"But if I must meet mine end, then all shall burn upon my pyre!" - Let's Play Heavensward: Final Fantasy XIV!

[TyrMcDohl]

Well, I already told these readers of this Let's Play thing I'm doing that I'd play Dark Knight so...can't very well do that.

That's cold, Sidurgu.

They spared them and sent them on their way, and were repaid with fire and blood, for every man, woman, and child.

More to learn once Satznswys hits level 52.

 

[TyrMcDohl]

But for now, let's talk more in depth about the gameplay side of Dark Knight in this fancy video!

The Dark Knight story was written by Natsuko Ishikawa, who would go on to become the Main Scenario writer for Stormblood, Shadowbringers, and Endwalker. And after this introductory story, with its shades of Fight Club and the integration of player frustration of killing random dorks, collecting pointless bear asses, plus the cryptic quest log messages in the journal, it's easy to see why her writing was seen as so stand-out. She'll continue to write the story going in to the Heavensward leg of the quest.

Moving on, starting at level 52, we'll need to check back in with our new friend Sidurgu at the Forgotten Knight every 2 levels, until we get to level 60, because the skills unlocked with the Heavensward content are only opened through the job quests. This is true for every other job in the game released in Heavensward and prior.

 

[TyrMcDohl]

Alright, sorry about that, got a little sidetracked, Alphinaud.

Yeah, already done.

He talks about the various locales around The Foundation.

Yeahhhhh no reason to go down there at all nope nope let's just keep moving.

The unsavory sort taunts Alphinaud, and says if he wants to know how the better half of Ishgard live, throw back a pint at the Forgotten Knight.

I mean...Satznswys has already kinda been there, but sure. Couldn't hurt to take a look in more detail.

The steward introduces our heroes to Gibrillont, the proprietor of the Forgotten Knight. He keeps many of the same services as the Quicksand in Ul'dah, or the Drowning Wench in Limsa Lominsa, including an inn room.

 

[TyrMcDohl]

Alphinaud inquires after the Brume.

This is, obviously, a very sore subject with the common folk, and their animosity toward the nobility. Gibrillont recommends keeping wits about, and a dagger in the boot.

Oh? The steward protests, but Tataru insists: there are people coming and going all the time, in and out of the Gates of Judgement. This tavern is the perfect place to pick up news from the world outside of Ishgard.

I mean, she's a fledgling arcanist, Alphinaud. Also, she looked after the Waking Sands and Rising Stones all on her own sometimes when the Scions were out on missions, and it was just her and F'lhammin there.

Alphinaud accepts this, and he and Satznswys head back toward Fortemps Manor.

There's a good Quest Plus to take here. Aytienne introduces himself as a member of Clan Centurio, whose main business is The Hunt, similar to the Hunts in the three major cities. The Grand Companies run it outside of Ishgard, but up here in northwest Coerthas and beyond into Dravania, Clan Centurio runs it.

They're taking all comers that know their way around weapons. He directs her to check out the Clan Hunt board outside the Forgotten Knight, and recommends sticking to the level one marks for the time being.

Heck. This quest is level 53. It'll still be helpful to complete.

Swapping over to Monk momentarily, we can peruse the rank one bills, which consists of five different targets that are refreshed daily. Completing the Hunt bills nets you a decent chunk of experience, as well as gil and a new kind of currency: Centurio Seals, which you can spend to buy grades of materia, minions, mounts, and so forth. This replaces the class-based Hunting Log system from ARR, and is a lot more rewarding.

 

[TyrMcDohl]

Also, since we have Dragoon all the way to 56, we have the qualifications to unlock the Rank 2 hunts as well.

Satznswys takes the opportunity to attune to the rest of the Aethernet shards in the city.

Upon returning, Count Edmont greets them. Alphinaud admits to being stunned with the weight of a thousand years of history as he walked through the streets, and reeled at the sight of the scars of wyverns' claws in the stones of the Foundation.

Aymeric has ordered his knights to bolster their defenses, and all four High Houses have been called to support the relief effort. However, able-bodied men and women are few in number.

Edmont is grateful for the offer, and though the Scions as they are have very little to offer materially, labor they have in decent supply between Satznswys and Alphinaud.

Between Alphinaud and Tataru, I think they'll be running this city within a week.

