WINTER
2019
TABLE OF CONTENTS 12 Win a Starlight Celebration Pack!
14 Help a Crafter Out
Just in time for the holidays, win a full set of Starlight housing decorations!
Do crafters intimidate you? Are your crafter friends glued to the marketboard in Ishgard? This article is for you!
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78
Should We Disband?
Fashion Focus
22 The Trader’s Favor
Skip Eureka? Catch part two of our lore review and get all the juicy lore details!
Our resident saltymine takes us through the struggle of Eden.
Cyounai Bloodrose teaches us what ‘Lisa Franking’ is and why it’s her pet peeve.
90 Charity Stream Recap
Miss our 16 hour charity stream? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!
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98 The Joy of the Culinarian
The holidays are just around the corner, impress your friends with a starlight celebration feast!
The Man Behind the Mask
We are proud to share our exclusive interview with Rene Zagger, the man behind the illustrious Emet-Selch.
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Thoughts Per Second Interview
Curiosities of Cosplay
Looking to defeat the Epic of Alexander? Our interview with the world first team might give you some ideas!
We interview the super talented Chezah! She gives us ideas on how to manage multiple projects at once.
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152
Glamourous
Our resident Glamour Queen Vederah takes the Scions to task and outfits them in new gear fancy enough to make Tataru jealous!
Fan Art Feature
Toy Knight shares their story and inspirations.
158 Llymlaen’s Locales Think you’ve seen all of Norvrandt? Check again.
176 Guiding the Community
Love housing? We bring you the housing guide expert, Shei Clodudbank to show us how she got started.
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Aetherflow Autumn 2019
Dea
It is wit
issue a
illustrio
without
subscri
us thro
you, de
all we h
4
Letter from the editors |
AETHERFLOW
for the
glamou
If you’re
arms in
with th
provide
challen
with ma
With lov
Sere
arest, loveliest readers
th immense pleasure that we are able to include in this very special
an exclusive interview with Rene Zagger, the voice behind the
ous Emet-Selch. This opportunity could not have been achieved
t our beloved staff, Patrons, readers like you, our Twitch followers and
ibers, podcast listeners, and everyone else who has ever supported
oughout this incredible journey! We owe each and every success to
ear community, and we owe you our deepest gratitude. But that’s not
have in this issue! We also include some mouth-watering recipes, fit upcoming holiday, elaborate cosplay, a talented fan artist, inventive
ur, an exciting giveaway, and much much more.
e ever interested in joining this community, we welcome you with open
n our Discord server. Here you’ll have the opportunity to openly chat
he staff members, participate in polls (such as future SE interviews),
e us with feedback, and join in on exciting events, competitions and
nges. We hope you enjoy this issue and look forward to providing you
any more in the future!
ve,
ena, Arya, Vederah, Lolae, & Nana 5
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Y
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THANK YOU From the depths of our hearts, we would like to share our deepest appreciation
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K PAYPAL
PATREON
SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT TO OUR PATRONS Paula
Miu Asakura Arya Moon Yoohyeon Serena Elisa Shagaru Catalis Fishy
Kevin H. Skyes Mikh’to Ptaricia Kelly Shyntyrr Zero Soll’a
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Ticket
thing perfect the
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Win a massive Starlight Celebration housing pack! Starlight Celebration is just around the corner, which means it's time get jolly! And what better way to do that than through lavish decorations
1x Jumbo Snowman 1x Sun-topped Starlight Sentinel
and more gifts than anyone would ever need?
1x Stuffed Qiqirn
We're giving one of our readers the chance to
1x Empty Twinkleboxes
win a pack of Starlight Celebration housing objects. Wow your neighbours with these in- and outdoor items and let your house be
1x Starlight Sentinel 1x Twin Star Ornament
the shining star! This giveaway will run from
1x Starlight Ornament
December 1, 2019 until December 14, 2019.
1x Starlight Wreath
I want to enter using Facebook
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1. Check out the pinned post on our Facebook. 2. Like the pinned post. 3. Let us know in the comments what your favorite piece on our website or in the magazine is. 4. Let us know in the comments what your favorite part about the holidays is.
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Winners will be selected by the Aetherflow Media staff through a vote. The editorial team will not partake in voting. Winners will be contacted through social media. Only one (1) entry per person will be valid.
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HEL CRA
Hey everyone, Qih here! W to be discussing the theory
more social aspect of craftin
around. A lot of people kno
craft, so today we’re going t
that you can forge while bein
may be a no-brainer to a lo
for those that are delving in
the other side works, this w
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LP A AFTER OUT
We’re going
behind the
ng this time
ow how to
to dive deeper into the interpersonal relationships
ng a Disciple of the Hand. Some of the information
ot of you out there (and that’s a great thing) but
nto crafting for the first time, or have no idea how
will most definitely be a great way to understand. TEXT by Qih Mewrilah Photos By Caeli Piscis layout By lolae demort
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CRAFTERS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF BUYERS First and foremost, crafting is about making items and selling them. On the daily, I deal with all sorts of people that want to buy items I’ve made or request items made to order. This is great, as I have a pretty good reputation with the people on my server (we’ll talk more about that later) and they generally know how the process works. For someone wanting to buy an item from a crafter, the process is usually: 1. Go to market board 2. Search item 3. Find cheapest price 4. Buy item And that’s it! There’s nothing wrong with that, per se, but that’s only scratching the surface of crafter interactions in the game. Let’s say you want one of the old Dreadwyrm armors from the Bahamut raids and there’s none on the market board, what do you do? If you can’t craft, you now have to seek out someone that can make them. You will want to look up the recipe yourself to know which materials it takes to make the item you’re wanting. There’s nothing more aggravating to a crafter than to have someone request an item to be made, only for the person requesting the item to have no idea what goes into it or what the price is. Personally, I don’t mind gathering materials or using my own stockpile to make commissions, but that will increase the price versus the commissioner giving me all the necessary ingredients from the start. (In the right quantities also!) Making a party finder for the item you want is pretty common. “WTB (Item), Paying (Price), Join or /tell if you can fill the order” is something I see quite often on the party finder listings. This gets your needs out there, and your audience, being the crafters, can come to you directly. If you don’t want to go the party finder route, you can always use /shout in a populated area for more direct results, just make sure not to spam! 16
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Once someone answers your and give them any materia have purchased for them to front.
This may be a bit controv because I’ve been left hang when someone asks me to m then after I’ve finished, they now I’m left with an otherwis that I’ll have to try and haw however, is not a problem if y up front because now you to
Another thing to keep in m well as anyone else playing imperative. No one likes be waiting on mats or respons each deal to help everyone completed, and the item yo The discussion of a tip afte has been presented to me item entirely in gil, or trade f material, I wouldn’t expect o me with nothing but the mat a tip is always nice.
Getting to the point where time-consuming process t depending on how it’s appro you asked to make you that s Friday was able to make it people don’t know how ma getting to that point.
If you feel unsure as to wha crafters are pretty generous if that’s their prerogative, or w just as a way to recoup cry someone that can work eas will start to build a rapport w willing to help out in the fut your server or data center help is something I recomm also goes for veterans that d
r call, you can discuss payment als you may have gathered or make the item or payment up
versial, but I do say up front ging too many times to count make something, I make it, and y no longer want/need it and se unremarkable piece of gear wk on the market board. This, you give them all the materials oo are invested in the item.
mind in regards to crafters, as g in the game, is that time is eing held up for a long time ses. Be cordial and quick with e out. Once the deal has been ours, everyone has left happy! er everything is said and done quite often. If you pay for an for some other kind of item or one; but if someone comes to ts and I make an item for them,
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IF YOU FEEL UNSURE AS TO WHAT TO TIP, IF AT ALL, JUST ASK!
someone can omnicraft is a that can be quite expensive, oached. Even though the crafter shiny new weapon for raid this t in less than a minute, many any hours that crafter put into
at to tip, if at all, just ask! Most s and would sometimes refuse would ask for something small ystal/dark matter costs. Being sily with crafters on the regular with them, making them more ture. Knowing what players on can easily be approached for mend newer players do. This don’t actually craft. 17
CRAFTE PERSPE
Not everyone i Even etiquette I’ve talked ad there’s not alw what works for
The first time I haven’t interac that they know materials for m however. It is a Going over the is a good first and there’s not can help some
Be patient. No at endgame cr within a few b While the end yourself short. playing the gam
KNOW
If you and a b that. I can’t be have expected me because “Y sure, I do that, b so much perso things from cra
That being sa reimbursemen case basis an balance that w buying the sam board. Usually PUG for their c recent sales on 18
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ERS FROM THE ECTIVE OF CRAFTERS
is going to know the etiquette immediately. in itself is something of a topic of discussion d nauseam with many other crafters, and ways a consensus. That being said, know r you and what doesn’t.
