Aetherflow - Spring 2021 by aetherflow.media

SPRING 2021

CO N T ENTS 4

Letter from the Editors

COMMUNITY 14

Curiosities of Cosplay Fan Art Feature

LORE & LOCALE 38

Memoirs of a Traveler

Vigil of the Blue: Seeking Utopia

FASHION 82

Glamourous

112

Fashion Focus

INTERIOR DESIGN 136

Hydaelyn's Hearth

GUIDES 154

Joy of the Culinairian

Aetherflow Spring 2021

Lovely

So muc

anyway

expans

we hav

to cont

thank y

and we

Letter from the editors

doing w

This m

gorgeo

this iss

abunda

Yours t

Serena

y readers,

ch excitement has been going on! Spring is in the air (for some places,

y…), new SE FFXIV announcements have been made, and there is an

sion on the horizon. As with the many changes occurring in the world,

ve also had a few changes within the project that we hope will allow us

tinue to improve and provide even better content for you. As always,

you so much for your unwavering and loving support over the years

e can’t wait to continue our work for you in the future! You truly make

what we do even better than you realize.

month you’ll find plenty of fun pieces! From interesting interviews,

ous glamours, intriguing lore, and so much more, you’re sure to enjoy

sue. So here’s to you, dear reader! The future is bright, excitement is

ant, and there is so much to look forward to!

truly,

a, Arya, Lolae, Vederah & Nana

LET YOUR CREATIVITY FLOW Are you looking to get creative with the Aetherflow Media team? Now is your chance! We are seeking out talented and interactive individuals to fill a few positions on our team. Check out the descriptions on the right for more information on these roles. Any or all of these sound intriguing? Click here to let us know. We look forward to hearing from you! Please allow 1-2 weeks response time as we like to allow all those interested a chance to apply before we begin the interview process. We look forward to your application and thank you for your interest!

GRAPHIC

Access to InDesi are necessary and provided. Applican guidelines (fonts, a trial content to cr layout that should approval.

C DESIGNER

ign and Photoshop d a portfolio must be nt will be provided our alignments, etc) and reate an application be submitted before

SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM

TRANSLATOR (JP/EN)

Must be able to pitch promotional ideas and be proficient with the various platforms. Applicant should expect to prepare at least 3 posts a week, whether scheduled or manual, published within the Social Media Team. Social Media Marketing experience is appreciated.

Must be able to efficiently translate written pieces between Japanese and English, making sure to maintain their original meaning, format and tone. The estimated workload for this position would be one article per issue, including any communication with members of the Japanese community. It’s an advantage if audio pieces can be translated as well. The use of Google Translate does not count!

WRITER

COMMUNITY TEAM

Examples of past written work should be provided. Must also be able to provide a list of ideas for content. For example, a list of various topics for one-off pieces or a list of ideas for a recurring column.

Looking to find enthusiastic individuals who are willing to help promote events in the XIV community as well as aid in facilitating our charity stream and AFM related events.

For website applications, a list of at least 6 topics should be provided. These lists are just to show that the applicant has ideas for what they would like to contribute. They do not have to be all inclusive and can be flexible.

THANK YOU From the depths of our hearts, we would like to share our deepest appreciation

to each and every one of our Patrons. Without your generosity, the goals in

which we have achieved thus far would still be mere dreams. Every dollar counts when it comes to making ideas into realities and with your help we were able to give our project a complete makeover! Your donations allowed us to fully reimagine our brand and buy new user friendly plug-ins for a completely revamped website. Because of you we are able to not only embrace our passions, but share them with those who share the same sentiment. Your assistance has made our dreams and goals come to life on the very screen you’re looking at. We would be nothing without the help of our dear supporters, so that is why we have decided to give our Patreon a well deserved upgrade.

K PAYPAL

PATREON

SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT TO OUR PATRONS Limito Breaku Kelly Mewkow Sayo Fabri Sykes Fishy Blindinkpoet

Elisa Shyntyrr Patricia Kevin Arya Mikh'to Miu

Mini Aetheryte

Aetheryte Ticket

Grand Company Aetheryte T

$ 1-4

$ 5-9

$ 10-19

A personalized Thank You card signed by

Next to that fancy support page is going

We don’t produce everyt

the staff, plus the unedited version to use as

to be a Patron-only lucky draw you will be

first time. With this tier y

a high-quality wallpaper! You’re also going

automatically entered into for reaching this

the development of a full

in the magazine under our fancy supporters

tier. You can also have a say in the Patreon-

before the issue is released

page so you can show your Free Company

only area of our Discord. Give feedback on

access to the suggestions

how great you are!

content and vote in polls! You’ll also get the

the Patreon-only Discord!

preceding rewards!

preceding rewards are inclu

Priority Aetheryte Pass

Aetheryte

Crystal Tower

$ 20-49

$ 50-99

$ 100+

If you can’t wait for our release date, don’t

We’ve given you something to use, something

We’ll get you a physical copy

worry. Here we’ll give you the full magazine

to participate in, something before anyone

It’s that simple. If we meet

early. That’s pretty good. What’s better is you’ll

else and now…? We’re giving you something to

you’re holding it, we’ll offer t

get to be one of the first to see the screenshot

hug. You’re going to get a mystery gift mailed

meet you in person you’re a

of your character in the magazine! After that,

straight to your door. Right now, it’s the US-

firm handshake and a hug

if we need someone in our pictures for social

only sort of surprise, but things do change!

We’ll also ask you how your

media, there’s a chance you’ll be called upon!

Yes, you will also be the proud recipient of all

you’ll probably end up on o

Naturally, the previous rewards are yours too!

preceding rewards!

Along with the mystery gift

tier if you remembered to br

Ticket

thing perfect the

you’ll get to see article, in stages,

d. You’ll also have

s and ideas within

! Once again, all

uded!

y of the magazine.

We get support from you, but what do you get in return from us? SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT TO OUR PATRONS

you in person and

to sign it, too! If we

also going to get a for your support!

r day is going, and

our social medias! from the previous

ring it with you!

AETHER STREAM 12

Have you • heard about • listened to • experienced our very own podcast? Let our podcast team take you on new adventures, dive into lore and discover all of Eorzea's best kept secrets.

CLICK HERE TO START LISTENING

CURIOSITIES OF COSPLAY FAWNINA

Text and interview by A'onisya Dehf Photos by FAWNINA, MindFall Media, StarsOfCassiopeia, RemDragon8 and LJinto Layout by Lolae Demort

The upheaval and change of this year has tested the endurance of even those who pride themselves on adaptability. Even hobbies we enjoy are challenged during hard times, whether from events in the world or growth within ourselves as we confront them. Fawnina, known as Niina Thlayli on Ultros, is no stranger to both kinds of change challenging her (as if cosplay is not challenging enough already!). Nina’s answer? Step back, reassess, and recognize the lessons learned from those moments in your life when things are uncertain and tumultuous. That perspective is evident in how she approaches her sewing projects as well, as she tackles new skills and techniques with each cosplay to hone her craft. We discussed at length the perspectives she’s gained throughout various parts of her cosplay journey, particularly through the last year, and I hope our discussion gives the Aetherflow readers a new outlook and guidance for their own projects going into the year ahead.

Tell us a little about yourself! How did you get your start cosplaying? Hi there, I’m Nina! Most commonly known as “Fawnina” when it comes to cosplay, or “Niina Thlayli” around Eorzea (Ultros, represent!). I’ve been cosplaying since 2007, and while I used to do so professionally, I stepped back from it to instead focus on my career… which, thanks to the pandemic, is pretty much at a standstill right now. Outside of cosplay, I’m a passionate writer, avid runner, and FFXIV addict, as well as a fur mom to a three-year-old Aussie named Kojak and a year-old kitten named Vaan. When I’m not gaming or indulging in my various hobbies, I can be found hiking with my fianceé, experimenting with recipes in the kitchen, or staring off into the distance while I zone out and daydream about my OCs. My introduction to cosplay happened in my sophomore year of high school. I did a Google search for pictures of the Inuyasha cast, and amidst screenshots from the anime, there were a few photos of people dressed up as the characters. Out of curiosity, I clicked on them, and that brought me to Cosplay.com (which, at the time, was the centralized online presence for everything cosplay-related). I dove deep into the forums that day and discovered that, believe it or not, it was possible to dress up on occasions other than Halloween – and there was a whole hobby for it! There were even entire events dedicated to my favorite anime and video game series, and people would attend those in costume! It was mindblowing to me, and as a creative individual with a handful of basic home economics classes under her belt who enjoyed making her own Halloween costumes, I was instantly hooked. Coincidentally, the following night was the release party for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at Borders. I spent that morning and afternoon hastily throwing together a Hermione costume, using items in my closet and hitting up

my local thrift store. I designed a S.P.E.W. badge in Microsoft Word that I stuck in a button pin, painted yellow stripes onto a red tie that I’d sewn together, and had my mom style my hair so it was big and bushy. An old ginger cat plushie served as Crookshanks to complete the look. It was by no means a “good” cosplay, but other fans were so kind and welcoming at the event that it didn’t matter; they were just excited to see Hermione! And as a kid who was relatively shy and struggled with low self-esteem, each and every compliment was… incredibly encouraging. I think that experience was responsible for helping me have more confidence in myself so that I could start to come out of my shell. Later that year, I attended my first Youmacon, back when it was held at a Sheraton in Troy, Michigan rather than a huge conference center in downtown Detroit. My friend and I dressed up as Hayner and Olette from Kingdom Hearts 2; I’d spent over a month making our costumes, which involved teaching myself how to design stencils, dye fabric, and alter sewing patterns. Again, they were not perfect cosplays; seriously, we didn’t even have wigs! But other fans of the game were so excited to see two of the Twilight Town characters represented, and that enthusiasm reinforced that this was a hobby I definitely wanted to pursue. Thirteen years later… here we are! You have a wide variety of costumes alongside your XIV cosplays, everything from ballgowns to kimonos to modern outfits. How do you approach choosing your next project? When choosing a costume, I primarily base it on how much I love the character, but I also look for a design that will provide the opportunity for me to learn a new technique. Making a costume that uses skills I already know is nice, certainly, but I like to challenge myself to learn new methods of crafting, or practice ones that I'm still 17

trying to grasp. For example, while the Lady’s Pinkfly Yukata wasn’t necessarily challenging in terms of sewing, it required hours upon hours of appliqué satin stitching around some very complex shapes. Satin stitching to that extent was something I’d never done before, so it was a great opportunity to practice that particular skill! When tackling a costume like the Carbuncle Attire, which has many layers and pieces, how do you break down the construction of the outfit? What considerations do you have for the different materials and methods you use to ensure all the costume’s pieces come together coherently? First and foremost, I start by breaking the outfit down into its different components, then I begin to make decisions about how I want to interpret each of those components. Carbuncle in particular took months of research and planning; I poured my creative soul into choosing materials and techniques for that design, as I really wanted it to reflect my personal artistry and costuming style. It was a project that was deeply close to my heart, mainly because I was challenged to come up with creative ways of translating the design to real life. It took nearly a year of hard work, but I was so thrilled with the result! Debuting it at Katsucon 2020 and meeting so many other FFXIV fans that weekend was one of the best cosplay experiences I’ve ever had. My main consideration to maintain a cohesive look for a costume is ensuring that I’m using either all warm tones or all cool tones. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule, but it goes a long way for making sure everything comes together coherently, rather than looking like a hot mess, as I like to call it. I always try to source swatches and other product samples before purchasing yardage so that I can compare the materials in real life; this helps to make sure nothing clashes before I’ve dropped tons of money. 18