He asks Satznswys to aid his two sons in their own efforts.

The elder brother, Artoriel, seems reluctant to take aid.

Emmanellain is more receptive.

 

[TyrMcDohl]

Edmont isn't having any of it. After all, in his words, "This is the woman who slew Gaius van Baelsar and some half-dozen primals besides!" Yeah, Satznswys is pretty splendid. She's just here to help out, not steal anyone's glory.

Sure thing.

Alphinaud is pleased to get this endeavor under way. After all, it will definitely give Satznswys the opportunity to get more familiar with the lands surrounding Ishgard.

So, it's at this point that the story splits between the two brothers. It doesn't matter which you pick, because you will end up doing both in the end. The reason for this is similar to the reason for splitting up the beginning of the ARR story between the three cities: to lighten the server load with players at the beginning of an expansion, so not everyone is all in the same place at once. So, next time, I'll flip a coin, and we'll go off to adventures in new lands!

 

[Juno]

Earlier Zef said that Edmont looked like Dracula and now I can't unsee it, I can't believe I never made that connection.

Anyway, HW is when XIV really started to come into its own and began to feel like the game the new dev team always wanted to make. Most of ARR was a patchwork of new concepts alongside the old, salvaged remains of 1.0. But HW felt much more whole cloth, something less compromised by the past.

 

[Büge]

Well, I already told these readers of this Let's Play thing I'm doing that I'd play Dark Knight so...can't very well do that.

That's cold, Sidurgu.

They spared them and sent them on their way, and were repaid with fire and blood, for every man, woman, and child.

More to learn once Satznswys hits level 52.

Alexa, play "In the End" by Linkin Park.

 

[TyrMcDohl]

Hello all, and welcome back to the LP! Previously, Satznswys fought Satznswys and Satznswys won. Also, Alphinaud and Tataru gained a familiarity with the Holy See of Ishgard, but today, Satznswys's road takes her outside the city of Ishgard in to...

*coin flip*

...the western wastes of Coerthas!

But first, one minor note of upkeep! The fancy new earring Satznswys is wearing is the symbol of Menphina, the goddess of the moon. Like the Ala Mhigan earring and Aetheryte crystal earring before, this earring is a pre-order bonus for Endwalker, and grants an XP bonus up to level 80, the current level cap as of this writing!

Chatting with our tour guide from last time, we can get a little bit of a history lesson of House Fortemps: as you are already aware, House Fortemps is responsible for the defense of Camp Dragonhead. Their staffing numbers over a hundred craftsmen, retainers, and other serving staff. To say nothing of the knights, squires, and infantry at their command. Fortemps has the most dealings with the outside world, and seeks to open up the Gates of Judgement so that all of Ishgard may benefit from trade with the rest of Eorzea.

For Ishgard herself, the first king, Thordan I, founded the nation with his knights twelve, settling the land of Coerthas in Halone's name. However, Nidhogg would not truck with this. He sought out King Thordan and did battle with him. In the battle, Thordan and half his knights were slain. The first Azure Dragoon, Haldrath, Thordan's son, rallied the remenants and drove Nidhogg back. Thus began the centuries-long Dragonsong War. Only once has the defenses been breached, and that was during the Bloody Banquet in Ul'dah. The Pillars were spared the wyverns' wrath, but Foundation did not fare so well. Casualties were high.

Grudgingly, Artoirel introduces himself formally. He immediately apologizes for rejecting Satznswys's offer of help. His reason for doing so was that he considers himself up to the challenge, unlike others he could name.

Haurchefant has been busy being Satznswys's cheerleader, it seems. His duties will be taking him to the western lands of Coerthas, working with his compatriots in the houses Durendaire and Dzemael.

It's of the utmost importance that rivalries be set aside. He directs Satznswys first to the chocobo stables in Foundation.

Artoirel has secured passage via Chocobo Porter to the western lands. Also, he's dressed out in House Fortemps colors.

Series veterans will know that black chocobos are capable of flight. Mounted flight in the open world was one of the major selling points for Heavensward, and it's been diluted somewhat with later patches. Not every mount could fly, but that has been corrected over the years, now all mounts are capable of flight. There used to be a sidequest to get your own Black Chocobo to actually unlock flight. However, I'll get into why you can't fly initially later. The ride we're taking today is a porter just like their earthbound chocobo brethren, so they're trained only to fly straight to their destination.