I get an inquiry or fill a request for someone I cted with before, I go into the deal expecting w what they want and will have payment or me to craft with. This is not always the case, a good time to educate those that don’t craft. e points I have made previously in this article step. Sometimes they will fall on deaf ears, thing that can be done about that, but if you eone out that’s a win in my book.
ot everyone is a crafter. A lot of people look rafters and see that they can make anything button presses and think that it’s very easy. step is easy, getting there is not. Don’t sell . Know your worth and value your time when me.
WHEN TO SAY NO
buyer can’t reach an agreement, then that’s egin to count the number of times people d insanely cheap or outright free items from You just press a macro and that’s all.” Ok, but in order to get where I can do that there’s onal investment. It’s insulting to expect free afters.
a reputation with your server’s raiders. Being able to sell directly to people can do two things. One, it networks you with that person and those they know. Two, it skips sales on the market board and the applicable taxes. Networking is probably the main thing I wish people did in-game more. If you consistently sell to the same person for raid food/potions, you’ve now got word of mouth if the rest of their team asks where they are getting the items from. This can lead to more sales in the future, and not just for more of the same thing mind you. There have been many times that, after making a few orders of an item for someone, they or their friends come to me asking for other things as well because they know they can count on me to get it done quickly. Also, being able to avoid the market board is always a net positive because you know it’s a guaranteed sale, not something you have to wait around for. One aside I will touch on to wrap up this part is pricing for on-demand orders. If you are making something on order for someone, agree on a price up front if you are not going to deliver at the same time. For example, a raider asks you to make them a set of potions and food for their raid this weekend and it’s only the middle of the week, prices could change by then. That raid food that sells at 10k per item now can dip to 5k by the weekend and now you’re both left wondering what the price is. I always keep the price the same as when it was ordered, if it goes down, or up.
aid, I do often help out for little or no nt to myself, but that’s more on a case by nd mostly to friends. You have to find that works for you. Often you see the same people me kinds of items over and over on the market y raiders or those unfortunate souls that clears. Look at your sales history and that of n the market board and see if you can’t build 19
CRAFTERS AND GATHERERS, LIVING TOGETHER... MASS HYSTERIA! I’ve touched on networking already, but I can’t stress how powerful it can be to mutually benefit those that primarily craft and/or those that primarily gather. Being able to work with those you interact with during your time in Eorzea is invaluable. If you gather for the most part, pay attention to who buys which items the most. First off, you may be pricing your hard work too low and need to raise prices; but more often than not, the same person buying that same ore or log over and over will undoubtedly need more. There’s nothing wrong with sending a quick /tell to that individual asking if they want more. Guaranteed sales between two people working together are better than any amount of potential sales on the market board. Knowing that you can go to a crafter and send them a full stack of an item and receive an instant payment is an amazing feeling. You can also move more product that way because you’re not limited to just 99 of an item at a time!
KNOW THINE ENEMY For some crafters, other crafters are competition. Everyone is always racing to the market board to get their item first to make the sale and rake in the mountains of gil. This isn’t quite my speed, but I do understand the perspective from where it comes. That being said, working with other crafters is also something I would recommend to those dipping their toes into the water, or even those that have been crafting since the game’s inception. Working with other crafters can open up a lot of potential that a solo crafter would otherwise be unable to achieve. Much larger orders are now more tenable due to the division of labor. Networking becomes much easier as you have more people to converse through. Even accepting orders and being able to talk to people can improve if the time schedules of those you work with are different! 20
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Working with another crafter is a lot differe able to work with another crafter, mind you up to you to find that interpersonal relations well for everyone. I can’t quite pinpoint what relationship, that’s something you will have t your own as it varies for everyone.
Talking with the crafters you most often see market board can be quite informative as w not everyone is very talkative and can desire t but I’ve found that most are pretty open abo more information you can garner from in people, the better prepared you can be when and placing items on the market board yours
FINISHING TOUCHES
In conclusion, play nice. There’s a living, bre on the other side of the screen for each perso with. Some are short-tempered by natu unwilling to work with you or be nice in their o there’s nothing we can do to change that. All walk away and try again somewhere else. A treat crafting like a cutthroat, serious busine that really sours the mood for everyone invo it be a community effort that brings people to of pushing them apart. That’s it for me this hope this has helped out some! As always, k
ent than being u, and it will be ship that works makes a good to figure out on
e selling on the well. Mind you, to be left alone, out things. The nteracting with n making sales self!
"
WORKING WITH OTHER CRAFTERS CAN OPEN UP A LOT OF POTENTIAL THAT A SOLO CRAFTER WOULD OTHERWISE BE UNABLE TO ACHIEVE.
eathing person on you interact ure, some are own merit, and l you can do is A lot of people ess model and olved. I’d rather ogether instead time around, I keep it
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the
TRADER'S FAVOR TEXT BY BOUNDING FOX | PHOTOS BY LHO'A RELANAH | LAYOUT BY ARYA ROSE
To select your patron deity is to acknowledge and embrace one of the Twelve as your guardian, to set them one step above all others. Such an endeavor is of a deep and personal nature. Backgrounds of religious activity while garowing up, and even the history of one’s homeland will dictate fixed ways of looking at the divine; but to take the same as a guide and protector despite this, one must treasure in equal measures the values assigned to the one they would seek protection from.
In this current Age of Adventure that sees all manner of the brave and the bold take their stride into lands unknown, it is common practice for individuals to take upon them the mantle of divine patronage in their travels. Of the Twelve, the Order of Nald’thal is dedicated exclusively to the teachings of the faith of the god of commerce, and the overseer of the underworld. For those adventurers who seek protection by the Twins, to them this is written, a means to gain The Traders’ Favor.
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INTO THE NORTHEASTERN VAL HIGHLANDS As one embraces death in their quest to honor the sphere of life and master the realm of Nald, virtue approved of Thal is revealed in act and deed. A means to discover the values that will grant an aspirant this realization follows the review of deeds of our ancestors. The masters of our craft who preceded the walk of history afore us, the members of our bloodline who raised us to stature by virtue of their own doing: our heroes and mentors, our examples and leaders, those who stand to guide us can grant us light on the matter of Thal’s exacting price for a glory hereafter. In this sense, we find a fitting guide is a continuation of our view of the curious case of the expedition of Eureka. For like us aspirants, the expedition found virtue to their cause in reviewing the marks made by their guides from the past, the honorable Galuf Baldesion and his founding of the Students, in acts to protect the world they loved. In this, we can find fitting virtue and
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conclude our analysis of the Forbidden Land in exemplum, sealing these words to the eyes of Nald and Thal. We view the expedition logs acquired from the House of Splendors to find that the investigation had progressed from the frost-sealed lands, of the aptly named Pagos region, to the highlands they sought to access via the Aethernet. Krile's requested time to research the means to circumvent the massive wellspring of aether bore fruit and allowed them to make a landing near the proto-aetheryte. The cavernous network that was discovered in these mountains was found to be comprised principally of fireaspected aether. In following the tradition of previous expeditions of the region, this new progress brought the name Pyros to the highlands. Once the Warrior of Light was apprised of the base camp, they were requested to assist in the expedition any
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way they could. Permafrosttrapped floes of raging flame were the custom of this newly accessed place of study, and Krile Baldesion immediately set to work. The existence of the proto-aetheryte in the area preceded the expedition by some several thousand years and was used as a precursor for the designs that are found in the citystates in the modern era. As such, the proto-aetheryte was used to observe aetherial fluctuations for Students afore the island vanished. Using this tool, Krile followed Ejika's suggestion and prepared to observe the aether flow of the Isle of Val, hoping to both learn about the mysteries of the island and to stabilize the regional Aethernet. Still keeping the primary objective on hand of finding a way to the central headquarters of the island, Pyros was a step forward in strengthening the expedition's efforts. TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRES OF PYROS The place in question holding the prototype was known as the Living Foundry. Not viable for maintaining a current by which
the researchers could teleport, the construction was still sound and Krile surmised the ancient technology could be integrated into the regional Aethernet, stabilizing it and allowing them safer travels in pursuit of their goal. Tests were required to check the feasibility of this prediction, and Krile sent the Warrior of Light on their way to speak to the expedition leaders who also had requested their presence. We learn that, in the progress of the expedition, the discovery of crystals akin to those used in the passing of traditions of martial techniques were found in the highlands. Like the soul crystals they were similar to, these new crystals were host to memories and the wisdom of those of the past; and with abundance and variety, the expedition came to dub these aetherial traces of actions, mnemes. The crystals received the name of logograms, and with sufficient study, the expedition learned to extract these memories and place them in alchemical compounds, to grant these ancient traditions a new place in the role of assisting adventurers. Truly a marvel of using the deeds of those afore to assist in paving our way of virtue for the hereafter. Tests on the proto-aetheryte were completed right after initial
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experimentations of the logos manipulator, and Krile revealed that the understanding of the aetherial instability had much improved. Records from within the Living Foundry revealed that this event was also not a recent development. Approximately 20 years ago, an equivalent massive and sustained increase in aetherial density was recorded. The theory posited was that this written event was the deed of Galuf Baldesion and the act of "reversing the flow" spoken of in the Warrior of Light’s Echo-induced flashback, the observance of manipulation of aetherial currents in a network towards the center of the island. With this realization came the evidence of a deiform entity detected beneath the headquarters, providing, at last, a definitive answer to the existence of the eikon in the Echo vision. Said eikon was discovered to be feeding on the currents focused on the building, sealed by the barrier in the center of Eureka. Naturally, this was not the intention of Baldesion and the founders, but the result of the measures taken to imprison the entity starting to fail. It was surmised the barrier that had sealed the center building was the last ditch effort to contain the primal's rising strength. Krile added onto the expedition priorities the goal to learn the nature of the primal and the methods employed to keep it
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in check. This goal would join in their previous efforts to stabilize the regional Aethernet and find a way into the base. THEY CALLED IT EUREKA Krile Baldesion was recorded to have discovered several confluences, and at this point requested the Warrior of Light to investigate the first of the number she had found. After retrieving the pinpointed magicite piece, the researcher tasked the vaunted hero to seek out Drake, who requested the retrieval of components to amplify the abilities of the ingenious logos manipulator. Research of the magicite helped confirm Krile’s suspicion that the Isle of Val was present in the Glass Ocean, by way of a powerful teleportation magick. This discovery eliminated the long-held theory in the past, posited by the surviving Students and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, that the island had fallen to the power of an Ultima spell, such as had taken place in the Praetorium during the fight between the hero of Eorzea and the Black Wolf. This teleportation magick was the underlying cause for all that had happened on the island: the twisted aetherial
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currents, the warped elemental energies, the weather and monsters that seemed dedicated to thwart them at every turn, even the existence of the soul-crystal like logograms and the mnemes they contained; all a result of this magick that was employed over the entirety of the landscape. This was Baldesion’s legacy, Galuf and the founders having employed this to unknown means. There was a virtue in this, but for what exactly? Without an answer, Krile had requested for the retrieval of a second magicite piece, this time in the fire-aspected caves that gave the region its name.