You mentioned with the Carbuncle Attire that you wanted to experiment with different textures, such as the beautiful embossing on the book. Do you usually set a personal goal for yourself when you take on a new project? Yes, every project I tackle has a personal goal attached to it! For my Songbird Attire, I was specifically focused on recreating the silhouette. This challenged me to draft and create a cupcake hoopskirt from scratch; it also made draping the pattern for the jacket much more challenging, as I had to ensure it would flow smoothly over that cupcake shape. Additionally, this project required documenting every single step and detail, as I was coordinating a cosplay group and needed to provide patterns and instructions for my fellow Songbirds. It definitely gave me flashbacks to the actual idol cosplay groups I’ve participated in before, haha! You were posting WIP shots of minute details in your costumes even back in 2015. Have you always been so detailoriented in your work, or was that something you learned to enjoy when you first got into cosplaying? I’m a perfectionist with OCD, so… yes! Tiny little details have always been important to me when it comes to my work, even before I began cosplaying. Granted, when I was a beginner costumer, the projects I chose weren’t always detail-oriented; I was still learning the basics of crafting. However, as I developed my skills and began to attempt more difficult designs, focusing on the detailwork became a huge part of my process. I’ve always admired art pieces where you notice something completely new every time you look at it, so I try to keep that in mind when deciding how I want to bring a costume to life. (And FFXIV designs provide so many opportunities for that, just saying!)

It’s a livelihood for some, but for many of us, it’s a hobby. And a hobby should not come first before your loved ones and your own well-being.

Providing such detailed shots of your costumes is a boon for other cosplayers looking for ideas, inspiration, or recommendations for resources and methods. You also created cosplay progress videos on your YouTube channel, MangoSirene, for several years. What attracted you to pursuing an instructional angle when posting about your WIP?

At that time, many cosplay guides and other resources were limited to text and image tutorials. The cosplay “niche” on YouTube was dominated primarily by skits, both filmed privately and during convention masquerades. Although I was a young cosplayer at the time with a lot to learn (and, boy, did I learn the hard way for most of it), I’d often get asked questions of what I thought was common knowledge: how to start cosplaying, where to buy wigs, how to handle con hotel rooms, and so on. I was getting bored with doing television episode reviews, so I figured, hey, why not make videos to share some of that cosplay knowledge with people who are just getting into the hobby?

I continued to pursue the instructional angle because, at the end of the day, teaching is something I deeply enjoy – to the point where it inspired me to return to school to earn my Master’s Degree in Education after I stepped down from professional cosplay. It’s a very rewarding feeling to help others learn something new that they can apply to their own art! Since you’ve switched from creating content on YouTube to focusing on Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch as your main social media platforms, what has changed in your cosplay process (particularly with Twitch)?

Streaming my crafting process on Twitch required me to think more carefully about the steps required to complete a task; specifically, 20

estimating how long each step will take to finish. I notoriously underestimate task completion times, but streaming really helped me develop that skill, i.e. I used to estimate styling a spiked wig would take around 3-4 hours, but based on stream recordings I have saved, I know it’s often more like 6-8 hours! I think cosplay streaming has also helped me when initially choosing what projects I want to make. Streaming, at its core, involves entertaining an audience, so one of my deciding factors for selecting future costumes became, “Will people enjoy seeing me work on this?” If the answer was “no,” then chances are I wouldn’t enjoy working on it myself! It’s helped me narrow down my costume choices to projects that I can stay enthusiastic about from start to finish. Are there any unexpected lessons you’ve learned in terms of having a healthy relationship with cosplaying and the cosplay community since changing how you present your process and costumes online? My answer to this question would have been very, very different prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Right before we went into quarantine here in the United States, I was just getting back into guest appearances at conventions, selling prints, offering digitized patterns, and taking commission work – or, to put it simply, what I considered a better approach for financially supporting my hobby without sacrificing my mental or physical health in the way I once did when pursuing the life of a “pro cosplayer.” Back in February and March, I fully intended to dive back into regular content and resource creation… but, of course, all of that changed when the pandemic struck. The first couple weeks of quarantine were manageable, and I was able to continue working on my Miqo’te Starter Set here and there with the hope that, hey, maybe by autumn, I’d be

able to wear it to a con! But the further we went into lockdown, as the death toll climbed and the quarantine was extended, the less I felt like crafting. It seemed so pointless to work on my costumes when hundreds of thousands were dying. My depression took a downward spiral, and both my anxiety and OCD became extremely difficult to manage as my perceived control over my life quickly went out the window. Pretty much all of my future plans fell apart, and I had nothing to look forward to – especially in terms of future conventions, as even now at my time of writing this, we don’t know when it will be safe enough to attend those events. I managed to maintain my FFXIV streams for a few months into quarantine, but shortly after finishing my second playthrough of Shadowbringers with my community, I moved across the country to live with my girlfriend (now fianceé). By then, we were being bombarded with a constant onslaught of negative news, and eventually, I just… decided to take a hiatus from social media and streaming for the sake of my declining mental health. I deleted most of the apps without bothering to make an announcement. Instead of worrying about parasocial relationships, I chose to prioritize my personal relationships by supporting my friends who were dealing with grief over losing loved ones to the coronavirus, the stress of ongoing racial violence, and our mutual dread over the upcoming presidential election and what the results could mean for many of our basic human rights. I think part of my decision to go on hiatus was also… creative shame? I kept seeing so many cosplayers who were able to continue churning out costumes, photoshoots, and TikToks amidst a global pandemic and it absolutely blew my mind that they were able to manifest artistic energy and optimism to keep making. Like… In just the last few weeks, my fianceé has lost her aunt and grandmother, and as of two days ago, my little brother tested positive for COVID, too – I can’t imagine finding the strength to sew a single seam 21

amidst the grief and worry. I deeply admire those who have been able to continue creating and putting forth art into the world when we desperately need it, and I think I just felt… guilty for not being able to do the same. However, I learned my lesson about burnout several years ago, so I do believe I made the right decision to step back and essentially take a yearlong break from cosplay. If I’d continued to push myself to craft while trying to balance my mental health and the general stress of living through a literal global pandemic, I’m sure I’d be in a pretty bad place right now. Thankfully, after the past weekend of positive election results, celebrations on social media, and getting engaged, I’m feeling much more hopeful for the future – and with that has come a surge of cosplay motivation! It may still be awhile before I start crafting and streaming again, but in the meantime, I’m feeling the itch to start researching and compiling materials for future projects. It’s a really, really good feeling, considering I haven’t felt the desire to so much as look at my sewing machine since February. So, to sum that up as an answer to your question: the biggest lesson I’ve learned about having a positive relationship with cosplay is that it should never, ever take priority over your relationships and your personal health. Yes, it’s a livelihood for some, but for many of us, it’s a hobby. And a hobby should not come first before your loved ones and your own well-being. As with all good things, it is best in moderation, and you need to be able to step back from it when necessary – and without feeling guilty for doing so! One idea you brought up that I’d love to touch on was the “creative shame” you felt seeing others produce content when creating had become painful for you. But the various ways you have presented your own cosplay work, from Youtube to 22

Twitch, shows there are many ways to pursue your hobby, and one cosplayer’s journey will never look exactly like another’s. Having gone through a lot of reflection yourself both when you stepped away from “pro cosplaying” and now during the COVID lockdowns, do you have any words of advice for cosplayers who find themselves feeling “creative shame” when they feel like they “should” be creating costumes or content in a certain way? I believe this type of “creative shame” is something that universally applies to all artists, not just cosplayers. I’ve seen illustrators, writers, photographers, and many types of makers lament that they haven’t been as productive with their artwork this year, and as a result, they feel like they’ve somehow failed while their peers have gone on to continue creating despite the circumstances 2020 has collectively thrown at us. It’s incredibly easy to slip into that mindset and beat ourselves up over not achieving this perceived level of productivity that we feel we need to fulfill in order to consider ourselves “successful.” Taking that into consideration, I think the advice I want to emphasize the most is that the healthiest thing you can do as a cosplayer (or artist in general) is to never compare your journey to that of others. It’s very easy to look at someone’s social media and be amazed by how much content they’ve churned out during a global pandemic – but you’re not seeing what’s behind the scenes. Maybe they’re using their art as a coping method to distract themselves from the horror and stress of COVID, or to keep themselves sane while entering our tenth month of quarantine. Maybe they lost their job due to the virus, and their content creation is their only source of income right now. Maybe working on a costume provides them with a sense of control and normalcy amidst the chaos of this year.