To the frozen wastes of the western highlands, once verdant tracts made pallid by the Calamity...

Beyond the towering wall of ice, to lands long forsaken that the Knights of Ishgard strove tirelessly to reclaim...

To the hamlet of Falcon's Nest, once abandoned, now free from its pall of snow and ash, she came...

~From the memoirs of Count Edmont de Fortemps, Heavensward

 

[TyrMcDohl]

CHAPTER ONE - THE HERETIC AND THE WHALE

Falcon's Nest is the last Ishgardian outpost in Coerthas before it becomes a no-man's land between Dravania and Ishgard. From here, it's a large expanse of snow and ice, and abandoned settlements that are constantly under contest between the Dravanian hordes and the Holy See. One imagines that this is the kind of place where Azure Dragoon Estinien might've grown up after the destruction of his home.

Artoirel says the first order of business is to get their orders from Ser Redwald, the commander of Falcon's Nest.

Artoirel makes introductions. Satznswys's reputation has made it all the way here, courtesy of Lord Drillemont of Whitebrim. Before they get to instructions, for Satznswys's, and by extension the player's, benefit, Redwald gives the history of the region. Once, Falcon's Nest was a small garrison, before the Calamity five years ago. As you know, the imbalance of aether that we discovered was caused by Bahamut's regeneration changed Eorzea's climate, possibly forever. When the snow would not abate, the decision was made to abandon the western highlands, save for Falcon's Nest.

In recent days, however, the Holy See has sought to reclaim the lands and to expel the heretics. Rebuilding will take a lot of time and effort, but one day, they may succeed. Their work right now is focused on protecting the craftsmen working to rebuild the garrison.

They have been hampered in their progress by a number of things. He directs Satznswys to their foreman, Rothe, to see what needs doing.

While looking for Rothe, Satznswys takes the opportunity to register with the chocobo porter here so she can fly between Ishgard and Falcon's Nest at will, as well as attune to the Aetheryte.

Rothe's first big problem is the icicle sprites that form in the accumulated snow banks around the garrison.

Done and dusted!

While he'd be happy to have Satnzswys mop up icicle sprites all day, he can see she's made of sterner stuff and can handle something much bigger. He points her out to Pike, a large statue to the north in the wastes. There, she should get in contact with Thierremont, a mason, who will have something a bit more challenging for her.

 

[TyrMcDohl]

Now, normally, I wouldn't highlight FATEs, but Alaimbert of the Spiked Butt deserves special mention, for obvious reasons. Koji Fox is a mad lad.

After dispatching he of the Spiked Butt, we can see Pike in the distance.

Whoever this is is bearing a very familiar-looking lance.

Restoring a statue after five years of neglect is not an easy task, to be sure. He asks Satznswys to kill three of the deepeye enemies nearby and skin their bristles.

Luckily, they are absolutely plentiful in this area.

She turns in the bear asses. Thierremont says they're good for scrubbing soot off the statue, which he elaborates is a statue of Haldrath, the first Azure Dragoon. Apparently, Dravanians like to strafe it with dragonfire every time they fly past.

Satznswys's work out here complete, he asks her to deliver a package to a knight named Ser Ysaudore, stationed at the Anvil to the west. Apparently, she might've left it behind when she was last by here on patrol.

Handing it over, she calls Thierremont a fool. She explains that it was a gift for him, seeing as how hard he works on Haldrath's statue. The reason why she couldn't just straight-out give it to him as a gift, she is highborn, and cannot be seen favoring a lowborn mason in such a way. Think of the scandal! There would be popping of monocles, upsetting of tea saucers! Think of the BEDLAM! She appreciates the effort Satznswys went to to help out, all the same and wishes her a safe trip back to Falon's Nest.

Ishgard, as you can probably already tell, has a highly stratified society. Socioeconomic status means everything, but there are some exceptions, such as the lowborn Aymeric de Borel, who now commands the Temple Knights.

 

[TyrMcDohl]

Redwald is impressed with Satznswys's initiative, but there is a pressing task that needs doing, and he means to send Artoirel and Satznswys on the job.