prior to her departure, where the one known as G’raha Tia was discussing theories about the Crystal Tower. Discussing the legend of Eureka, as it was known afore as referring to a hidden place of Allagan weapon containment, G’raha suggested it was beneath the Crystal Tower. Without so much as a reason, Galuf immediately dismissed the notion coldly, leaving G’raha and the others confused. It seems that memories of study sessions were at the forefront of Krile’s mind upon hearing of this “Forbidden Land” and when prompted by Rowena, she pulled the mysterious name that caused much discomfort to Galuf and confusion to her peers.
The Warrior of Light reported to the expedition that, upon discovering the confluence that was pinpointed, they ran into Ejika Tsunjika, and after a customary exchange of discoveries, the fellow Student expressed a strange interest in the Warrior of Light’s eagerness to fulfill their obligations in retrieving magicite. Afore departing, Ejika revealed that the name of the deiform entity in the Warrior’s visions and the proto-aetheryte tests was, in fact, the selfsame name of the island, Eureka. Upon hearing this from the Warrior of Light’s return, Krile shared a memory of her time on the isle
After sufficient time to think, Krile approached the Warrior of Light to reveal that the several confluences that she had detected at the opening of the expedition were disappearing right afore she could pinpoint their location. Theorizing that Ejika’s shared intentions to help in the magicite collection effort may be the cause due to the fact that magicite doesn’t just disappear naturally, she voiced the hope he would reveal these efforts soon. There was one she managed to pinpoint and request the retrieval of, concluding that recovery with the promise of getting closer to discovering the reason behind the reversing of the flow; but she requested a little more time, hoping not to
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jump too quickly to a potentially wrong conclusion. One can throw considerable value in following an understanding of this desire to learn of Galuf Baldesion’s plan for Eureka. True aspirants of Thal see this as the use of one’s roots to determine virtue. There had to be a reason behind the teleportation and the aetherial manipulation of the natural currents on the isle. Doing so would provide a guide. With sufficient time, Krile Baldesion had discovered the intent behind the aetherial anomaly: it was designed to be a massive arcane ward spanning the entirety of the island, with the goal to trap the primal in the Central Tower of the headquarters of the Students. Further adjustments had the founders learn to invert the pattern and reverse the aetherial flow, a tactic used to drain the primal slowly of aether and eventually end its existence on the corporeal plane. The magicite recovered in field investigations were blockages in this flow, and as the expedition has progressed the ward was improved. With this knowledge, however, clearing the blockages wasn't the only task at hand. They had to align certain key points for the ward to maintain activity. This would require something aetherically potent, and it was in a moment of discussion with the Warrior of Light that Krile realized that the aetherytes scattered about
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the isle served a second purpose as the focal points for the ward, focused on the proto-aetheryte in the Living Foundry. This brought to mind experiences from Krile’s studies as she remembered that the founders had been extremely devoted to the study of aetheryte technologies, further realizing this was only due to their fruits being the secret ward developed over the island. There was no time for exciting discovery, as the camp was suddenly, violently shaken, and the aether was revealed to be disturbed. Running to the source of the disturbance, the team found that the protoaetheryte had been shattered, immediately being discerned that the mainly absent Ejika was to blame, as he revealed himself standing nearby. He showed that the primal Eureka had promised him power, the exchange on his end represented by the shattering of the ward. Now in possession of a new weapon of brimming aether, Ejika issued a challenge to the Warrior of Light and Krile, to come to the Central Tower and meet him and Eureka there. The ward had been compromised, and due to this, the primal Eureka would be able to absorb the currents
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and sea purs
Dete con requ inve and of a
a wa
TAK
Afte Ligh of t thei exp the
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d break free of the barrier that aled the headquarters, free to sue its goals.
ermined to stop Ejika, Krile ntinued with the expedition, uesting one more field estigation for a confluence, d then research into the state the ward. The time waiting allowed her to come across a hypothesis to use magicite to act as an aetheryte facsimile, and so she requested to test the possibility by placing one of the retrieved crystals near the fumarole of endless aether rising up from Pagos. The Warrior of Light followed her instructions and the test took place without a single flaw, proving the science to be sound. She requested more time to be able to acquire the means to make the magicite sufficiently strong enough to sustain the aetherial current in the same fashion of the proto aetheryte afore it to hold the ard’s integrity.