So while it’s easy to dismiss someone’s consistent content creation during the pandemic as a “superior” level of productivity compared to your own, recognize that they may be struggling just as much as you are. This may just be their own way of coping with the pandemic. Furthermore, the definition of “success” has entirely changed in 2020. Sure, perhaps you usually finish five to ten cosplays every year, but this year you haven’t finished a single one. That doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Your goal for the rest of 2020 and onwards into 2021 until the pandemic resolves should be survival. You need to take care of yourself and your loved ones, and that includes your mental health. If you’ve taken a step back from cosplay this year because you just didn’t feel up to it, that’s good – it means you’re prioritizing your needs, and there is no reason to feel ashamed for that, regardless of what anyone else is doing. The day will come when you’ll feel ready to cosplay again; be patient, and until then, continue focusing on the activities that do help you manage the pandemic stress. In the meantime, I’d suggest seeing if there are any other mediums in which your creativity wants to manifest right now! For example, although I haven’t had motivation to work on costumes, I've had a surge of motivation to write again, and I’ve even started drawing much more often than I did prior to the pandemic. I know plenty of cosplayers who are taking a break from that hobby, but they’ve picked up new ones instead, like breadmaking, needle felting, learning to play bass guitar, plant keeping, and even refinishing furniture. So while you may not feel inspired to cosplay, explore other creative outlets to see if something else can fill that void for you right now! Given the topics you discussed in your stream on YouTube about your decision to pursue cosplay as a hobbyist, you put a lot of careful thought into your 24

relationship with cosplay. Topics like body image, finances, and how to interact with your audience are just as relevant in the community now as they were three years ago. Have you been able to fold the good experiences of your cosplay career into your current creative process, and are there any aspects about professional cosplaying you miss? I miss the travel most of all, I think. I had the chance to visit so many new and exciting locations across the continent when I was frequently guesting at conventions. That being said, it was also difficult to be traveling so much; I remember one month where I had four conventions back-to-back, and by the end of it, I was dead on my feet. That’s not a schedule I could maintain now, especially while raising a kitten and a puppy. As for other good experiences from that time of my life, I really enjoyed hosting panels where I could provide lessons and advice for other cosplayers. Nowadays, when I’m crafting, I try to make notes about my process and any “tips and tricks” I come across in case they may be helpful to others. It’s not quite the same, and I don’t have the time to invest in making extensive tutorials like I used to, but I’m always hopeful it’s of use to someone out there! Any future FFXIV cosplay plans? Pretty much all of my future cosplay plans are XIV-related! My fianceé and I are most excited to tackle Guydelot and Sanson once we get back to crafting, and we’d also like to make a few outfits for our own XIV characters. I wouldn’t mind tackling one of the Weathered LVL80 gear sets, too – and perhaps the Bard glam that my viewers dubbed my character’s “Lara Croft” outfit! (I do still need to finish that Miqo’te Starter Set first, though… Whoops.)

Tell us a bit about your character ingame! What is your main class, and what is your favorite way to spend your time in Eorzea? My main class on Niina began as a 50/50 split between Bard and Monk, mostly due to her lore, but after reaching 80 on Machinist, it’s quickly become the class I most often play on her. That being said, I don’t often do much combat content with her these days; she’s become more focused on omnicrafting and housing. (My fianceé and I survived Housing: Savage back in October, hooray!) I do have several alts, and while most of them are for RP and/or cosplay inspiration purposes, one of my various catboys is my main combat and raiding character, who I play primarily as a tank. So if I was pressed to choose a class that I consider my overall favorite, I’d definitely go with Gunbreaker. I love the rotation and animations, along with giving my healer friends a heart attack whenever I pop a random Superbolide. You know, just for fun.

Thank you so much for taking the time to let myself and our Aetherflow readers peek behind the curtain into your workshop! Is there anywhere our readers could find you online if they’d like to see more of your work? I can’t guarantee how much work I’ll be producing as quarantine continues, but I’m slowly beginning to be active again on Twitter and Instagram. I’m also hoping I can begin streaming again on Twitch towards the beginning of 202. I can promise there will be a lot of FFXIV streams! My blog and portfolio are in dire need of an update, but that’s at the top of my to-do list for the upcoming year!

As for how I like to spend my time in Eorzea, I’m excited about getting more into housing now that I actually have a house to decorate! But I think my absolute favorite thing to do is roleplay. I’ve been into creative writing since I was in kindergarten, and I was deeply immersed in roleplaying during my middle school and high school years (not to date myself, but I started roleplaying way back on NeoPets and AOL chat boards, then went on to become heavily involved in those massive multifandom LiveJournal roleplay communities). I will say, one nice thing about this quarantineinduced break from cosplay and conventions is that I’ve had the time and creative energy to pursue writing again, especially in terms of roleplaying my FFXIV characters, both in game and otherwise. Being able to reconnect with that hobby (and, really, that part of myself) has been one of the positive highlights of these past nine months. 27

A very special thank you to our sponsor Plaid Enterprises, Inc.

Since 1976, Plaid has grown into one of the largest and most diverse m products in the world. Some of their most popular brands include Folk Mod Podge, and Bucilla. Recently tapping into the cosplay avenue, Pla line, so be sure check it out and keep an eye out for giveaways of Plai

Complete your next cosplay build with a durable, flexible acrylic paint - per foam, thermoplastics, 3D prints, and

manufacturers of a variety of DIY kArt, Gallery Glass, One Stroke, aid has launched their PlaidFX idFX brand!"

h PlaidFX — rfect for use on EVA d more.

FAN ART FEATURE text and photos by A'onisya Dehf - PHOTOS BY BELL PEPPER - layout by lolae demort

BELL PEPPER 30

Tell us a bit about yourself! Hello! It is a pleasure to participate in this interview! My artist name is Bell Pepper and you can also find me adventuring through Eorzea as Bell Pepper, the Warrior of Light! I'm a former comic book artist and right now I'm just chilling and drawing fan art of FFXIV and other games I enjoy! How did you first discover Final Fantasy XIV? I found out about FFXIV when it first came out. My husband and I have always been playing MMORPGs together and we wanted to try it. We actually took a break from the game due to its issues in the start and came back later when they released Heavensward. We haven't stopped playing since then! You’ve worked with Copic markers, inks, watercolor, the list goes on. You even took advantage of a camera flash to create the glow of a candle in one of your drawings! What is your favorite traditional medium to work in, and what encourages you to keep trying other styles? Markers are still my favorite medium. I used to use them a lot for my comic books so I'm a lot more comfortable with them. But I also love watercolors; they are very similar and often I mix them when using the hot press watercolor paper. I love trying different media and mixing them! Finding the right media for each drawing is very important; it's part of expressing myself through art.

Traditional art can intimidate artists due to

of Light and NPC portraits. You usually

its unforgiving permanence. It’s a lot more

include a flower in the composition of your

difficult to fix mistakes with real ink instead

portraits as well. How do you decide what

of digital! Do you have any tips for artists

flower to pair with a character in a portrait?

who want to experiment with traditional media, but aren’t sure where or how to start?

I have been drawing portraits with flowers since 2017 during my first FFXIV Inktober. It's

Oh yes, it's definitely challenging, and I often

a lot of fun to pair characters with flowers and

feel some level of anxiety when I'm coloring

I love learning about flower meanings! Some

or inking my pencil. Sometimes I do have to

may not agree with my choices, but I also try

restart a drawing or just scrap it because of a

to pair based on the looks or color aesthetic!

little mistake! I always try my best to scan a copy of the ink or the pencil in case something

One detail that stands out in your art is the

happens.

luminous quality of the characters’ eyes. Even in your more monochromatic art, the

For someone just starting with traditional,

eyes shine bright. Do you try to bring out a

I'd say start with small doodles and a

character’s personality in their eyes?

sketchbook! Try all different kinds of mediums since this would be practice work; don't worry

They say that the eyes are the windows to

about making mistakes and don't worry

the soul! I confess that I usually spend a lot

about finishing it either! That takes a lot of the

of time working on the eyes and coloring

pressure away and it can be super fun!

them even when the art is monochromatic so people are immediately attracted to it! You

Do you typically prefer traditional media

can tell a lot about the character by looking

over digital? If so, why? What programs do

at the eyes. The combination of eyes and

you use when adding the finishing touches

eyebrows is very powerful!

to your traditional art, or when you do decide to draw digitally?

Your art gallery is mostly full of FFXIV fan art and commissions, but what other

I'm not very experienced with digital art and

inspirations have you drawn from for your

I don't have the best computer or a tablet.

art?

Sometimes I try simple digital sketches. I use Photoshop clean the picture up and to adjust

I've been an artist for a long time, although I

color balance/brightness and contrast. It's

did take a 10-year break. I've gone to graphic

difficult to get good shots, especially with the

design college and I learned a lot of techniques

gold ink that shines so much!

there. I'm a big fan of fantasy themed art as well as classic artists. I love fantasy manga/

You are perhaps most well known in the

anime/games and a lot of my inspiration

FFXIV community for your gold-ink Warrior

comes from that.

You posted on your Twitter a sample of your RPG style artwork; can you tell us a bit more about some of the RPG artwork you’ve done? I've done a lot of RPG illustrations in the past for magazines and RPG guidebooks, from humans to really terrifying monsters. I love creating designs and characters; it's a passion of mine. Are there any art projects you would like to tackle in the future besides your portrait work? I have a million things I'd love to draw, but time is so limited. I'm focusing on FFXIV for now because it's something I'm very familiar with and the community has been amazingly kind and supportive. I would love to start drawing some original art again, but for now I'm just enjoying the moment and having fun meeting amazing people and fellow artists! Thank you so much for your time and insight into your work!

Memoirs of a Traveler TEXT BY CAELI PISCIS | PHOTOS BY SOLL NAKAI | LAYOUT BY ARYA THORNE

When I was a child, I heard stories about the beautiful city of Sharlayan and wanted nothing more than to visit and study among its scholars. However, when I was still young, the Sharlayans abandoned the city to avoid the conflict with Garlemald. It wasn’t until years later as I began traveling the world that I would finally arrive at the city I had always dreamed to see. Idyllshire was in ruins, but still lively with the goblins and treasure hunters who had moved into the vacated space. I stayed in Idyllshire for far too long, but I will admit, it was quite the adventure I managed to have there. After my trek through the Coerthas Western Highlands, I arrived in the mountains of the Dravanian Hinterlands sometime in the night. In the distance, I could see Idyllshire illuminated in the dark. That night, I would have camped in the mountains before continuing my journey to the abandoned city, but I’d heard of bandits who took refuge in these mountains and didn’t want to take my chances. My poor chocobo companion that I had borrowed from the Ishgardians in Falcon’s Nest protested my decision to continue onwards, but ultimately we made our way down the mountain.

It was in my ignorance that as we traveled through the Makers’ Quarter, we strayed too close to the Arkhitekton. I hadn’t known that a hostile goblin faction known as the Illuminati had taken residence there. It didn’t take us long to realize we needed to book it. We ran until we finally lost sight of the Illuminati who wished to teach us the error of our ways. We followed the road to the Collector’s Quarter where we found a small campsite of a few seemingly friendly goblins. Approaching carefully, we met a goblin named Tapklix who was convinced that I was associated with the Illuminati. Nothing I said would convince the goblin otherwise. I promised to prove my innocence as soon as I’d had a good night’s sleep. Unconvinced, Tapklix begrudgingly pointed me toward Idyllshire. I breathed a sigh of relief. I’d finally made it.

Looming over the road was the cenotaph that marked the entrance of Idyllshire. Inscribed in its walls were the names of passed scholars and near the top, the Sharlayan motto “Knowledge Seeks No Man.” It wasn’t until a few days later, as I made my way back out into the Hinterlands, that I would see the “Knowledge Seeks No Woman” etched on the back. Far below my feet grew the Orn Wild, a deep forest brought to

life by the Thaliak means to preven who didn’t come and I thankfully h Forelands, a jour was.

k river. I heard that the forest had served as a nt unwelcome travelers from coming to the city e by the usual routes. My chocobo companion had made the easier trek through the Dravanian rney that had proved to be long enough as it

I soon came to realize, I was not the only adventurer in the vicinity. Walking into the city, I found many goblins, adventurers, and treasure hunters making camps, selling their wares in the market, or finishing up the day’s chores. Someone was kind enough to show me a place to sleep and soon after I’d found a place for the bird, I took the opportunity for the first unguarded sleep I’d had since staying with the Ishgardians in Falcon’s Nest.