Ding ding. The XP curve is still gonna be pretty overblown, as this chapter had XP rewards enough to get you from 50 to 51.

Redwald has lost contact with a recon party that was sent north to look for the heretics' hideout. Time is of the essence to find these men and get them back to safety before the elements claim them.

Artoirel suspects that Camp Riversmeet would be a good place to take shelter, as it was one of the settlements abandoned in the wake of the Calamity.

Overlooking Riversmeet, this was one of the Aetheryte junction points in Coerthas back in 1.0, but time has not been kind to it, as you can see plainly. The aetheryte is irrevocably frozen over. Just jumping down the cliff would likely spell certain death with the monsters down below, so Artoirel suggests a safer path down to the riverbed.

A much safer way down.

Maps in this and future expansions are not revealed all at once. You reveal more of it as you explore. Each segment of map gives you a small chunk of XP.

Entering the camp, Satznswys finds a knight in trouble!

Satznswys earns high praise, as it comes from Artoirel.

His party was caught in a blizzard to the north, snowblind and assaulted by heretics. He got a few, and was separated from his comrades. He found his way to the camp to wait out the storm, but the heretics followed him here. Their hideout is somewhere to the north, and they need to move quickly before storms obliterate their trails.

Loathe as he is to do it, he suggests splitting up. He'll escort the knight back to Falcon's Nest while Satznswys picks up the trail, and if she finds it, to leave her own trail to help Artoirel catch up once the knight is safe.

 

[TyrMcDohl]

Satznswys leaves camp. It's a bright, clear day, but that could change any moment in the western highlands.

Back down to the riverbed to the north, Satznswys finds the trail and a dead Durendaire knight.

And the weather starts turning foul.

This is a solo duty, despite taking place in the same open-world map. There are invisible barriers that will have red guardrails if you get too close to them to guide you where you need to go.

This heretic runs away.

And leads Satznswys all the way back to his hideout...

...and into an ambush!

 

[TyrMcDohl]

Iceheart. Long time, no see.

Midgardsormr! Also long time, no see.

She can see the great wyrm.

Iceheart confirms that she herself has received the Echo. She was at first terrified by the visions, that came without warning.

So, she headed for Dravania, having nowhere else to go. But alone, she could not survive.

With the gift of the Echo, she was able to understand his words, and see the truth. What truth?

Such devastation was not her intention, apparently.

 

[TyrMcDohl]

To dragons, the start of the war may as well be last week to mortal men.

She calls herself neither saint nor savior, just a sinner. She can't break this course, and see the cycle of violence broken and peace restored. But will this peace come at a pile of ash where Ishgard once stood? She departs, and Satznswys lets her go.

Artoirel arrives with reinforcements, but too late to help her with the ambush. Satznswys tells him that the heretics were hiding out here. Satznswys tells him that Iceheart escaped. How much of this is lie versus truth, it's hard to tell, but he seems pleased all the same, as they have the heretics on the run. But it seems like Iceheart will have some part to play in the tale to come.

He's eager to get Satznswys next to a warm hearth after the day she's had.

Reporting in, Redwald is happy to see that Satznswys has routed the heretics in their hideout before reinforcements could arrive.

Redwald agrees, and promises to put in a favorable word with his own house, and hopes that Durendaire and Fortemps can continue to cooperate in the future. His knights are capable of securing the farmhouse, giving Satznswys and Artoirel leave to return to Ishgard and report in.

Satznswys hops a chocobo porter back to the city, and we get an actual look at a black chocobo in flight.

Back home, next to the hearth, Artoirel admits that Satznswys's reputation led him to believe that the stories about her were all embellished. Haurchefant spoke to their veracity and championed the cause to let Satznswys, Alphinaud, and Tataru to stay in the manor.

 

[TyrMcDohl]

Haurchefant, you're alright, and don't let nobody tell you otherwise.

Despite all those misgivings, Satznswys exceeded his expectation, and has earned his respect.

... you know what? To hell with it, that was pretty damn short. Let's go ahead and knock out the other side of the beginning with younger brother Emmanellain and his young servant Honoroit!

While he's not concerned about living off a stipend from his brother, he's not of a mind to be overshadowed by him.

"...look kid. I'll tell you the same thing I told Alphinaud: I'm not your errand girl."