KING THE "BACK DOOR"
er some time the Warrior of ht had returned to see the state the expedition, and it was to ir joy to find that the magicite periment had succeeded and base camp’s plan to proceed
to the next step had already been established. The new region where the work would continue gained the name Hydatos, for the sake of its prodigious amount of water aspected aether. Once there, Krile welcomed the Warrior of Light and reviewed the previous ongoings as well as the current plan, explaining that preparations were ready to reach the primal and seal it away a second time. The challenge that now stood afore them was accessing said headquarters. The place was heavily warded and out of reach by impassable terrain. In the past, Students would just teleport within, but the high concentration of aether that defined the island at the time denied this option. Krile Baldesion spoke of using a back door to enter into the base, but instead of explaining further, she requested to see if they could glean information from a previous research project Krile had set an expedition scholar onto. The research project in question was to see if any clues as to the nature of the elder primal were available within the myriad of legends containing the name Eureka. The results demonstrated the common variable that the name always was in connection to a repository for transcendent weapons beneath the Crystal Tower. With the encounter providing evidence that the weapons were a direct result of contact and associating with
the primal, Krile brought forth the mention of Galuf speaking in the Warrior of Light's visions, about how there was mention of exposure placing souls at hazard. She surmised this had to deal with the weapon's promised power. This brought to mind the report taken by Urianger on the result of a much earlier encounter with the Dark Divinity case in Gridania. Remembering that it was discovered that the primal was, in fact, the weapon Zantesuken and not the rider Odin, she mentioned it as a base for the type of primal they were dealing with. The scholar suggested that Zantesuken could, in fact, be one of Eureka's weapon creations since both of these beings are suggested to have existed during the time of Allag. The Allagans would have recognized the dangers presented by these forged weapons and may have sealed them away in the Crystal Tower, giving rise to the existing legends. If Eureka was born just like any other primal via the visualization process in prayers, the fact it went around promising power and glory and was in control of an avatar seemed too suspicious to the Baldesion researcher. In the current method of primal study available, primals of a creative capacity like Eureka's would suggest something more akin to a brawny smith like
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Byregot's legends depict him as. This question would follow as the expedition progressed, Krile requested a moment of time to prepare field materials for the plan she had to access the central tower. A ROIL UPON THE WATERS OF HYDATOS After learning about an enhanced capacity to carry more logograms and magicite, as well as the continued strengthening of weapons, Krile was prepared to depart, choosing to travel past the base camp on her own for the first time in the expedition, without teleporting. Consistent reports prepared from the Warrior of Light’s field investigations proved the boon, keeping her out of harm’s way. She revealed to the Warrior of Light the existence of an aetherbridge, an ingenious device designed for Students who lacked the ability to teleport. This would be their back door in, once they were able to override the mechanism’s special permission requirements and surpass the obstruction in the Lifestream. Repairing the columns of the aetherbridge required the discovery of locations where aether had pooled and the deployment of aetherial regulators of Krile’s handiwork in the same area to restore the flow to its original state. Once rectified,
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Krile requested time to handle the very specific calibrations and the Warrior of Light was sent on their way to occupy themselves with discovering the surrounding territory. After the adjustments were completed, the first lock upon the aetherbridge was undone and they were free to continue to the remaining two seals. Navigating the perilous settings to the next column, they repeated the previous process and deployed the regulators at the places of pooled aether. Adjustments and a final procedure produced the desired result of undoing the problems behind the aetherbridge. Given permission to cross, the pair entered the tower finally, their goal to access it was complete. Prepared to encounter both Ejika and Eureka’s avatar, their new goal to restore the ward was at the forefront of their minds. Once there, the primal was discovered to be directly in the entrance hall, having been moved there by unknown means and restrained by an aetherial barrier. Galuf Baldesion’s office was nearby, so the pair committed to research the means to undo the barrier in order to restore the ward. A few documents describing Eureka’s history and
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the primal’s creation were available, to which it is prudent to observe their texts and see what information we gain on this being. We learn from stored records that Eureka’s current imprisonment is due to the efforts exerted by a champion of eld, a Warrior of Light in the past. As research had revealed to the organization, any association of primals with heroes entail the existence of Ascians, the proposed shadowless beings that grace the annals of history with their interventions. The weapons of Eureka are shown to usurp the aether of their wielder, replacing their aether and rendering them a husk. Once gaining ambulatory means, the weapon sets forth to accomplish the wish which impelled its creation. The founders of the Students have discovered 5 of these weapons and sealed them away, but provided awareness that there could be many more out there, hidden away. Krile proposed that they should seek out information on the restraint, which allowed the Warrior of Light to discover Galuf Baldesion’s memo, in what would seem to be his final words prior to the commitment of the isle to its disruptive teleportation magick.
Within these final words, Galuf revealed that Eureka had the power and means to create any and all things. Keeping this being a secret was of utmost importance; but despite this, the Ascians had learned of the primal’s existence. Galuf and the founders had resorted to drastic measures, proposing to drown the entire island in the Lifestream to destroy the being known as Emmerololth. Even with the spell successful and this Ascian consigned to the raging torrent of aether, the fact that the Isle of Val remained in the corporeal plane meant Eureka was still alive. Galuf’s final plea was to seek the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and appraise them of the existence of the primal, to make sure the being remained sealed. RELEASING EUREKA’S RESTRAINTS: THE END IS NEAR Krile’s grandfather had hidden a tome away that detailed the creation of the ward, the means by which Eureka stayed hidden, and instructions on how to deactivate the restraint. The avatar that had visited them in the past was also mentioned, as akin to an instrument, a means by which the primal can manipulate aether, in order to use that aether to forge weapons. Restoring the ward would sever that connection between avatar and primal, preventing the former’s constant recreation.
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The Warrior of Light shared the details of the memo, and Krile recounted the day of her attempted escape, describing that teleportation had failed due to an unnatural surge in the Lifestream. This would confirm the cold truth, that there were no survivors from the spell, as only she had been pulled away from the Sea after it swallowed up the island by the call of the Blessing of Light she held. Finding a device that was the crux of the restraint, Krile released its hold on the primal and returned to the entrance hall to prepare the ward. It was there that Ejika and the avatar appeared, threatening to use the newly crafted weapon to strike down the Warrior of Light. This would never come to pass, for Ejika had planned on goading the primal to create a weapon sufficiently strong enough to sever its own connection to the avatar wherewith it used to gather strength, and gave said weapon to the champion immune to its power to strike it down. Now weakened, Krile was able to prepare to restore the ward. Ejika would stop her, declaring that the ward was not sufficient. A vision would detail the founders in their initial attempt to destroy the primal, declaring that one had to form the pact with the
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being afore even gaining access to its aether. After the said pact was formed, the master would demand more creation than was possible for the being to create, forcing it to consume itself in the process. The aetherial connection between the master and the eikon was the same, but in their time, the being had far more aetherial strength than the four of them could mortally muster together. They had the will to sacrifice their life to destroy the eikon, but not the means, for their lives would end far afore the eikon was fully drained. In the current time during this event, the eikon was far weaker and lacking aetherial resources due to its action of pulling the Isle of Val out of the Lifestream. Ejika, as its current master, could enact the demand of forging more than it had aether to use, thus finally ending its existence. However, this would require Ejika to end his own life in the process, expending his aether in the demand. Blessings of Light, by their nature, denied the aetherial connection of the pact for Krile and the Warrior of Light, leaving Ejika the sole person to enact this deed. Krile refused him his desire to sacrifice himself to end the existence of Eureka, to prevent its power. With the two
researchers at a cross Warrior of Light was re provide input, as a third tiebreaker for the choic to do with Eureka.
Despite all efforts made the result of this de author of this entry c find agreeable source which approach the W of Light chose to supp Some accounts have s that Ejika Tsunjika w supported in giving h life up to surrender th existence of the primal and others have stated that the ward was restored and that the primal was once more silenced albeit alive, as the researchers decided to discover a bette means for removing th being without sacrifi Only the Warrior of L knows.
THE CONCLUSION OF SECOND EXPEDITION
Rowena and Hanc reported to have trave island to ascertain th the expedition after r details of the ongoing Receiving the details o
sroads, the equested to d party and ce on what
e to retrieve ecision, the could not es as to Warrior port. said was his he l, e d d s d, e d er he fice. Light
F THE N
cock were eled to the he result of reading the g progress. of the eikon,
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the matter immedia arrange issues weap with isle. of hav the wa hom the and appr nego
The to lease the East Company would be ab in exchang contributions sustainability would make Sharlayan to in preparatio
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rs of business were ately brought into an ement, in regards to s of free port and the pons being crafted the energies of the . Being Students Baldesion and ving discovered that e isle in question as in fact their old me, they remained custodians of it d were the ones to roach in regards to otiating a deal.