Mid-morning came far sooner than I’d have preferred. I was woken up by a hyuran adventurer whose name has long escaped me. We made pleasantries for a few moments before he advised me to seek out Midnight Dew who had made it a habit to check out the new arrivals. When I found Midnight, she was watching another adventurer carry an urn of crabapples across the road, shaking her head. I barely had the chance to say hello when she asked me to assist him. I approached the adventurer and had been about to greet him when I noticed the crabapples that were falling to the floor. I wasn’t the only one to notice either, a couple of goblins had picked up a few of the scattered fruits as well. After gathering the fallen apples, I brought them to the adventurer. I showed him the retrieved goods and he looked surprised. He quickly inspected the urn and found the hole where the crabapples were falling out. Embarrassed, he thanked me for gathering them and went to work to repair the urn. Satisfied that the adventurer was set to finish his tasks, I returned to Midnight Dew who smiled at me and said, “It doesn’t matter who you are or why you’re here, as long as you help out you’re good in my book.”

After introductions, Midnight Dew explained that she’d like me to see to the requests of some of the residents of Idyllshire and continue to make myself useful, as it was. The next few days were filled with all sorts of different tasks. A few of the other adventurers and I killed some tarantula hawks to ease one of the goblin guards and helped search for his friend. Another goblin by the name of Holepix asked us to take care of a few of the Illuminati vangobs near the Arkhitekton, a building that was once the workshop of the Sharlayans who crafted the aetherytes I had grown so accustomed to seeing over my travels. I remembered these machines Holepix spoke of from my way into Idyllshire, Magitek parts in origin, but repurposed by the Illuminati. My adventurer party of four journeyed to the Arkhitekton and took out three of the larger ones. We cleared out some ratel of the area as well, until the Dobharch, the ratel matron, came out to return the favor, drawn to the area by the scent of her kin’s blood. It took some effort, but we managed to handle her as well.

On our way back into the city, We thought to stop by the Bigwest Shortstop to see Tapklix who would hopefully be less wary of me now that I’d fought some of the Illuminati’s machines. As we came up to the camp, we noticed more Illuminati machines making their way towards the camp, and ultimately Idyllshire. We prioritized defeating their commander, and soon after, the rest dispersed. Having witnessed our assault against the Illuminati, Tapklix relented and decided that I wasn’t a spy. It was yet again late evening, and my

companions and I went straight to our beds, exhaus after the day’s events.

The next morning Midnight Dew was in an uproar. Some of her stock had been stolen by thieves in the night. An adventurer who’d arrived in the early morn said that he’d seen a gang of thieves on the frontbrid “Nearly knocked the poor kid in the Thaliak, they did she explained. The stock that was stolen kept the residents of Idyllshire fed and watered, and she refu

sted

e ning dge. d,”

to accept that it was gone for good. Taking myself, my companions from the day prior, and a crew of Goblins with her, we traveled to the Answering Quarter to seek them out. Midnight decided to split the party; she and the goblins would investigate the river, as she expected the thieves to escape by boat due to the weight of the stolen goods, while my companions and I were to investigate the ruins for any signs that they had gone through this way.

used

We looked through the nearby buildings, and at first, our search was coming up empty. Just some broken down buildings and overgrown roads were to be found. A few bells later and we were ready to conclude that they had not passed this way. We began walking back to Saint Mocciane’s Arboretum where we were to meet Midnight Dew and the others. As we turned the corner we very nearly ran into three of the thieves who were guarding one of the boxes. The moment our eyes locked with theirs, they made their move to attack. Though even with the element of surprise on their side, we took them down without much difficulty. It took two of us to carry the crate back to Midnight, so thankfully we didn’t run into any more thieves. We rendezvoused with Midnight near the Arboretum as instructed. Now this would not be my first experience with Saint Mocciane’s Arboretum and I know yet that I needed to be cautious but, thankfully, Midnight was not too close to the overgrown building when we found her. She was delighted to see that we’d recovered one of the crates. She reported that they had found a skiff near the cliffs south of us and suspected that the thieves had taken to the mountains. Unsurprisingly, the Roegadyn sent us to investigate the mountains. She sent a few gobbies to resume our investigation of the ruins while we changed course. It wasn’t too long into our search that we were ambushed by more of the thieves. I expected that they would have at least attempted to conceal themselves, but as overconfident as they were, we took them down fairly easily.

We hadn’t gotten far down the mountain when we heard an urgent message over linkpearl. A pair of gobbies who’d been sent to the ruins had been captured by the broken bridge. They were okay, for now, but we needed to find them as quickly as possible. It took half a bell but we finally did spot them, sitting near the feet of the leader of the thieves. Eager to remove our interference, a marauder and a thaumaturge came out from the sidelines to attack. Midnight stood to protect the gobbies while we dispatched the attackers. Once again, we were quickly victorious and we turned our sights -and our weapons- to the leader who immediately surrendered. Groveling at our feet, he pointed us in the direction of the remaining crates and we called it a day. Midnight handled the leader and my group, plus a few gobbies, returned to Idyllshire.

The rest of my stay in Idyllshire was almost uneventful. Having made new friends, the four of us discussed where to go from here and we decided to continue our travels together for a while. A few days later after our encounter with the thieves, Midnight approached us for another favor. A treasure hunter by the name of Sawney was trying to get some sort of treasure from Saint Mocianne’s Arboretum but had been chased out of the place by monsters. Having proven ourselves as capable fighters, she asked that we help retrieve this treasure from the building. Hesitantly, we accepted. An overgrown ruin filled with monsters didn’t sound like the place we wanted to go, but the promise of treasure seemed as good a reason as any to adventure into the depths. As it turned out, the monsters were the plants themselves, and we learned that we were, in fact, quite capable of handling them. This fact would also encourage us later to take on other dangers farther on in our journeys. The place was filled with trees and flowers and other greenery, as one would expect from an arboretum. It also had its nasty fill of bugs. It took some time and effort, but we were eventually able to retrieve the treasure from deep inside the Arboretum. Sawney was ever grateful and together, we all returned to report to Midnight. The treasure, Midnight informed us, was a rare type of seed that would serve to feed the people of Idyllshire for a long time. Personally, I wasn’t sure how good of an idea it was to harvest seeds from a place where the plants came alive but I kept these thoughts to myself.

Some time later, the four of us would return to the Arboretum, once again at the request of Sawney and Midnight Dew. This time, they were looking for a type of fertilizer that greatly rejuvenated plantlife. So once again we set out to explore the ruins. The place had changed greatly in our absence! The lush world of green and beauty had died and the majority of creatures inside were covered in thick, mucky mud. This mud, however, was exactly what Sawney was looking for. Again, I questioned the logic that such a substance would benefit life in Idyllshire in a positive way. My concerns were waved away by Midnight and Sawney’s excitement over the possibilities. To

my knowledge, I was proven wrong since nothing sprouted to life that would eat the residents of Idyllshire I had grown so fond of. My time in Idyllshire was nothing like how I imagined it would be. As a child, I’d hoped for the books and the studies for which the Sharlayans were so famous. Instead, I made friends with folks from all over, from different walks of life, and with various ambitions. We stayed in Idyllshire for a time helping out with whatever we could. Eventually, though, the time came to leave. I, along with my three new companions, took to the road through Dravania and then to as many places as our feet would allow us to travel. 57

( Vi 58

h t f o l i g

) e u e Bl

Seeking Utopia TEXT BY FELLOW OF THE VIGIL OF THE BLUE, CASSRIC PHOTOS BY LEVY BLOSSOM - LAYOUT BY ARYA THORNE

The Flood of Light-This was the singular most defining moment of our lives as Vrandtic citizenry, the bookend by which we all can base our continued struggles in the wake of its effects. To the casual observer, it rose like a wave of incandescence and removed all we knew and would not gain the chance to learn about, robbing these things from us all. But to the inquisitor, research drives a desire to find the meaning. Why did it happen? Why did the whole world suffer by some frenzied whim of fate? There has to be more to it.

There are forces behind the world that continue to threaten us. Learning all we can to protect ourselves from their return will keep this world continuing for ages to come. We once gave up on this future, surrendered to our powerlessness. With the aid of the Exarch’s allies, we learned to defend it, and in the new tomorrow, we have learned all we needed to know about the Flood. Now we are prepared. In this concluding memoir, we take the Blue. Observing the Blue is a plan to prepare to embrace the return of the night in our lives with rest and hope

of new tomorrows, choosing not to omit the brilliance of the Flood of Light that demanded our attention for so long. Here we find a space of remembrance and vigil, preparation and peace of mind. Remember the Light, residual in approaching darkness. Indirectly in our lives, the Flood becomes the Blue we maintain as we research the causes of the terrible incident and how to prevent these causes from dooming our world a second time.

Commitment Overshadowed After my experience documenting historical references that included the Shadowkeeper, my attention turned to the rise of quests to the Cabinet of Curiosity. It turns out, as the people embraced a new tomorrow, they began to seek the truth about the Warriors of Light and the Flood. Like myself, many encountered the same roadblocks to answers. The collective knowledge of every document, tome, and manuscript led to the same conclusion that the Warriors of Light caused the Flood and were no better than sin eaters. Many arrived seeking information and would leave just as confused as before. They didn’t have the guidance I had received. As I watched and aided where I could, I grew impatient to finish my writing. These people deserved to know, deserved uncertainty removed from their initial curiosity. It pained me as a researcher to see them not find enlightenment, to be stuck in the perpetuated lies wrapped in the ignorance of a century. I survived as they did! I knew what it was like

when the very sky burned our lives into corners, trapped us, and the desire to punish was ever-present. The sin eaters never left us alone during those times. Someone was still wrong. Someone always needed to be cleansed from their wrongdoings that the sin eaters could smell. As I watched the people struggle to rise, I wondered if the sin was our own ignorance? I could wait no longer, so I hastened to get the truth out. I planned to publicly release all the research I had compiled before a return visit to the Stairs. Fate, however, as fickle as ever, would take away one incentive for publishing the results of my research and replace it with another. Moments after I finished reviewing my draft, I received a summons to the Cabinet to attend to a particular matter. It was there I noticed the Warrior of Darkness enter and seek an audience with Moren, only to leave as quickly as they had arrived. Moren was already on his way down the steps shortly after, only stopping to

have a brief word by anyone he spo he was followed b then approached m invitation to follow

“The Warrior of Da requested our pre Cassric. I feel this your research and had said, following confidence once h Intrigued, I decide group into the loca crowd had begun there that the War earnestly implored innocence of the W and their role as h were expounded, e them leading up to omitted no small d responded in asto for the hate they h against the champ ultimate sacrifice glad as I was that my previous writin

before being followed oke to. Before long, by a small crowd. He me and offered the w:

arkness has esence at the Exedra, s would benefit d work greatly.” he g a small smile of he caught my gaze. ed to follow the ation where a vast to develop. It was rrior of Darkness d us to learn of the Warriors of Light heroes. Their deeds every event involving o the Flood, and detail. The people oundment and shame held in their hearts pions who made the to save our world. As t the word was out, ng started to seem

unnecessary. I struggled in part with my next steps, pondering if I needed to rewrite the piece in question due to the now commonplace information. However, there was even more confusion, as if the Warrior of Darkness’s very words decided to come to life. Suddenly, amid the same crowd stood the one once known as Ardbert, returned in the flesh. He told the crowd the will of the star brought him back and that he was to guide the people of Norvrandt to become Warriors of Light. Remembering that it was the very act of the Shadowkeeper to encourage the creation of Warriors of Light to create the Flood, I needed more information before following the hero resurrected in our midst. So I decided to visit the Stairs immediately after.

