests are DRK, BRD, and WHM, though I also like a bunch of the others as well, just not as much.

Again R’nyath references a song from the choral side of my career, Soldier Won’t You Marry Me by Paul Halley.

Vivienne’s quest was heavily influenced by the Japanese dialogue as translated by Haillenarte on tumblr – doesn’t it make so much more sense? I think the localization team were kind of trying to set up the next level 50 quest (the first of the 50-60 quests) with the whole “Temple Knights asking after you” thing, but… no. Get that irrelevant nonsense out of here. Give me sad yandere Fray. (still not entirely happy with it, may edit over the next couple days, but I also want to move on.)

I made some small edits to Chapter 7, as I never liked Chuchupa’s hinted backstory and I wanted to add more for Vivienne now that I know her better.

I promise we’ll go on a road trip next chapter!

Non-story news: I finally bought a doll to be Achiyo to the doll I bought to be Aymeric. (Aymeric is played by the BTS j-hope Barbie, and Achiyo is played by Basketball Stacie – I intend to rehair/repaint them a little like some of the YouTube channels out there, except I’m going to use mini paints instead of pencils because miniature painting is what I know.)

Also I’m impressed I managed to write this while work was in high gear; I’ve been so busy omg. Continue reading →

FFXIV: Guide Us to Victory

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I wanted to write in something resembling the big battle at the end of the trailer, because Heavensward’s trailer is one of my favourite trailers of all time, and that fight is exciting! My interpretation was also helped by listening to The Last Stand by Sabaton, which is about a different group of courageous-unto-death religious guys. Unlike those guys, the Ishgardians do survive though. It also gave me opportunity to insert shipping! Please let me know what you think!

I noticed when writing this chapter that my Miqo’te characters are overachievers compared to the others with the number of classes they’ve got. Oops!

Chapter 21: Brothers In Arms

 

Chapter 22: Guide Us to Victory

The tall grey halls of the throne room rose about Achiyo, austere and imposing. They were more austere – older, perhaps? – than the glimpse she had gotten of a vast cathedral filled with golden light higher up in the Vault. Cold light streamed down from pale arched windows, illuminating the venerable bearded man in his throne upon the dais. He was flanked by soldiers, a Heavens’ Ward knight, and Lord Commander Aymeric, but all of them stood upon the lower ground. She found the effect… lonely. Sultana Nanamo had never had so much separation between her people and her self. Continue reading →

FFXIV: Brothers in Arms

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I WROTE

A CHAPTER

(how has it been a year and a half since I updated this)

So… I was going to try and use Nanowrimo for visual art purposes this year, because I couldn’t settle on a fanfic to work on and I have a huge backlog of visual art to get done. As you can see, I finished Caoilfhionn’s story. And then I made the mistake of listening to some Beast in Black as a break from all the lovely K-pop/Aviators mix that I was using for plant boys.

Vivienne: I HAVE BEEN SUMMONED

So apparently I’d rather do anything but draw… And then it took me another 3 months to finish the chapter even after I started. I can’t seem to get traction with this one again. Though now that I’ve semi-committed, I’d like to keep going. Part of it is probably that it’s a bit more difficult to get immersed when I’m not subbed (I haven’t been subbed since 5.0, and have avoided spoilers since. Not sure when I’m returning still, but does it really matter when the fanfic is so far behind? D: ) The quality might be a bit lower than usual. I’ll work on it in the future for sure. Continue reading →

FFXIV: Shining Ishgard Among the Clouds

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In which Tam is a massive ace. (His medallion was last mentioned halfway through Chapter 4 if you care.)

I tried to take a break from fic writing BUT I CAN’T so have another chapter of random bits and pieces

Description of Ishgard should be read with Solid in mind (Ishgard should always be beheld with Solid in mind; still my favourite city theme! MY HEART)

Also, fun fact: since Tharash has quit the video game, Crim/Yllamse talked him into DMing a FFXIV-themed 5.0 DnD game for us based on pre-HW Ishgard (I’m still working through the lore resource lol). Crim is playing another Xaela grump, Yllamse is an astro, and I’m playing my Temple Knight sunshine boi Syndael Argennoux who was mentioned a couple times in this fic.