Students planned e a tract of land to t Aldenard Trading wherewith they ble to build a port, ge for continued s to the travel and y of scholars which e the journey from o occupy the island, on to research the
extent of Eureka’s might. This agreement was accepted with a drafted deed, where now exists in the Isle of Val a free port for the East Aldenard Company and the House of Splendors to continue their Far Eastern arrangements without enormous tariffs. Curiously, the signature on the document in question bears the lettering of Ejika Tsunjika, implicating that in the finale, the decision that was reached did lead to a positive conclusion and the Student remained in the world of the living. Nald had further deeds of virtue for him yet as acting custodian of the Isle of Val. Therefore we see that the second expedition of the Isle of Val, formerly known as the Forbidden Land Eureka, under the auspices of the champion of our lands as well as the sufficient funding provided by the House of Splendors in joint accord
with the East Aldendard Trading Company, was complete. Of our varied acts of history to study and observe, this one stands to show the deeds of virtue which saw the place unravel from mystery to full discovery, backed by awareness and use of the deeds of the past, as one would find fitting via the guidance of Thal, in combined awareness of the knowledge sought of the aetherial anomaly under guidance of Nald. Deeds within Val, both past and present, give us sufficient examples, and we as those committed to the deity’s protection and education can see and use them in our own growing travels to assure our place in the hereafter among Thal’s golden halls. - bf
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ADDENDUM THE BALDESION’S ARSENAL Word of mouth and recurring perusal of newly scribed reports detail an incident in which the Warrior of Light had returned to visit the Isle of Val in its post-development, to discover that the scholars had identified a terrible truth. When the founders unearthed Eureka and they realized the truth of its power, it had by then forged a large number of weapons. The founders made it their mission to locate and seal away these myriad weapons, in a place in the upper level of the central tower described as “Baldesion’s Arsenal”. Given recent disturbances, it has been theorized the weapons were now waking to their previous goals, and might even now be working to free themselves. The occupying Students and scholars decided that in order to prevent these weapons from taking new wielders and creating new primals from their vessels, a party would be dispatched to destroy the weapons. An arcane ward unique to the Arsenal prevented direct access, but via anomalies in the Lifestream formed during a strange weather occurrence dubbed Umbral Turbulence, which was reported to destabilize the aether in Hydatos. This occurrence would allow the dispatch party entry to the upper levels. Subsequent forays using this very method has revealed the following information about Eureka’s weapons, hereby notated in this publication for the
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interested historian of the primals: THE TWIN SPEARS ORLASRACH AND MUNDERG: Physically separate weapons that maintained an aetherial link, serving as a single entity. Together, they amplified each other’s power and defended one another, for if one was attacked, the other would immediately activate and teleport in for aid. The founders discovered that by attacking the separate weapons simultaneously, the defensive measures would be negated. Detailing this in left-over instructions, the party learned that the weapons had to be defeated together at the exact same moment, to prevent one from regenerating the other. Munderg at the time of its release was identified by the vessel named Owain, and Orlasrach by the vessel named Art. The themes of morning and night in contrast, in addition to the designations of Black and White, suggest to the mind these weapons date back to the time of the Fifth Astral Era, but lack of evidence makes this nothing more than a hypothesis. THE LIGHTNING BLADE SHINZANTESUKEN: To the astute researcher of primals and eikons, immediately it can be discerned that this weapon has an extremely close connection to that which was held by the vessel Odin. The dispatched party would reveal that the vessel of Shin-Zantetsuken did indeed call Odin’s name upon entering combat,
designating it to be that of hero. Further threats issu a “wicked empire” sug vessel, by the name of R a construct of the Allag mayhaps during the wanin the Third Astral Era durin recorded rebellions ha during this time as a re the attacks against Merac the southern contine Aside from conjectures th this entity is somehow connected to Odin in a similar means akin to Eureka’s personal avatar, one only guesses this being rose as a result of lost accounts of what really brought forth Odin and Zantetsuken from the aether after the Calamity. Heavy naming conventions of both the weapon and the spells it cas also suggest Far Easte involvement, but to w extent we may never kn
THE ENIGMATIC LAN VIRTUE: Unlike the connotations that sugges Spears and Shin-Zan cultural associations, the Virtue and its vessel, Abso lie in the realm of the Furthermore, the weapo means to immediately avatars of its own ou Arsenal’s wards, suggesti
f a hallowed ued against ggest this Raiden, was gan times, ng years of ng the oftappening esult of cydia, ent. hat w a
n st ern what now.
NCE OF implied st the Twin ntetsuken’s e Lance of olute Virtue, unknown. on had the y produce utside the ing
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that the creature had been active for quite some time. We learn that both the original entity as well as the creations that it permitted outside the wards bore fragments of its essence, and all seemed to manifest a peculiar wind aspect with an equal distribution of astral and umbral qualities. Furthermore, these fragments took the shape of curious ray-like constructs, which in addition to the Absolute Virtue vessel bearing wings of its own, may suggest to the mind an origin of higher altitude. No further connections can seem to be wrought forth from the existence of this entity. It might be worth acknowledging that the entity seemed focused on the idea of internal principle, the very matters of virtue which the Order of Nald’thal strive to ascertain and follow. Was the wish that compelled the Lance to existence one of divine judgment? PROTO-OZMA THE UNKNOWABLE: The final primal and weapon creation of Eureka was named Ozma, and was specifically designated as a prototype of the recently discovered magical process which allowed
the mages of Mhach to create a simulacrum of this creation. This “original” entity was used during their time both as a failsafe against the failure of their voidmagicks, as well as a weapon of mass destruction in the waning years of the War of the Magi. With no discernable form and no way to understand its meaning and purpose allow no idea as to what wish brought Eureka to coalesce aether to create such a chaotic mystery. Finishing expeditions into the Arsenal would report that even the Students took to employing this aetherial feat in experiments, creating minuscule versions to discover the meaning behind the behavior of the sealed construct in their headquarters. Once these weapons had been destroyed after their sentience, Eureka was permanently undone. Aether such as it was comprised of would have been absorbed by the weapons it had created, due to their new status as primals. It was then that a teleportation magick similar to that of Flow was employed then and was the means by which Eureka ceased to be, its connection to its master severed. With the isle’s primal threats officially disposed of, the work towards cleaning and recovering all the research began in earnest. - bf
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SHOULD WE DISBAND? Another expansion, and another raid tier has come our way! It’s time to grab your favorite job stone, your best gear and jump into the endless depths of PF - all while pretending to be prepared for the interesting moments you're about to experience.
TEXT BY MIO RYOTA | PHOTOS BY laele nora | LAYOUT BY LOLAE DEMORT 48
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After somehow clearing E1S you take a deep breath. You know what’s next, and you know how much fun you’re about to have. You haven’t even joined a PF and you’re already getting flashbacks of endless Damage Down debuffs and stacks of Vulnerability Up. But you already know what’s first: There’s always at least one person complaining about their position or a way you’re going to handle a mechanic. “But my group does it different,” you read. “But I’m used to being in a different position for a certain mechanic,” someone says. Goddamnit, be flexible. The world can’t revolve around you. It’s really not that difficult to use your brain to move southwest instead of south for a week, is it?
The fun, however, only begins here. From people not being able to tell the difference between Doomworld Cleaver, Slicer and Guillotine or one of your DPS greeding an extra GCD when Shadow Eye resolves - because it’s totally worth it to risk dying, since you’re gonna need that ten extra DPS for your bonus internet points. Why clear when you can get all the girls? You fear getting the Hellwind marker, and know that soon you will die to the bleed puddles while you stare at your white mage, who's performing the taxing activity of casting Glare. Free stacks for everyone! Shadowflame? “Sorry, forgot about that one,” you read the tank writing in party chat from his grave. Damn it, you had one job! 49
That flare marker? Someone “forgot” to move on time and now both healers are kissing the floor. Don’t forget those bonus internet points, kids! And it’s not like the knockback is telegraphed with a giant purple line or something; it’s really difficult to see! Then, Quietus happens. You're already tight on hitting enrage, and then you read “Cycle of Chaos”. It starts raining stacks. Someone’s even managed to get four! I wonder how high they stack? There has to be a maximum amount. The next cycle starts and you’ve already given up. It’s not like anyone saved mitigation for Quietus anyway. You pray that one day you will skip Quietus. It’s possible. You cling to the idea, but you know PF will never get it. Somehow, after a rather excruciating, indefinite amount of time, you clear! You’re already mentally preparing yourself for next week. You will have to do this again. Is it worth it? No. Will you do it? Absolutely. Gotta get that fat loot! You’ve rolled below ten. Goddamnit. 50
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But first it’s time for some Leviathan! What a fun fight it is - for just about two hours of progression. I don’t know if it’s just me, but after you have learned the fight for the first time and more or less got used to what’s happening when, it just gets incredibly, incredibly boring. So boring, in fact, that I sometimes feel like I’m going to fall asleep. It just feels like there’s so much downtime between the individual mechanics, that nothing is happening. And when something’s happening it’s neither really complex nor exciting at all.
Get knocked forward, move to the side. Place a puddle, move to the front. It’s almost like they’ve created a fight that simply tests your stamina. Deaths seem to almost always happen due to losing focus. Even the second tsunami, which looks absolutely overwhelming, has just about everyone doing the exact same thing with maybe one small and insignificant difference. Oh, did you hear that? That’s the sound of a tank losing aggro and cleaving the entire group with a massive tank buster!
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Howeve words, get you don’t kn being h the figh either m them c screen platform
And no bombs be hear luck - to those g 52
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"
OH, DID YOU HEAR THAT? THAT’S THE SOUND OF A TANK LOSING AGGRO AND CLEAVING THE ENTIRE GROUP WITH A TANKBUSTER!
er, there’s one thing you fear. Two twelve letters. You know it’s going to u at least once a week: Black Smokers. I now if the difficulty comes with people half asleep once you reach this far into ht, but it’s apparently really difficult to move into a puddle on time or to place correctly. And in the corner of your you can see a player on the other m blasting off again!
ow, Titan. May your prayers for 1-3 and people that know how to do DPS rd. It’s going to be a wild ride. Good o that one day you, too, will hold one of gorgeous, shiny Edengrace weapons. 53
FASHION
FOCUS Eorzea’s most stylish individuals brought into focus. interview, photos and layout by lolae demort
Cyounai Bloodrose - Excalibur
How would you describe your personal style?
What do want your current style to say on your behalf?
Well my FC co-leader and best friend Tomo (Aoi Amagi) and I have always been on a Black/White outfit streak since we played. it's kind been our personal thing so I tend to keep a few of those in my arsenal.