He seems to enjoy this, for sure.

The airship landing is near to the Aethenaeum Astrologicum, where the Astrologians of Ishgard take their training and perform research.

Emmanellain is suited up and ready to go.

Though he seems to have little attention to detail.

 

[TyrMcDohl]

Upon an airship conceived within the fecund mind of Cid Garlond, renegade prodigy of Garlemald who had come to call Eorzea home...

High into the heavens where isles of earth and stone floated as clouds--a frontier the knights of Ishgard had scarce begun to explore..

To a fledgling outpost within the Sea of Clouds where careworn scouts ever scanned the skies for winged shadows, she came...

~From the memoirs of Count Edmont de Fortemps, Heavensward

With a much higher altitude compared to Ishgard, yeah. The Sea of Clouds is a massive region surrounding the island that Ishgard is settled on, consisting of super-charged wind aether that causes the land formations floating within to remain relatively stable. And it is on one of these islands that Ishgard maintains a garrison. There are other dangers within the Sea of Clouds, though. Sky piracy is on the rise of late, and there is the beast tribe, the Vanu Vanu to contend with as well.

The Sea of Clouds is massive, and you can only explore it partially to begin with, as you might expect for an archipelago in the sky. You'll be coming back here much later in the story, but for now, there's quite a bit to explore here. Emmanellain has an agenda, however.

Got it. Let's move out.

Just like back in Coerthas, hit up the base camp, attune to the aetheryte and check in with the Chocobo porter.

The aetheryte plaza in Camp Cloudtop has a compass rose around it. Just a neat little detail.

 

[TyrMcDohl]

Gaelicats, just like in Final Fantasy V!

Arriving at the Rosehouse, so named for the heraldry of House Hallinarte, Satznswys checks in with Laniaitte, the commander.

So, yeah, our old friend Francel, the friend of Haurchefant that we helped clear of heresy charges way back when, is related to her. She's wanted to meet Satznswys for a while to thank her, but her duties have kept her here.

Oof, nat 1 on the charisma check there, buddy.

The Protector has been under repairs though, leaving them less defended than normal, and the Vanu Vanu have been more bold as of late.

Oof, keeping the lordling out from underfoot.

Satznswys pulls Honoroit aside.

 

[TyrMcDohl]

Alright, now what's the real job?

Ishgard encountered the Vanu Vanu several years ago, in their early fledgling attempts to chart the Sea of Clouds. In exchange of gifts, the Vanu granted them permission to build Camp Cloudtop.

She thinks Satznswys should see things as they are now firsthand and directs her to one of her subordinates.

Hmm...

She describes the Vanu as a birdman, but nothing like the Ixal we're already familiar with. She marks a few places to patrol and drive away any that are encroaching.

This is a Paissa. They are weird.

Done and dusted.

 

[TyrMcDohl]

Yeah, things seem exceedingly chill around here. She asks to give their troops about some encouragement to be dilligent in their duties.

That didn't go so well.

Nor that.

Emmanellain seems to benefit, but this is likely to annoy the commander.

Yeah, better rip that bandage off.

 

[TyrMcDohl]

Satznswys agrees, and gets the briefing: they need fresh water, and being rocks in the sky means that water tables don't exactly form. However, they've recently discovered crystals that could potentially solve the water shortage. The crystals grow in the lake far to the east.

He heads off, head full of steam.

With no Vanu in sight of the lake, he proposes a contest of who can find the better crystal sample.

After inspecting a few formations, Satznswys finds an appropriate sample.

Satznswys hands over her entry, but it looks like Emmanellain has yet to show back up.

Yeah, hope he didn't get hurt.

 

[TyrMcDohl]

No sign. Maybe Honoroit had better luck.

Uh oh. Better shake a leg.

here goes.

So that's what the Vanu look like. Honoroit says he'll head back to the Rosehouse and call for reinforcements, though it's a bit of a jog, and Satznswys is likely on her own. Honoroit asks her to take a chance if one presents itself.

Found him!

Haurchefant arrives to help!

 

[TyrMcDohl]

Escorting Emmanellain here completes the duty.

Well, that's a very big sky whale. That's a sentence I had to write.

This is pretty bad, yeah.

 

[TyrMcDohl]

Cid!