Chapter 19: The Parting Glass

 

Chapter 20: Shining Ishgard Among the Clouds

Achiyo had said they would go to Ishgard, and she still wished to. The way they’d been chased through Ul’dah… She feared to return to Eorzea, and Ishgard’s ingrained hostility towards her race seemed far more mild and bearable than Eorzea suspecting her of being a murderer. And, too, there was a nagging feeling of responsibility… Ishgard’s wards had fallen, and they’d already suffered dragon raids as a direct result. If they’d been able to hold the dragon back a little longer… Continue reading →

FFXIV: The Parting Glass

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And BOOM goes the dramatic tension! Thanks for reading everyone! I’m going to take a break from writing for a bit to play Legend of Dragoon, but I’m sure I’ll be back with HW sooner or later!

Regarding the song Thancred and R’nyath sing at the beginning of the chapter: I was subbing for a choir earlier this year, and one of the pieces they were singing was ‘Quick, we have but a second‘ by Stanford, and I realized immediately that it fit this chapter perfectly. And I’ve been waiting for this one… Vivienne’s fight song is RichaadEB’s cover of Bad Apple!

R’inwa is actually a lot taller than R’nyath, I learned when making him into a retainer; his height is at max, and I think R’nyath’s in the bottom third of the scale.

EDIT: Vivienne’s soul crystal has broken for story purposes.

Chapter 18: Blushes and Blood Pearls

 

Chapter 19: The Parting Glass

The air in the Rising Stones was merry, despite everything that had happened in the last little while, despite the tension that Rinala felt in her chest like a distant thundercloud. But if the others were worried, though she suspected they were, she couldn’t tell from their demeanour. Perhaps they were pretending and putting on a good face, as the other folk at the banquet would neither know nor care about the horrible murder that had just happened, or the sinister plot behind it that no one would tell her about. She didn’t begrudge them maintaining her ignorance; she was terrible with secrets, only… she wanted to know what to be worried about, and also she was just curious! Continue reading →

FFXIV: Faith in Her Fury

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This chapter is obviously named for an OST track; one of my favourite tracks (a shame it’s only used for this one trial!) and one I absolutely needed for writing inspiration. Other OST used in this chapter would be Battle Theme 1.x, which is Chuchupa’s theme!

Only two more chapters left in ARR!

Chapter 16: The Tightening Noose

 

Chapter 17: Faith in Her Fury

 

As promised, Aymeric rode in haste to Camp Dragonhead with Estinien to meet with Haurchefant and the Warriors of Light. Lucia was already with them. Iceheart had shattered Ishgard’s outermost defensive wards, the Temple Knights had had terrible losses in the northwest, and he knew Commander Leveilleur was going to try and be clever rather than helpful. But his beautiful city was more direly threatened than any other time in their nation’s history, and he needed reinforcements. Any reinforcements. If but a single Warrior of Light were to come to their aid, well, it would be a start. But somehow he did not think they would turn a cold shoulder to his impassioned plea. And not simply because it was impassioned. Continue reading →

FFXIV: The Tightening Noose

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Whew! Didn’t expect to end this chapter on a downer note but it seems like this one 5-page scene I wrote last month doesn’t happen yet and I’m now very confused about when it does happen. I’m feeling a bit down about the game itself in general, and I’m not sure how to fix it other than get Achiyo into HW so I can replay one of my favourite parts of the story.

Chapter 15: The Elder Primal

 

Chapter 16: The Tightening Noose

 

Rinala was away attending to a private matter, but Achiyo and two of her close companions had been sent to reinforce Captain Ilberd in interrupting a black market weapons deal at the Burning Wall… ‘Overkill’, Ilberd’s lieutenant had muttered with a grin, and they’d all chuckled a little, but the more allies present, the easier it would be to end without bloodshed, wouldn’t it? Continue reading →