Word traveled fast, and in the Stairs had sugge submit my work to the council despite the pub of the Warrior of Darkn that revealing my inten the Flood might grant m opportunity that they h among some of their g they asked and found m to join an expedition pa actively delivering supp Empty. Thinking it a str to travel to such nothin attendance was encou promise to gain an opp even more about the Fl

After a time, with the de under confidentiality, I g on one of the skyslippe from the Crystal Tower the Empty. I was assur would be answered up I traveled in confusion atmosphere. What I wo

d my contact ested I instead Settlement blic declaration ness. They hinted nt to uncover me a unique had overheard guests. I did as myself invited arty that was plies to the range effort ngness, my uraged with a portunity to learn lood of Light.

estination kept gained passage ers repurposed r to the middle of red all questions pon arrival; thus, in that cloying ould see at the

Eden Alive camp would take my breath away. I can attest by the blessed Dark that in the middle of the colorless, blasted wasteland, water and vegetation were active, humidity and heat could be felt, and the soil was returned. A giant crystal, the most transparent light blue, broke from the lake’s midst. It was explained to me as the source of the localized phenomena. How the existence of such boon of life amid these lands lost was kept secret so long was astounding. When I asked how this all took place, I was guided to rest my eyes on a vast being, a creature far in the distance, whom I would learn was responsible for the very event I had spent all my time researching. Though the Shadowkeeper set in motion the events that culminated with the Flood of Light, this was the source. Within the enormous creature that dominated the horizon of this oasis, the Warrior of Darkness and Oracle of Light had

worked to restore the aether, and in turn, help a girl bound to the fate of the first sin eater learn of her forgotten destiny. I admit to being confused with the information that was initially provided by the people I had traveled with, for the tales of the Shadowkeeper made no mention of the first sin eater. Despite the Warriors of Light’s innocence proven in the Exedra, the slaying story leading to the Flood left holes in its wake. I was told encouraging heroes to sacrifice in the cause of Light created this, so a new detail left me with many questions. As I was promised my answers in time, I waited with bated breath. After helping with the supplies, I was granted a leave of reading a first-hand account of the events for my ongoing research, permission granted in recognition of the work I had submitted beforehand.

Against all gods After the link between the Oracle and Eden was strengthened, Ryne was able to discern the true nature of the first sin eater’s power: the ability to shift aether’s alignment at a massive scale. The Flood of Light resulted from the balance tilted fullest to passive Light’s regency, delaying the flow till it stopped entirely and laid dormant. But the aether was still there, albeit frozen. With control of Eden, the heroes could realign and restore aether’s flow once more. Upon further discussion, they discerned that the restoration of the land’s elemental energies required a bit of precision. Urianger explained that nature’s harmony was fragile. Yet, with all the aether tilted to full Light and the Empty being as immense as it was, just drawing forth the elemental power would cause their work to take far longer than was afforded them. Their solution was most certainly a unique property of their far-off homeland, as the document began to speak of the goal to rebalance one element at a time. Using Eden, they achieved this by selecting the world’s

location in pre-Flood times dominated by a prevalent aspect of ambient aether above all the others and manipulating that element in a rebalancing. Due to this dominance, it would be far easier to draw forth, and upon returning that aether to the land, it would travel currents to restore to the entire Empty over time. To prevent the aether from escaping and breaking free of their control as it was being realigned, they planned to contain it in beings they called “primals.” As the document described, these “deiform entities’’ were summoned using memories of the Warrior of Darkness from past battles and experiences. The Warrior would then fight these memories, given life, and return the adequately aligned aether to the land. With this in mind, they chose to restore water, the source of all energy, using the Nereus Trench, a yawning chasm in pre-Flood history to the west of Norvrandt that was once home to the deepest ocean. Drawing forth the prominent wateraspected aether to flow once more, the

Warrior of Darknes regarding the prim Leviathan was use it, wherewith they slay the being born ritual. The Warrior then succeeded in the summoned be result of the act re the flow of wateraspected aether to the Empty. It’s not that the primals in this summoning were much differe from the ones that the Warrior faced. The basis was with one being the result of faith, whereas Eden’s one was based on combat experienc

Thancred called th base camp, where by the sudden app I now viewed that feature of the cent

ss’s memories mal named ed to contain were sent to n from the of Darkness n defeating eing, and the estored

o ted n

ent t

ce.

he group back to the e they were greeted pearance of the lake was the prominent ter. To think

that the Warrior of Darkness, not only responsible for returning the night, had engaged in the act of bringing life back to the world after the results of the Flood, aided by our very own Oracle of Light and the heroes that the Exarch introduced us to, was inspiring to reflect on. Being born after the Flood and having known nothing but the everpervasive radiance that threatened all life, I had no vision of what could come to pass with our new tomorrow, but these lands marked only in story and legend were being returned. I wanted to know all I could. The report detailed their next step efforts to restore the flow of earthaspected aether to the Empty, after noting that the girl that had attacked them earlier was still sound asleep and of a similar age to Ryne. Restoring the flow of earth would allow the return of soil properties, promoting the growth of plants. With this in mind, they traveled east of Norvrandt to the region where the great Mount Atlas once stood, and upon its peak, they drew forth the element of earth and contained it in memories of the being known as Titan. Though

based on memories, this creation was far different from the being of the same name fought in the past. The Warrior of Darkness slew this reincarnation, resulting in soil and rock restoration around the lake. Even with such profound changes, it’s noted that it only happened in their base camp’s immediate vicinity, while much of the surrounding area was unchanged. The theory was that this resulted from an intersection of aetherial currents leading that both earth and water manifest in greater volume than in any other place nearby. Other locations laying on these intersections of these currents were undergoing the same changes. The immense effort to command Eden’s aetherial control in the environment of stagnant aether took a toll on the Oracle of Light, so the group departed to rest and to entrust the young lady who remained unconscious to the care of their associates in the Crystarium. The first report ends there, discussing the desire to learn why the young girl seemed manipulated against her will to attack them and plans to entrust Eden’s results to a small group of people, keeping it a secret from all the rest. Just learning about this now seemed to make a lot more sense in this regard, and their reasoning just. They needed to make sure their plan worked before presenting it to everyone and risking danger.

Another verse Continuing to read, I began to review the second report, which I will paraphrase. Word was sent that the young lady who had remained unconscious after her attack on the party was finally awake, and her name was revealed to be Gaia, a free citizen of Eulmore with little memories of her past. With nothing to refer to, Gaia joined the group to see if she could learn more about herself as they restored the elements to the Empty. Gaia’s power to rend the fabric of reality described in the earlier report, in addition to her amnesia, precluded the possibility that she was the Oracle of Darkness. This meant she might have been a vessel possessed of a being of Darkness, much like Minfilia had exerted her powers through the many reincarnations through history that would bear her name.

came from obeying the whispers within her mind and not by her own will. Ryne agreed to help her find answers. However, upon approaching Eden, there was no reaction from this faerie Gaia spoke of, and she, in turn, didn’t turn to attack the people that accompanied her, as she did before when Eden first awoke. Thus, the plan to realign aether now included the goal of getting a reaction. It was noted that Gaia was taught the predominant philosophy of the Eulmorans during the reign of Vauthry: the leaning that no tomorrow could be relied upon because of the ever-encroaching Light. With no gaze towards the future and no memory of her past, Gaia was impatient for results, even describing her name as a whisper of the faerie and not based on who she was back in Eulmore.

Ryne noted that Gaia described all that took place due to a faerie that spoke to her within her mind, and as she was drawn to Eden by its will, she felt that returning to the first sin eater would give her answers to the missing pieces of her life. Her powers manifested on their travel there; Gaia explained such was only possible by listening to what the faerie told her to do. Her magic

Following their progress, the Empty exhibited the initial changes of soil and water after the restoration of their aspects but showed no further alterations. Urianger then proposed using lightning as a catalyst to render the elements more active; their stability induced by the continuous reign of Light in the region. The primal they were to summon was named Ramuh,

and the area they Gandof Thunder P land known for its storm clouds.

The Warrior of Dar shaped an entity f stories that Ryne h The aspect of ligh and released back suffusing the regio produce rain. Gaia to this developme continue their purs to result, their rest needed even more activity, and with t proposed wind-as aether as their nex Observing the met which rain exists, t also observed the to draw forth fireaspected aether a planned to do both simultaneously. When the suggestion to rest was made, Gaia departed in anger,

chose was the Plains, a pre-Flood s perpetual blanket of

rkness’s memories far different from the had heard of Ramuh. htning was gathered k into the land, on with the ability to a’s faerie did not react ent, leading them to suit. For precipitation toration efforts e elemental this, Ryne spected xt target. thod by they need

and h

feeling like their ongoing effort wasted her time. Gaia’s struggles with her memory made it difficult for the party to continue. Ryne described an attempt to reach out to Gaia’s frustrations before continuing with the restoration of the elements, concluding not as well as Ryne hoped. Gaia’s persistence led them to continue their work. They describe using memories of the beings named Garuda and Ifrit to contain the stationary aether of the Ashfall, a region in text described to be a hot sweltering land beset by unforgiving winds during its nights. The subsequent battle resulted in the unforeseen event of the primals fusing their forms to become a never-before-seen entity by the name of Raktapaksa. However, even in this, the Warrior of Darkness triumphed. Their efforts were rewarded with the first-ever rainfall in the Empty seen in a century. Ryne wrote that although the rain was a significant change, Gaia remained without her memories and directed her anger at Eden, which resulted in a fight with her inner guide. The group returned to the Core, preparing to restore the final element when Gaia realized their work was not intended for the present but for the future of Norvrandt and generations to come. This was the actual damage of the Flood, so severe it would take significant time to restore.