Nice flying, Cid!

 

[TyrMcDohl]

Back at Camp Cloudtop, everyone cools down from that series of near-death experiences. Emmanellain is taking it pretty hard.

Cid has new threads! He says that the Holy See contracted the Ironworks to help work on the Protector's repairs. He came to Cloudtop to get a look at what work he was in for, and heard Satznswys was here. Coincidentally, that's when Honoroit came running in, informing the camp that Emmanellain had been captured.

Cid bids a "see you later" and not a farewell. Good to know he's in the neighborhood. Might be helpful to be able to call on him if we need to get around the Sea of Clouds.

Emmanellain, you're really not fooling anyone.

Checking back in with Laniaitte, she's shocked to learn that the Vanu have a primal at their call.

Laniaitte is more than pleased at Satznswys's work in sussing out the primal threat that now faces Camp Cloudtop. She doesn't have the resources to try and counter the primal yet, but it will have to be dealt with sooner or later.

Satznswys hops a ferry from the deck of the Protector.

 

[TyrMcDohl]

Sure, but before we do that, Satznswys hit level 52 during that last mission, which means she's got a job quest on deck. Time to check back in with Sidurgu at the Forgotten Knight.

"A heart bleeds, a man weeps, a soul burns. Thence comes the darkness, to consume. Yet even in the depths, the flame endures. Submit to the flame and harness the abyss."

The girl, Rielle, speaks, but only briefly. Sidurgu speaks for her: she was fleeing from a unit of Temple Knights, intent on doing her harm. He and Fray interjected. They went to ground after rescuing Rielle, but he was caught in the streets while obtaining supplies. And that was sort of where Satznswys came into the story, after Fray had been killed in the trial by combat. Sidurgu says that he can't protect Rielle alone from the Temple Knights. He's not sure why they're after her. He asks Satznswys to help protect her in exchange for teaching her further dark arts. Satznswys agrees.

Woof. Gonna have to have words with Aymeric the next time we see him. Asking about her parents causes her to clam up.

Sidurgu thinks that the the Temple Knights think something's wrong with her, but he can't figure out how. But he's heard a rumor of Vanu healers that can see a patient's aether, able to diagnose ailments at a glance. It seems fanciful to be sure, but with no other leads to go on, he wants to pursue it. So the three of them depart for the Sea of Clouds.

 

[TyrMcDohl]

So Satznswys will get the feathers for the gift for the Vanu. Hopefully they don't recognize her from when she rescued Emmanellain.

After collecting the feathers, Satznswys has a bit of a hike.

Welp, there's the foot in the door.

Uh...if I heard that right...nothing's wrong with her?

Wait, what? I'm afraid I don't follow...and she's already gone.

 

[TyrMcDohl]

Up the hill.

Done and dusted.

Oh, I guess that would explain why Ser Aymeric would have nothing to do with them.

With little gained in the Sea of Clouds, they return to Ishgard.

Yeah, that group of Temple Knights seem to be pretty awful. Sidurgu says that there can be no justice for those monsters save for that which he and Satznswys can deliver.

At least they learned the nature of their enemy. This 'great spirit' the Vanu healer mentioned eludes him, however.

 

[TyrMcDohl]

Completing the quest has Sidurgu teach Satznswys Salted Earth. This skill targets a patch of ground that deals damage over time to any enemy while they're standing in it. I prefer to set up a macro to allow me to center it on whatever I have targeted with a single button, with no fiddling of the camera.

/micon "Salted Earth"
/ac "Salted Earth" <t>

The second line of the macro actually does the action. The first changes the macro's icon on the hotbar to that of Salted Earth, and you'll be able to see the cooldown timer on it. You can do this with other targeted puddle skills, like White Mage's Asylum, or Astrologian's Earthly Star.

With all that over, Satznswys returns to Fortemps Manor.

Well...I dunno if he learned anything from this.

And on that off-note, we're done with stuff today! Next time, we'll find out what Alphinaud and Tataru have been up to in the city during Satznswys's absence!

 

[Mightyblue]

So, "tramontaine" is an archaic loan word from Latin/Italian that literally means something like "living across the mountain(s)". Which implies that the dragons/Dravanians are keeping an eye on Rielle for some reason.