Even in the darkest of times, there is always a light to guide you.
I also like Marceline and desire to travel through day and night. I like to myself the Warrior of Nightosphere. 54
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her the call the
Do you have a fashion petpeeve?
but the meshing of bright colors usually makes my eyes bleed. I can't do it and I get the urge to help them find a better color. If you could name or label your personal style in (max) 3 words, what would it be called? Oath to Order.
Lisa Franking aka using every bright color one could imagine. IT HURTS MY EYES! If they can make it work, it's fine, but that rarely happens. That's the only thing I have an issue with, really. Everyone has their own style
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BODY: Gown of Light HANDS: False Nails (Gobbiebag Brown) LEGS: Brightlinen Bottoms of Aiming (Jet Black) FEET: Demonic Thighboots EARRINGS: White Ravens BRACELETS: Camphorwood Armillae of Aiming 61
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HEAD: Replica Allagan Visor of Aiming (Show White) BODY: Patrician's Coatee (Snow White) HANDS: Eikon Cloth Sleeves of Aiming (Snow White) LEGS: Cashmere Skirt of Aiming (Snow White) FEET: Ishgardian Thighboots (Jet Black) EARRINGS: Platinum Paramour Earrings 68
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BODY: Serge Gambison of Casting (Snow White) HANDS: Demonic Gloves LEGS: Pagos Culottes FEET: Quaintrelle's Dress Shoes EARRINGS: Genta Earrings of Casting
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the M
Behind th
LAYOUT BY PHOTOS BY C
We share our interv actor behind Emet-
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Man
he Mask
ARYA ROSE Caeli Piscis
view with the voice -Selch, Rene Zagger
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Hello Mr. Zagger and thank you so incredibly much for taking the time to interview with us! Your time is valuable, so we definitely appreciate your sparing some to answer our questions regarding your recent appearance within Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers. You have quite a long list of experience within various TV shows over the years, what drew you to the opportunity of voice acting within the video game industry? RZ: Well I’ve got many friends who are actors that, like myself, go from job to job and over the course of the rehearsal period you get talking. Quite often, another actor will finish a rehearsal and then run off to do a voice over, or they’ll finish filming and then the following day they’re doing a radio play. Many years ago I had a voiceover agent, but it never really went anywhere. I always wanted to get back into it though, so eventually I put a reel together after getting a lot of advice from fellow actors and friends and submitted that to an agent I really wanted to be represented by. They took me on, and the rest is history!
You’ve also voiced the character Captain Abridal in the game Battlefleet Gothic: Armada. Were there any major differences between these two performances? RZ: I think there are. Emet-Selch is a lot more flamboyant, a bit more outrageous in his manner, and he plays with how he unveils
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his intentions. He doe out; Emet-Selch is ver and how he delivers Abridal is more measu by the law. He’s a Ca job and what he was seriously. Emet-Selch h life than Abridal!
What type of research of your character Solu Emet Selch)? Do you feel for the game/char
RZ: I hadn’t playe beforehand. I’m 46 remember when the began! My nephew Fantasy XIV though, so over his shoulder to g some elements of the really didn’t want to many preconceived ide went in to record.
Once I got the job, I w full biography of the c and a really detailed s on the story and to be that was all I really before I went in fo proper thing. For the ca though, at that stage were just random line I went in and did it h thought it should be and the director, who g fantastic direction thro
esn’t smoothly lay it ry playful in his tone his speech. Captain ured, regimental and aptain and took his s doing a little more has far more fun with
h did you have to do us zos Galvus (AKA play FFXIV to get a racters?
ed
the game now so I e series first plays Final o I watched it get an idea of e game, but I develop too eas before I
was sent a character synopsis e honest needed or the asting there es, so how I e done gave me oughout
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the audition and the actual sessions, pushed me in the right direction. It was ‘a little bit more like this’ and a ‘bit less here’ which really helped to shape the character into who he eventually became!
In preparing to emulate the character, what type of inspiration did you use in creating Emet-Selch’s voice? RZ: Honestly I didn’t really have much inspiration beforehand! Once I got the job and went in for my first session, I already had the background of who EmetSelch was. They played my audition tape back to me and then we went for it! As the sessions went on, the director pushed me in the right direction and got me to be more flamboyant and a little more outrageous. Quite frankly, I don’t need to be told that, if you lead me to the water I’ll drink it basically! So once I knew there was no holds barred I could just go for it! I had a lot of fun, but it was pretty exhausting as I don’t think you can just stand and deliver dialogue. In the past, I’ve
done ADR [Automated Dialog Replacement] for various film and TV jobs, where you go back in to the studio to re-lay voices. One of those times was for a war film, which involved lots of crawling around and heavy breathing - you can’t just stand there! You physically have to commit to it as well and it was a similar thing here, so by the end of the sessions recording Emet-Selch, you knew you’d done a day’s work basically! I put my heart and soul into it and I really loved it. It was also tough because it was a language, a lexicon, and a fantastical world that I wasn’t overly familiar with so I had to get used to that. There were a lot of words that I had never used before! How do you prepare for each recording session, are there any preparation traditions that you carry over from preparing from your parts in TV shows for example? RZ: No, I think for recording voice for any sort of game or even an advert, I’d say there’s pretty specific stuff you should be doing. Firstly, I would say hydrate yourself, always hydrate! I also try to speak quite a lot before I go in so my voice is warmed up – not to the extent that I’m sat on the train doing silly voice exercises or anything, but don’t go in cold. As an actor your voice is your tool, so make sure to look after it. Also, apples! I eat a lot of Apples! Especially in the session, if your voice is starting to get a bit dry and tired then they encourage you
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" I put my heart and soul into it and I really loved it."
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to eat an apple. It releases something that helps to rejuvenate your speech and keeps you sounding clear and precise. Little insider’s tip there!
I know the industry standard is to record voice actors separately but was there ever an opportunity to record together with any of the other voice actors on this project?
You touched on it already, but what is a recording session like in relation to voicing a character so like, what’s the process?
RZ: No, it was all separate. It was all just to a screen with dialogue and being guided by the director and any clients that are there in the room as well. Every now and then you have to chat to somebody else on Skype to get the pronunciation of a word though! For the recording though, you’re on your own, though sometimes you’ll get the line before yours played for you if the actor has already gone in and read it. That’s as much as you get though!
RZ: So for Emet-Selch, I think there were something like 46 or 48 hours that I was scheduled to go in and record for in total. That’s then broken down somewhat, so I’d go in on a Monday and do 3 hours, on a Wednesday I’d do 4 hours, then another 2 hours on the Friday and the whole thing takes a few weeks. The longest session is 4 hours and that includes a 15-minute break and a toilet break if you need one, but it’s pretty constant! That’s how I like it though - once I start, I’m quite happy to keep going and not stop. I prefer longer sessions, because it means you can really get into the headspace and get your teeth into it. Wherever possible I quite like to go for the 4 hours recording and get the best out of what I’m doing.
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, the community has been completely enthralled with Emet-Selch, how do you feel about the reaction to your character? RZ: Well, actually…I didn’t know! The entire process is almost a little bit like doing a play where you get cast, you go through the whole rehearsal process and get it up on its feet, then you start performing it. When the reviews come out if, unfortunately, the reviews aren’t very good then reading them can affect your performance or affect how you approach whatever’s next, so I was never ever going to go and chase what people thought about the character, or how I voiced it or even the game. It was a lovely job, I thoroughly enjoyed it and was just hopeful they’d want to use me again and that’s as far as it went.
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Now, however, you’ve informed me about the reception to him so I’ve done a bit of investigating and it’s absolutely amazing! It’s incredibly cool because I loved doing it and it wasn’t something where I just went in and spoke into a microphone, I really did go for it and had fun doing it. For it to be received the way it’s been received… it’s great, its wicked, I love it, it’s fantastic!
How do you feel about Emet-Selch and his development throughout the story? RZ: I think he’s a very strong and devious character. He’s got his convictions and he knows what he wants to achieve, and every time he takes to the stage or holds court he’s immediately in the driving seat. It’s his way or the highway! He’s a scary sort of character and you wouldn’t want to cross him but at the same time I don’t think you’d want him as an ally either, because you can’t trust him. He’s a very cold, villainous and untrustworthy character but with a sense of charm and I think that’s what I tried to focus on. I wanted to bring out a little bit of charm with him, and also a bit of empathy. I don’t know if I managed to do that, I hope I did. Maybe that’s what people like about him or it could be his outrageousness, I just feel that while it’s obvious that he’s cold and calculated I hope people like him at the same time.