Oracle elements Gaia’s reaction to this caused her headaches to resume, as the faerie seemed to react to her fear of isolation. Ryne then describes Gaia excusing herself to clear her head, but it was sensed that there was something more to it. Ryne’s worry compelled Thancred to ask the Warrior of Darkness to check on their newest companion. Should she give in to the voice, the powers she used to attack Eden could remanifest. Within moments, a horde of sin eaters was sensed, and Gaia was brought back unconscious. Repelling the horde was their immediate priority, the massive influx of creatures commanded by a concentration of Darkness at its center. Striking it down, the eaters were rebuffed, but Gaia still did not awake. Only after Ryne had called to her did she return awake. She described having memories seen through another’s eyes, and there was discussion of the possibility of being related to her role as Oracle of Darkness. With no definitive answer, they turned to the last element of ice. As the Warrior of Darkness described Shiva’s memories, the corresponding primal, her summoning method was much different from that of the previous

primals having a center in deific faith. The report described that Shiva was a person in the distant past and that her deeds inspired a woman named Ysayle to follow her desire and become a vessel to channel that will. The region they chose lay far north, where a great glacier once existed. However, instead of using Eden by itself to draw out and realign the element, Ryne had decided to follow Ysayle’s actions and become the primal herself, using her abilities as Oracle. Ice is marked by its stillness and heavy leaning to Light’s nature, and it was believed that trying to draw it out to realign would prove much more complicated than previous elements. However, being in direct control of said ice-aspected aether would allow her more power to serve as an example to Eden’s nurturing the environment. No small amount of disagreement followed, but she had her heart set on this path and received Shiva’s memories from the Warrior of Darkness with Eden’s power to serve as the deiform’s vessel. Ryne described losing her senses after drawing the memories within and

was rescued by Ga command of her p The ability to com surpassed Ryne’s done, and all six el restored to the Em they got to see pla time since the Floo return. The greene the end result of th to defeat and resto robbed by the Floo

Yet there still rema how Eden connect Warriors of Light’s with Eden’s power the Flood. From th guaranteed that th no longer a threat, had laid dormant f was now free to sp the lifeless wastela

Gaia’s strengthened powers of Darkness. mmand a deiform blessing, but it was lements had been mpty. She wrote that ant life for the first od of Light upon their ery I now see was heir extensive efforts ore the life that was od.

ained the question of ted to Gaia or how the s actions associated r used to induce hese reports, it was he Flood of Light was , and the aether that for the century after pread forth through and.

After my initial foray in and reading the Oracle many changes took pla time of my return to th take account of what I seen, I was informed m sought to accept the re words to heart, and in d to leave their professio gathered in the Exedra to pursue their desire f skies caught fire above Tower. Amid the chaos was heard, and the one Ardbert returned to tell Warriors of Light and t one of his own.

Many of the people set of being chosen as des Ardbert. I would stay, e record of the Flood of L the following observati Settlement council. By the excitable energy of departures, once again flame, and reports of p combatants appearing

The Starshowers that be

nto the Empty e of Light reports, ace. Near the he Crystarium to had read and many citizens had eturned Ardbert’s doing so, sought ons. As they all a to seek to leave for heroism, the e the Crystal s, a faint voice e once known as l us that all were to welcome us as

t out on account scribed by eager to finish my Light and submit ions to the y the next day, in f the continuous n, the sky took phantasmal g set the city alert.

Those, including myself, took to arms to defend, and a long battle was fought against this force until suddenly they were gone; the Crystal Tower suddenly flashing and bright, bathing the city in a shower of the gentlest splendor. The starshower thus dispelled; I was eager to take the measure of what had occurred. It was not long after I had learned that the Crystal Exarch and the heroes that accompanied him were to return home. The people of the Crystarium wished to say farewell and send them off with a smile, the Exarch included. It was there I joined them, to see the heroes enter the tower for the last time, restoring hope to our hearts. With gratitude for all they’ve done for us, for Norvrandt, and for our future, I was eager to continue their work. To see that their efforts and their constant drive to fight in our name would never be forgotten, I would continue my memoir. I wanted their deeds to forever remain as they who defied all odds to see our world restored. I had hope that no means

of history would strike away from their deeds as history once did to the Warriors of Light. I finally managed to capture in writing all I had seen to my satisfaction when I was notified of preparation for a subsequent expedition to the Empty. As it turns out, during that time, even more, had unfolded, and I was invited to take part in the initial visit before an invitation to the public to view the results. I held my breath in wonder as to what these additional events would entail. Nothing prepared me for what I was about to see. No longer the burgeoning shoots and grasses that peaked above the newly animated soil the veritable garden was lush and vast with all manner of vegetation, with the camp in the center. In the distance, Eden lay silent, giving stability to a massive tree of mighty splendor. So much returned to a land that once held nothing. Now it stood as paradise and a promise for what was to come to the remaining wasteland.

the whisperer in promise Paraphrasing reports submitted by Gaia this time around, I came to learn how such a bounty came to be, once again finding myself in awe. Additionally, I had the final answer to my question. The reports would speak of the Shadowkeeper, and I would learn how the bringer of chaos, the Warriors of Light, and the Flood all took place. The pair, now fast friends, had intended to look upon the results after time had passed to see if any further changes resulted. Indeed, changes had taken place, but not in favor of growth, as the strength of Light continued to prove the victor and was returning dormant life. In this observation, the faerie began to speak again, commanding a restoration of the Darkness. Realizing that the elements needed both in tandem to keep their life-giving abilities in action, Gaia suggested doing as the faerie told, using Eden’s powers to bring memories of a potent entity Darkness to release aether of said aspect to the Empty. After the entity’s demise, the foliage showed no signs of returned life, but the crystal recorded to show the aether’s progression in the land took on a vibrant palette of multiple hues.

It was here that the faerie that had spoken within Gaia’s mind this entire time revealed itself, introducing itself as Mitron, a servant of Zodiark and an Ascian. My preliminary research had shown the name to appear once or twice. In the wake of the rise of new Warriors of Light from the Crystarium, many Ascians had begun to make themselves known. According to Mitron, Eden was a prison, the Light’s reign keeping him trapped within the sin eater’s confines. But this was not all. Eden, the first sin eater, was Mitron, warped into a monstrosity after Ardbert and the Warriors of Light struck him down in a grand battle. Our world, ever tilted towards the Light, resulted in his transformation, which released the Flood. If Minfilia had not appeared shortly after, the entire world would have been consumed in the radiance. Silencing Eden’s power returned a portion of Mitron’s consciousness, but he remained trapped in his new form. He said he had whispered to Gaia all these years, seeking to compel her to free him. It was only after the return of the night that he could cause her to arrive and strike his sin eater shape down.

Promising how thi all included Gaia in events, her memo be tampered with, of them to the Cor Ascian’s subtleties summoned a refle which would provi and revitalize the m memories Gaia co To my surprise, it w the Warrior of Dark Shadowkeeper its being that started the source of answ past. Gaia would w reminded her that Mitron’s interest a with her since Gaia because of this, bu Mitron demanded her return, which she denied.

is n the subsequent ories continued to , sending the three re to confront the s. Mitron then ection of the past, ide further context meaning to the ould not understand. was written that kness faced the self. Above all, the my search was wers for this girl’s write that the battle t she was there. and communication ia was a child was ut d

Utilizing the Darkness, able to suppress her re and fuse his soul with showing the truth that was also an Ascian, an of Darkness were no c wrote of having memo life where she and Mitr increase the Light’s sw by using heroes before struck down. These me utterly inaccessible du returned after she shar Mitron. However, in a d the repeat of what Ardb companions did to the Ryne’s greatest hopes Though this battle wou Warrior of Darkness wa victorious.

Gaia tried to relinquish and Mitron’s control, b rebuffed her and sough her recent memories. R past was out of the qu their souls joined, they themselves in Eden, dr

Mitron was ecent memories, her own, finally Gaia herself nd her powers coincidence. She ories of a past ron sought to way in the world e they were memories, once ue to amnesia, red her being with desire to prevent bert and his em, they brought and fears to life. uld test limits, the as once again

h her past self but the being ht to remove all Restoring their uestion, but with y sought to seal rawing upon

Forgotten Till Farewell enormous amounts of aether to make a perfect paradise where time would hold no sway. The Warrior of Darkness gave chase after Ryne disrupted the flow, granting an opening. After fierce combat with the entity created by the fused Ascian, Gaia was free but trapped within a space of darkness, which she described as being the same place she once was after her powers tried to force an awakening much earlier. All the aether returning to the Empty created the garden, and Ryne reaching out to Gaia allowed her to return to the waking world. She speaks in her report of saying a farewell to the departing soul of Mitron and seeking to embrace the new future she fought for with Ryne. And thus, the story would finish here. The Flood of Light resulted from the Ascians, but their threat was removed by the Warrior of Darkness’s deeds. I decided to remain for a time in the restored Empty, as representatives from the Crystarium had been making regular visits to this location

to deliver supplies and note changes in the environment. Their goal was to establish a permanent base of operations, so I sought to aid them. Once satisfied, I took my experiences back to the city, but I had a stop to make. This all began at the Stairs, and it was there. I would speak to my contact, informing them of all I had read and what I had seen. The Warrior of Darkness strove to return a future to us we once thought forever lost. No longer would the radiance that threatened our very being continue on its path to render us to nothing. And move forward from that point we have. In the wake of the night’s return, the nation of Eulmore rebuilds and has joined hands with the Crystarium to lead to a new day no longer on the brink of destruction. Now with the Empty restored and its aether slowly reaching the whole of the world, we had peace to protect. We will remember the Light as it turns Blue.

TEXT, PHOTOS, AND LAYOUT BY ARYA THORNE

The Fellowship of the ring The Lord of the Rings trilogy holds a very special place in my heart. When I was looking for a theme to build outfits around, I figured why not pay homage to the founding father of many modern day fantasy series. JRR Tolkien has inspired many to create their own worlds and heroes. Now, it has inspired me to make these glams. Grab your lembas bread and your sword, bow, and/or axe, and get ready to hunt some orc in these stylish but functional glams.

THE HOBBITS Hobbits are a simple folk, and their attire matches their way of life. They are happiest tilling the earth, drinking ale, and enjoying the simpler things in life. Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin dress similarly, though each has their own special style and color palette. Starting from the right, Frodo is usually sporting some deep red hues in his attire, though that becomes less and less so as he battles with the ring. For the ring bearer, pair the Riviera Doublet (undyed) with the Botanist’s Slops dyed Mole Brown. As for Sam, the Serpentskin vest dyed Gobbiebag Brown is a perfect match. He’s carrying pots, pans, and all manner of items to assist Frodo on his journey. As such, he needs plenty of pockets and bags to hold all these items. Same is also wearing the Botanist’s Slops, dyed Mole Brown. Our resident fool of a Took, Pippin, is wearing the Anemos Suspenders dyed Morbol Green. Pippin is also wearing the Botanist’s Slops dyed Mole Brown. Last but not least and the tallest of all hobbits, Merry. Merry is also wearing the Riviera Doublet, dyed Desert Yellow to match his golden hair. He is wearing the Botanist’s Slops dyed Russet Brown.

gandalf While Gandalf claims a wizard arrives precisely when they mean to, I think we can all agree that he does tend to arrive fashionably late. From top to bottom, Gandalf the grey is wearing a Hempen hat, dyed Goobbue Grey and the Orthodox Robe of Healing. Now if you don’t want to grind the Aery for this top, you can always pick up the Kudzu Robe of Healing and dye it Goobbue Grey to match the hat. Only thing to keep in mind is that it won’t look exactly like the Orthodox Robe. To finish off the look we have the Maple Crook. The Ingrimm staff also works but is a little bit more druid-ish for my tastes.

aragorn The true king of Gondor started from humble beginnings but still carries himself with an air of royalty. As such, I think the Hraesvelgr Jacket dyed Deepwood Green suits him well. The True Griffon Breaches have a great woven texture to them and the Altered Goatskin Moccasins dyed Loam Brown finish off the look for the Ranger in the north. Of course, he needs his sword. While we do not have an exact replica of Andúril in this game, the Steel Longsword is a close second.

boromir One does not simply forget Boromir. A brother in arms until the end, Boromir fought and died defending those he cared for. His armor reflects his royal heritage so the Crystarium Tabard of Fending is a perfect match. Just enough gold and intricate detailing to show that he isn’t some common traveler, but not too gaudy to be unfunctional. To round out the look, add some Titanium Gauntlents of Fending, Adamantite Chain Hose of Fending, and the Crystarium Greaves. The Vintage Viking Swoird is a great compliment to the rest of his armor while still being a functional sword.

legolas Prince of Mirkwood and a master archer, Legolas is a very valuable addition to the Fellowship. Like Boromir, Legolas maintains an air of royalty while also dressing practially for a long journey. To remind others of this royal heritage, the Mheg Deaca Circlet looks very elvish inspired. The Saurian Tabard of Aiming, dyed Nohpica green is also very detailed but practical in a fight. Pair these items with the Nomad’s Armguards of Aiming, Ravel Keeper’s Slops of Aiming dyed Loam Brown, and the Mheg Deaca Boots and this elvish inspired look comes to life. The intricate details in the Wanderer’s Bow are a perfect compliment to the rest of the glam.

100

101

102

103

104

gimli

The sole dwarf ready to to fight alongside elves in the war against Sauron is sporting some excellent dwarven armor. To replicate this look, use the Deepgold Mail of Fending dyed Loam Brown, some Gavelleskin Bracers dyed Loam Brown, some Sky Pirate’s Gaskins of Fending, and some Toadskin Boots dyed Loam Brown. For the axe, Gimli uses a few different styles but the Adamantite Headsman’s Axe works the best for this look. Don’t forget to add the Saint’s Beard dyed to match his coppery red hair. We used Rust Red to match this color of hair.

105

106

107

ring wraith As a little bonus, I wanted to add in a ring wraith. These dark followers of Sauron have been on the prowl for the ring for many a year and the Cryptlurker’s Robe of Casting is a great option for the tattered robes of these fallen men. Pair that with the Darklight Gloves of Casting dyed Ash Grey, the Omicron Trousers of Casting, Bluespirit Greaves of Casting, and the Starvelvet Hood of Casting dyed Dark Brown. For the infamous Nazgul blade, use the Stonegold Rapier died Goobbue Grey. I hope you enjoyed these Lord of the Rings themed glams, as they were just as fun for me to create. Remember to keep it secret, keep it safe, and stay glamourous! XOXO

Arya Thorne

108

109

110

111

FASHION

FOCUS Eorzea’s most stylish individuals brought into focus. Interview, photos and layout by Lolae Demort

Folgwyb Swarfedarwyn - Phoenix

How would you describe your

What do want your current

Accents must match perfectly

personal style?

style to say on your behalf?

for me! I can’t wear an item with silver accents when my core

All my glams try to provide a

Be who you are! Be unique! Show

item has gold accents. That’s a

feeling of the character wearing

all sides of your personality!

no-go. It’s sad how we can’t dye

it and its the job(s). When you

There’s no better way to gain

details and accents on their own.

look at her, you should see

some

There are a lot of combinations I

her strength, her power, her

putting on clothes that you really

wildness, but also her devotion

like. You’ll see, there are enough

to her jobs and her uniqueness.

people out there that like what

If you could name or label

To achieve this, I try to use at

you do and who you are.

your personal style in (max) 3

self-confidence

avoid because of this.

words, what would it be called?

least one core item you don’t see that often on her race and

Do you have a fashion pet-

gender.

peeve?

112

than

Unique and Confident

113

114

115

116

117

118

WEAPON: Molybdenum Chakrams HEAD: Warg Pelt of Aming BODY: Shadowless Coat of Aming HANDS: Warg Gloves of Aiming LEGS: Iridescent Bottoms of Aiming (Soot Black) FEET: Raptorskin Boots (Soot Black) EARRINGS: Platinum Paramour’s Earrings 119

120

121

122

123

124

125

WEAPON: Yukimitsu (Soot Black) HEAD: YoRHa Type 51 Hood of Scouting (Rose Pink) BODY: Ovim Wool Jacket of Scouting (Rose Pink) HANDS: Neo-Ishgardian Gloves of Scouting (Lilac Purple) LEGS: Ovim Wool Bottoms of Scouting (Rose Pink) FEET: Griffin Leather Boots of Scouting (Soot Black) 126

127

128

129

130

131

132

133

WEAPON: Fists of the Goddess HEAD: Edengate Temple Chain of Striking BODY: Shadowless Coat of Striking HANDS: Pagos Field Dressing (Soot Black) LEGS: Hempen Tights (Jet Black) FEET: Neo-Ishgardian Boots of Striking (Grape Purple) EARRINGS: Allagan Earrings of Maiming L RING: Allagan Ring of Maiming R RING: Allagan Ring of Maiming 134

135

Hydaelyn

Welcome back to our newest editi do we have a surprise for you! Prev winners of the Midgardsormr Comm However, we have recently decided every housing entry! The winners other contestants will receive sma be new to Aetherflow Media or perh Hearth additions, MCC is a wonder enthusiasts-- for housing enthusias their Discord through their beautiful your housing horizons or simply adm

Now, without further ado, let us go s other contestants brought to the tab

136

n’s Hearth

ion of Hydaelyn’s Hearth, and boy viously, we announced the three top munity Center (MCC) housing tour. to switch things up a bit an feature will receive a full on feature while aller features. For anyone who may haps missed the previous Hydalens rful community created by housing sts! They welcome everyone to join l website if you’re looking to expand mire others' handiworks!

see what our three top-picks and the ble!

TEXT BY SERENA SPARKLES | PHOTOS BY CAELI PISCIS, LEVY BLOSSOM AND YOJI | LAYOUT BY ESE'AL ARELIUS 137

Winn Owner: Sayori Akiyama Designer: Sayori Akiyama Location: Faerie, The Lavender Beds, Ward 14, Plot 1 Nearest Aetheryte: Lavender East

or those who are preparing to tie the digital knot, Sayori’s house should be among the top of the venue list. A simple yet elegant yard with a gravel pathway leads the guests from the gate to the check-in table where they are able to sign in and leave their gifts for the happy couple. Within the doors lies a stunning ceremony venue sure to leave friends and family breathless. Before proceeding to their seats, guests are able to visit the coat check and shed extra layers to ensure their comfort. The blue ambiance from the chandelier and stained glass windows provide an expensive and romantic atmosphere for the bride and groom to exchange their vows. Surrounded by gorgeous flowers at the end of a beautifully lined aisle, the stage makes for a perfect ceremony location. On one side of the stage a beautiful piano has been set up, where Sayori has stealthily placed a bench underneath the piano to allow for someone

138

to sit on top while another glides their fingers along the keys. Quite an adorable photo op if we ever saw one! Off to the other side, a gorgeous photo booth has been set up with lush flowers, which are color customizable, and a romantic stained glass backdrop. Located upstairs lies another photo booth, perfect for full group screenshots and even contains a well stocked make-up touch-up station. But downstairs is where this venue gets really interesting. A lovely photo booth, fit for two, has been arranged with an arch made out of lanterns. Snowmen lanterns don’t really fit your wedding theme? That’s okay! To ensure that every couple has the photos of their dreams, Sayori has created their very own modular system, in which a variety of light arches can be rotated in or out based on preference. With so many customizable options available, it is apparent that Sayori truly had couples’ best interests at heart in creating this magical wedding venue. Module system created by them. Very proud.

ners

139

140

141

Win Owner: Cereal Killers Free Company Designer: Aurelia Beaudonet Location: Gilgamesh, The Goblet, Ward 21, Plot 30 Nearest Aetheryte: Goblet Southeast

he Cereal Killers’ mansion draws one in immediately upon crossing the yard’s threshold. Sporting quaint booths stocked with baked goods, flowers, trinkets, and more; each sprinkled with Starlight decorations, it would be easy to forget that this is the yard of a home rather than the streets of a bustling town. The entryway within the house closely resembles that of a town square, prepped and ready for their upcoming Starlight Celebration event being hosted for its residents. The use of brick walls, Great Gubal Floor Lamps, and plants truly creates a small town shopping center atmosphere, and no shopping center would be complete without a boutique. Fully equipped with a cozy little dressing room and a variety of clothing and accessories, this chic little boutique has surely become a one stop shop for all the fashion needs of the residents. Across

142

the way a hungry shopper can pop into the charming bakery, fully stocked with delicious looking pastries on display. With their dessert of choice in hand, the residents can proceed upstairs to the comfortable and spacious outdoor dining area, enjoying the view of the town square below while munching away. Once the hunger has been fully satisfied, they are able to choose between discovering mysteries through stargazing or proceeding to the bookstore and curling up with a good book in front of a roaring fire. One thing is for sure, Aurelia pulled out all of the stops to ensure that their fellow Free Company members should never want for anything by providing everything a resident could ever need in this lovely miniature town!