Can you relate to Emet on any level? RZ: Absolutely not! Only in his theatricality, 100% his theatricality. My other half, she will
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tell you I am extremely theatrical sometimes. So his ‘not caring’, his straightforward ‘I’m gonna say it and I don’t care what the repercussions are’ mentality, that’s very me. His guts and his flamboyant-ness and his theatricality I can relate to, but in terms of the darker element to him, no I cannot relate to that one bit, thankfully!
Is there anything about him that you want the community to know that maybe they didn’t catch or notice? RZ: Maybe there is, maybe there isn’t. That’s all I’m going to say on that one!
What was your favourite scene to record? RZ: I think the scenes when he addresses more people and has a bigger audience for his shenanigans, where he projects and it becomes really theatrical, all of that stuff. Also, when he’s pitying people – there’s a line where he’s incredibly patronising and calling someone a “fool”, I love all that. I loved the patronising elements but for me I think the grandstanding in front of the groups like the Scions is top.
" For it the w receiv it’s w it’s fa
t to be received way it’s been ved… it’s great, wicked, I love it, antastic!" 87
" It’s a great character, was very very very ver to get to play him."
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and I ry lucky
Is there anything else you’d like to say or touch on before we say goodbye? RZ: It’s a great character, and I was very very very very lucky to get to play him. I’m one of many actors that’s got a voice over agent who goes through the motions of being submitted for voice overs in games. Every now and again, one sticks, and this was one of them that was just great and I loved it. The fact that this has all come out now, having this conversation with you and discovering he was received as well as he was, that makes it really special. I’m really pleased to have been a part of it and part of a franchise that has been going for so long. I’m really very proud of it.
Awesome, thank you so much for your time, we hope you enjoyed portraying Emet-Selch as much as we enjoyed your work and look forward to seeing what the future has in store for you. RZ: It was amazing, and thank you so much!
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AETHERFLOW MEDIA'S 16 HOUR CHARITY STREAM and how the donations kept aetherflowin' 90
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Aside from the amazing interactions with the community, the memes, the endless fun in-game and creating gorgeous content, there's a certain responsibility that comes with being a media platform. We get the chance to help and give back to the very community that has shown us so much love for over a year. Aetherflow Media teamed up with To Write Love on Her Arms, a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery. Our 16-hour charity stream started on November 2 at 10:00 am EST and was something of a mindblowing experience. We surpassed our goal of raising $1,000 pretty quickly, to end up at a whopping $1,600 by the end of the stream. 100% of these proceeds were donated to To Write Love On Her Arms so they can continue their astonishing work.
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It would have been really easy to just stream FFXIV for 16 hours, but really boring at the same time. We set goals, decided on donation specific incentives, interviewed awesome people and so much more. Let's go over some of the highlights of our charity stream.
1. Q&A WITH JAMES FROM TWLOHA We asked James from To Write Love On Her Arms a few questions, a ton of which were sent in by our readers or asked in chat during the stream. He talked about a subjects like mental health in the most kickass way possible, explained how TWLOHA came to be and what they stand for. Staff members and viewers alike came forward about personal experiences and hardships, turning this from 92
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2. METALLIC FANTASIA FREN
an interview into a beautiful and eye-opening conversation. It's definitely a Q&A we won't forget anytime soon. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE CLIP!
As we noted before, a donation specific inc were set. Serena Spark editor-in-chief, would f into whatever the com wanted her to if we r $300. This happened fair and the community on a flashy, multiHrothgar. The deal was to keep this look for a mo because we surpassed in donations, Serena will a cotton candy Hroth
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a ton of centives kles, our fantasia mmunity reached rly quick decided -colored s for her onth, but d $1,300 l remain hgar for
2 months! A fitting glamour was decided on just as fast, as it should. Some of our other staff members, like Arya Rose, Celesta Estheim and Niamh Runlaeth, had to don fully metallic glamours for a month. They followed through and the results were... interesting, to say the least. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE CLIP!
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3. DUNGEON RUNS GALORE We also ran quite a few trials, dungeons and even a raid. All, of course, with a specific handicap. Whether it was with our hotbars hidden, in first person, or while playing jobs we absolutely don't like, we did it on stream and just for you guys! Hell's Kier EX, for example, was quite the adventure. Serena made sure to turn it into a real treat for her party members, and decided to jump off the platform. Cause that's what you do in there, 94
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right? Even though we played jobs that weren't exactly our favorite, or couldn't see what skills we were actually using, we had an amazing time. We were doing this for a good cause and that makes everything better. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE CLIP!
4. MCC HOUSING TOURS We managed to partner up with Midgardsormr Community Center as well for a ton of housing tours. They took us, and the viewers, on a trip around Eorzea to check out some of the most creative and outrageous houses. Aside from making a few of us feel like like uninspired peasants when it comes to housing, it really showcased true talent and helped us interact with the community. Showing your beautiful designs
off on stream and sharing our platform, in a way, is something we really enjoy doing. Thank you to everyone that allowed us to visit their plot! CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE CLIP!
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We thoroughly enjoyed this charity stream and are blown away by all the support. Xennon Seeing how much of a success this was, we XeroRain definitely want to keep using our platform Xhaira to give back to the community. Zeno Zero Yuno Sadly, simplywho talking aboutanonymously! mental health and everyone donated still seems like a taboo or a sensitive topic, at least, and that's exactly why we chose TWLOHA as our charity. Thank you to everyone who watched with an open mind and donated to help fight the stigma.
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You were created to love and be loved. People need other people. Your story is important. Better days are ahead. Hope and help are real. - TWLOHA
Crisis text line: Text TWLOHA to 741741 For other resources, click here to check out the list in TWLOHA's website. 96
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THANKS FOR PARTNERING UP! - TO WRITE LOVE ON HER ARMS - MIDGARDSORMR COMMUNITY CENTER
THANKS FOR DONATING! Amyjanemade Annamarie Arya Corin Cory Croatoan Dividus Yliaster Dninja Elisa Erys N. Fishy Fors Taki G'thro HGXIV Hranz I'zimzizi Jessica Katzi Lolae Mob Fodder Oceanna Ashdale Roric_knight Rymm Serena Seth Solla Tony Vederah Xennon XeroRain Xhaira Zeno Zero Yuno and everyone who donated anonymously!
UP TO 90% LESS HAIRBALLS!
Pawtene's Supreme Hydration Conditioner sends its powerful formula deep into your fur for strength against damage caused by adventuring. Infused with Linseed Oil for an amazing shine that will blind The Twelve! 97
the joy of the culinarian:
One of the worst Christmas experiences I ever had was when I spent a term at the University of Saskatchewan. Yup, in the middle of nowhere. My family was in Europe, and I was so new that I hadn’t forged deep enough friendships to ‘invite’ myself over to other people’s Christmas dinners. All alone in a large dorm and freezing temperatures outside, I decided the world could kiss my bottom and I would be making stuffed chicken. For myself. The happy ending to this story is that not only did I find another lonely soul in the large dorm complex to share my chicken with, I can also present to you the following recipe: Starlight Dodo LightTM! Festive enough for any special occasion, yet small enough to feed a hungry soul or two. And if there is still space left in your stomach, help yourself to a slice of Starlight Cake! text and photos by tetemui temui - layout and editing by lolae demort 98
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starlight dodo
A whole dodo stuffed with savory
vegetables and slow-roasted on a spit. Often prepared near the end of the year as an offering to the Twelve.
Whole roasted turkey is a great (and easy) dish to prepare when you are expecting quite a few guests. But what happens if you are alone? Or are just celebrating the Holidays with your significant other? Unless you are planning on freezing a lot (or decide to do a turkey week using only leftovers), roasting a turkey can turn out to be a wasteful project.
Serves 2
Maybe you have never roasted meat before? Fear not, the answer obviously is chicken! Not only is whole chicken easily procurable everywhere in the world, it actually easily serves two and is a good substitute to practice stuffing and roasting a huge bird. So while the original Starlight Dodo idea is actually based on turkey, we will shrink things down to chicken size so that even beginners could definitely give this recipe a try!