nners

143

144

145

Win Owner: Ljot Tormelados Designer: Ljot Tormelados Location: Siren, The Lavender Beds, Ward 7, Plot 25 Nearest Aetheryte: Wildflower Stalls

estled in a beautiful landscape full of trees and a stone archway, Ljot’s house is certainly a unique and stunning one. Upon entering you are immediately greeted by a lovely candlelit altar surrounded by brilliant blue stained glass windows. Comfortable seating areas lay to the right and left, complete with more of the stained glass windows and lush draping plants circling the entire room overhead. These windows leave a gorgeous pattern on the stone floor that slowly moves across as the sun rises and sets. Looking back at the door you’ll notice that it, too, is made of the stained glass and allows for some of the sunlight to peek through the crack underneath as well. The combination of the blue light and stone work gives off a cozy and intimate atmosphere. Making your way downstairs, you pass under an archway shelf with vases full of flowers. The

146

basement features a lofted landing area, complete with all the potion making and weaving materials you’d need, and a bench to relax on. Walking past the bench, another set of stairs is tucked away in the corner that leads further down into the room. Here you’ll find a cozy living space with a homey kitchen, comfortable bed, snug dining area, stocked library, chic desk, and more potted plants. Through the use of the preview ability, Ljot was able to play around and experiment with items, creating this final masterpiece!

nners

147

148

149

Runners-up Owner: Kurisu Sedero Designer: Kurisu Sedero Location: Faerie - Mist, Ward 23, Plot 7 Nearest Aetheryte: Mist West

Owner: Golden Apple Designer: Golden Apple Location: Faerie - Shirogane, Ward 17, Plot 7 Nearest Aetheryte: Southeastern Shirogane

Owner: Alaura Danon Designer: Alaura Danon Location: Faerie - Lavender Beds, Ward 8, Plot 3 Nearest Aetheryte: Dappled Stalls

Owner: Mochi Chan Designer: Mochi Chan Location: Faerie - Lavender Beds, Ward 18, Plot 47 Nearest Aetheryte: Lavender Northwest Subdivision

150

151

Owner: Kiwi Kokiri Designer: Kiwi Kokiri Location: Gilgamesh - Mist, Ward 23, Plot 2 Nearest Aetheryte: Mist West

Owner: Ember FC Designer: Daiyu Elani Location: Midgardsormr - Mist, Ward 11, Plot 35 Nearest Aetheryte: Mist South

Own Desi Loca Nea

Owner: Kurisu Sedero Designer: Kurisu Sedero Location: Faerie - Mist, Ward 23, Plot 7 Nearest Aetheryte: Mist West

Owner: Haylel Vesper Designer: Haylel Vesper Location: Midgardsormr - Mist, Ward 22, Plot 48 Nearest Aetheryte: Central Mist Subdivision

Own Des Loca Nea

152

ner: Audra Foster igner: Audra Foster ation: Midgardsormr - Shirogane, Ward 9, Plot 19 arest Aetheryte: Akanegumo Bridge

Owner: Mio Valkyrie Designer: Mio Valkyrie Location: Siren - Shirogane, Ward 11, Plot 60 Nearest Aetheryte: Eastern Shirogane Subdivision

ner: Nefertiti Ruaten signer: Nefertiti Ruaten ation: Midgardsormr - The Goblet, Ward 17, Plot 13 arest Aetheryte: The Sultana’s Breath

Owner: Gig Farron Designer: Gig Farron Location: Siren - The Lavender Beds, Ward 20, Plot 6 Nearest Aetheryte: Lavender East

153

joy of the culinarian

154

far eastern flair

Fascination for Asian culture has always been a thing. Housing enthusiasts will remember the agony of finding a plot in Shirogane and the rise of Japanese-inspired designs. There is no shortage of Kugane-themed meals either, and I really had a hard time choosing recipes that would fit in a full menu. The ones I ultimately ended up with are both easy to make and wellknown beyond borders. Let’s bring a little bit of Kugane to our very own tables!

1. Miso Soup with Tofu 2. Tempura Platter 3. Green Tea Set

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY TETEMUI TEMUI | LAYOUT BY ESE'AL ARELIUS 155

1. miso soup with tofu A Far Eastern staple, often eaten multiple times a day, this so up is made by mixing miso paste with light fish stock. Bite-sized cubes of tofu are added near the end of preparation to ensure the pieces retain their shape.

156

ingredients Stock soup (chicken, fish, kombu, vegetable, etc.) 500 mL Light soy sauce 1 tbs Sake 2 tbs Miso paste 1 heaped tbs Spring onions, chopped 2 Firm tofu (optional) 150 g Wakame (optional) A pinch

2 cups

Serves: 2

5 oz

Tofu unfortunately has a bad reputation in Western culture, mostly due to its bland flavor. But this is precisely why it is an asset! In dishes where other ingredients play the star role, such as vegetable stir-fry or soups, chopped tofu is a great alternative to meat which can easily develop an overpowering taste. Of course, I won’t stare daggers at you should you decide to omit the tofu, but do give it a chance every now and then. 157

miso soup with tofu Prepare the tofu Before you do anything else, drain your tofu block of the excess water. Lay a set of paper towels on a chopping board and put your block on it. Lay another set of paper towels and another chopping board on top of your tofu (or any other flat object). Use a heavy pan or another object as a weight to squeeze out more liquid from the tofu. Leave this contraption for approximately 10 minutes before chopping the tofu into bitsized blocks. Cook the soup Pour your stock (I used homemade chicken stock) into a pot and add both the soy sauce and sake. Heat over high heat until it starts boiling, then reduce it to medium low and let it simmer for a bit.

158

Assemble the toppings Chop the spring onions and set aside. If you are using wakame (I used some leftover hijiki, hence the darker color in the pictures), soak the wakame in water until it has been completely rehydrated. You really only need a pinch! Discard the water of the wakame and add the seaweed to the soup. Reduce the heat down to low and cook for about two minutes. Add the miso Take out a big tablespoon (or just use two tablespoons) of miso paste and carefully stir into the soup. You will notice how the soup slowly turns cloudy. It will eventually sink to the bottom, so keep stirring in regular intervals.

Add Divid the imm

toppings and serve! de the soup between two bowls. Add tofu and spring onions and serve mediately.

159

2. tempura platter A selection of seafood and vegetables dipped in batter and lightly fried in oil. A Hingan delicacy.

160

ingredients For the batter: All-purpose flour Egg (cold!) Cold water

180 g 1 240 mL

1.5 cups

For the dipping sauce: Broth (dashi, vegetable, chicken, etc.) Soy sauce Sweet rice wine (mirin) Sigar (optional, if sweeter flavor is preferred)

240 mL 2 tbs 4 tbs 2 tbs

1 cup

Serves: 3

1 cup

To fry: Vegetables: sweet potato, eggplant, mushrooms, lotus root, edamame, flat beans, carrots Vegetarian/vegan proteins: firm tofu, tempeh Fish/seafood: fresh or thawed shrimps, crab meat, scallops, calamari, white-fleshed fish (cod, halibut, plaice, etc.) Meat: fresh or thawed chicken Extras: Some flour Vegetable or canola oil

Just like Miso Soup, Tempura is a Japanese dish served at most restaurants. Compared to Western battered and deep-fried dishes, the coating is light, thin, and crispy. One of the secrets to achieve this is to have an incredibly cold batter. To drain excess fat after cooking, use either oil paper (sold at most Asian food stores) or baking paper. This keeps your fried food crispier! Note that I am merely making suggestions on what to fry. You can fry most vegetables and seafood as long as they are firm in consistency. You can even go for chicken, but make sure to cut smaller pieces so that they will be fully cooked through before your coating gets too dark. Serve tempura with some rice and a dipping sauce. 161

tempura platter Prepare your veggies/meat Peel and cut your vegetables and protein sources into bite-sized pieces. Make sure they are completely dry. Dust with flour if necessary. Set aside. Prepare the batter Heat the oil in a deep, sturdy pot or deep fryer to about 170°C (330 °F). While the oil is getting hot, mix all ingredients for the batter together to form a thick batter. You can add more flour or batter to achieve the right consistency, but make sure to not overmix! Fry the tempura Start frying your vegetables first: Dip the pieces in the batter, drain off excess batter and carefully slip into the hot oil. Deep fry for about 4 minutes, depending on which vegetable you are cooking (root vegetables

162

such as carrots or lotus root take longer) until the batter takes on a light golden color. Make sure to not fry more than 3 pieces at once or the temperature of the oil will sink too quickly. Repeat the procedure with the seafood. Drain the deep-fried tempura on special oil paper or baking paper. Cook the dipping sauce Mix all the ingredients for the dipping sauce in a small pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let it boil for about 5 minutes. Pour into a dipping bowl and serve with the tempura.

163

3. green tea set Far more bitter than its black counterpart, green tea is by far the beverage of choice in Far Eastern Doma. To offset the sharpness of its flavor, it is oft accompanied by something sweet, such as sticky rice cakes.

164

ingredients Non-glutinous rice flour Glutinous rice flour Sugar Water Strawberry powder or liquid essence Few drops of red food coloring Matcha powder, cooking grade For the latte: Matcha powder, drinking grade Sugar Hot water Milk or frothable milk alternatives

160 g 40 g 60 g 200 mL 1 tsp

1 cup cup 1/3 cup 3/4 cup

Serves: 2

1/4

1 tsp

2 tsp 2 tbs 2 tbs 600 mL

21/2cups

Rice dumplings, also known as dango can be prepared in so many ways, and the Japanese have a special recipe for every season and festivity. The ones presented in the Green Tea Set are called “Hanami Dango” which is most often prepared and served during the Hanami season (cherry blossom viewing). You can serve this sweet treat with any type of green tea. If you own a tea ceremony set and good-quality matcha, it is now the best time to shake the dust off them and make some creamy, bitter tea. In the photos used for this issue, I opted for the heretic’s version of matcha: matcha latte. The bitter taste still shines through the frothed milk but makes it more palatable. This recipe is based on this: https://www.japancentre.com/en/ recipes/693-three-colour-dango-dumplings 165

green tea set

166

Prepare the dango Mix the rice flours, sugar and water to a dough and knead. Add water if it’s too dry. Divide into three equal parts. Add the strawberry flavor and red food coloring to one part and mix well. Set aside. Dissolve matcha in about 1 teaspoon water and stir until smooth. Mix with the second part of the dough. Add some rice flour if it’s too sticky.

surface. Proceed with the red ones and then, finally, the green balls. Let them cool down before skewering them in alternating colors.

Cook the dango Form six balls out of each part of the dough - white (unflavored), red (strawberry), and green (matcha). Bring a pot with water to a boil. Cook the white dango first. They are done as soon as they start floating on the

Heat your milk (alternative) of choice and froth it. Gently pour over the matcha. Serve warm.

Prepare matcha latte Dissolve the matcha with hot water and sugar to taste. You might need to use a small whisk to help it properly blend. Pour into your serving cup.

167