For the stuffing: • About 8 slices of toast/sandwich toast bread • One bunch each of fresh parsley, sage, thyme, and rosemary (feel free to skip on either thyme or rosemary) • ½ of a celery rib (can be omitted if you don’t like or are allergic to celery) • 1 small onion • 1 pear or apple • 4 tablespoons melted butter • A generous splash of white wine or vermouth
You will need: • 1 broiler chicken (pick a size depending on your appetite) • 2 tablespoons melted butter • Spices: salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika powder
For the gravy: • 240 ml (1 cup) of water (or a mix of water and white wine) • 2 tablespoons cornstarch Special equipment: • A broiler pan with rack • Some cooking twine • Cooking thermometer
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starlight dodo Stuffing. Every family preparing roasted turkey has their own traditional recipe. Since my mother gives instructions that go, “I just used fresh sage, that’s it” when asking for stuffing recipes, I was forced to develop my own version which always incorporates pears or apples, and sometimes even walnuts. Aside from the bread, onion and parsley/ sage, you can make your very own stuffing by just adding things you like. Like raisins? Add raisins. Want some meat? Throw fried sausage or bacon bits in. Love bell peppers? Be my guest. In my case, we will chop up both the onion, celery, and pear into small pieces and fry them over medium heat with about 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Once the onions are soft and glisten, add the remaining butter and let everything cool down a bit. Chop up the bread (or shred them by hand into morsels), chop up the herbs as finely as possible and mix both of them in a large bowl. Pour the fried mixture over the bread and carefully toss to make a bread salad. Stir in the wine/vermouth. Set aside. Time to take care of the broiler chicken! Ideally, you are working with fresh meat. If you needed to purchase a frozen version, defrost it at least one day in advance in the refrigerator. Don’t cut down on the time by thawing it on your countertop, unless your kitchen is always below 10°C! Make
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sure you wash your hands thoroughly after every time you’ve handled raw chicken. I usually wear disposable nitrile gloves when handling any types of raw meat - the grip is better and there is a lesser chance of contaminating other food after washing your hands.
Depending on the type of chicken you bought, you may find the neck and giblets in a separate bag within the cavity of the chicken. Reach inside and see whether anything is there. If the cavity is empty, simply rinse thoroughly with cold water. If you won the jackpot and are the proud owner of neck and giblets, you can do the following things: • simply toss them out in the trash • chop the giblets into tiny pieces, fry, and add to the stuffing • chop the giblets and mix into food for your pet (raw or cooked) • use the neck to make chicken soup (along with any leftovers from your finished chicken)
Anyway, preheat your oven to 200 °C (400 °F). Carefully loosen the skin around the breast. Brush the melted butter all around the chicken and under the loosened skin. Rub the spices all around the bird. Transfer to your broiler rack. Spoon as much of your stuffing as possible into the cavity of the bird, you can even fill the gap between the legs. With the help of kitchen twine, tie the legs to prevent any stuffing from falling out. If you have a classic meat thermometer, jab
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t
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it into a meaty part of the chicken, making sure to not touch any bones. Put your broiler into the oven and bake for about 1 ½-2 hours, depending on the size of your chicken. It is imperative that meat temperature reaches at least 80°C (approx. 176°F) for it to be cooked through, so please check the temperature regularly. If you have an instantread thermometer, simply push the thermometer into the meat to check. When it is done, take the broiler out of the oven and let the bird rest. In the meantime, pour water (you can also add a dash of white wine) into the broiler pan and scrape all the juices that accumulated during roasting. Pour the mix into a small pot. Dissolve the cornstarch and bring the sauce to a boil. Keep on stirring until the gravy is thick. Prepare your mashed popotoes and vegetables of choice (I used carrots), and serve with the chicken and gravy. Happy Starlight!
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starlight cake
Conceived by Bismarck chefs with far too much time on their hands, the Starlight cake is composed of
layer after layer after layer... after layer of sweet, decadent heaven.
What is it with Japanese people and their fondness for strawberries, even when they are completely out of season? The Starlight Cake is actually based on a Japanese Christmas Cake, which is fluffy sponge cake filled with whipped cream and strawberries. I felt it was too simple of a treat, so I decided to go for a heavier filling (buttercream!) and use a cake with almonds. The outside decoration felt like a challenge. Do I use fondant? Then I’d have to cover the entire cake in fondant (who even likes fondant?!). Do I use marzipan instead? Not white enough. Eventually, I opted to use whipped cream, after all. This left me with only one possible decoration option: white chocolate. I know my little chocolate circles are super far from perfect, but who cares, it’s chocolate, right? The squares are actually kind of like Cel shading, i.e. you start with the layers in the foreground and work your way to the background layer. In this case, you draw the hearts and lines first with colored chocolate and then fill the rest out with white chocolate. And before it’s completely set, you just wrap it around the cake. Alternatively, you can use colored pens (e.g. like what you use for fondant), but the results might not be as clean or accurate.
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Serves 6 You will need: • 1 cup (100 g) ground almonds • 1/4th cup (30 g) all-purpose flour • 2 ½ tablespoons (20 g) cornstarch • 3 large eggs • ½ cup (100 g) sugar • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder For the filling: • 6 tablespoons (84 g) butter • 1.5 cups (167 g) Confectioner’s sugar • 2 tablespoons powdered strawberry or red gel food coloring • 1 teaspoon rose water • 2 finely chopped strawberries • 2 tablespoons smooth strawberry jam For the icing and decoration: • 2 cups (400 g) heavy cream • 1 teaspoon salt • 4 tablespoons sugar • A handful of small strawberries • 7 oz. (200 g) white chocolate, chopped • 2.5 oz (50 g) dark chocolate, chopped • Red gel food coloring; alternatively food coloring pens Special equipment: • Small plastic piping bags • Waxed baking paper
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starlight cake Preheat the oven to 350 °F (170°C). Grease and line a 6-inch round baking tin with baking paper and set aside. Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites, slowly adding the sugar, until very stiff. Beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl and fold into the egg whites. Sift the remaining dry ingredients together and fold into the egg mixture. Transfer into the baking tin and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out dry. Let the cake cool down completely before proceeding. In the meantime you can prepare the filling: Sift the confectioner’s sugar and mix with the butter to make a thick buttercream paste. Add some powdered strawberry or a few drops of red gel food coloring for color and mix well. Stir in the rose water and chopped strawberries. Slice the cake horizontally to create layers. Brush the strawberry jam on the bottom layer, then spread the buttercream over it until it almost reaches the edges. Brush the other half of the cake with strawberry jam as well and sandwich the buttercream layer, strawberry jam side facing down. Put in the fridge to let the buttercream harden. Whip the cream with the salt and slowly add the sugar until the consistency is stiff enough to be piped. Frost the cooled cake with a generous layer
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of whipped cream and keep the rest in a piping bag for later. Return the cake to the fridge.
Time for the chocolate decoration! Draw a halfcircle with about 3.2 inches (8 cm) in diameter and a heart in the top half of the circle and some fancy swirls beneath (see image template). It’s enough to have only one circle. Make sure the lines are visible enough when you put your drawing beneath the wax paper! Melt your chocolate over hot water, stirring regularly to ensure it’s smooth. Spoon a bit of the melted chocolate into a bowl and dye with red food coloring.
Melt the dark chocolate for the dark part of the pattern. Pour each of the melted chocolates into separate piping bags. Snip off the tip of the red chocolate (the smaller the tip, the more you are in control of your drawing) and retrace your heart pattern on the wax paper. Do the same with the dark chocolate.
Finally, fill out the entire half-circle with the white chocolate. Don’t worry about inadvertently mixing, the pattern is so small that your chocolate heart will almost immediately set before you pour the white chocolate over it. Make at least 9 of these circles touching each other. As soon as the top doesn’t seem wet anymore, carefully wrap your chocolate half-circles around your cake, using the wax paper as help. Let the chocolate completely harden in the fridge for about 1 hour before
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carefully peeling off the wax paper. Pipe some heaps of whipped cream on the top, alternating with fresh, hulled strawberries, and serve. The cake can be easily done a day ahead. I do not recommend storing this any longer, as it contains fresh whipped cream.
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nterview : thoughts er second the epic of alexander a world race against time The clock started bright and early on November 12, 2019, as many groups gathered for the epic world race in the newest Ultimate raid, The Epic Of Alexander (TEA). Known for manipulating time and famous for becoming a raid group destroyer during its savage tier, Alexander was sure to bring on a great challenge to all those who dared enter. Thoughts Per Second was one group who dared, and they conquered. Clearing the full fight in less than 4 days, they swept away the competition and ended time for Alexander. The members of this incredibly skilled group have graciously provided us with insight into the thoughts that raced through their heads every second of the fight and how they prepared for this ultimate race against the clock. interview and text by serena sparkles and mio ryota photos by super peasant and mikoto kreiss layout by lolae demort 109
How did you prepare for the race, both personally and as a group? SUPER PEASANT: I personally tried my best to
make sure I didn’t eat anything that would make my stomach upset or make me feel kinda crappy. The day before I ate a solid breakfast, a very light salad for lunch, and a heavy hearty beef and potato stew for dinner to help me sleep. During practice I tried to build good mental habits by developing step-by-step mental checklists for complicated mechanics that required me to remember small details. This actually ended up being a huge benefit during wormhole.
SHINDANEKO HANSHA: I prepared with extra
care this time; making sure to adjust my sleep schedule a few days before hand. Despite what some people might think, my diet was nothing like the memes of “Mountain Dew and Doritos.” I personally prepared a week’s worth of chicken wraps, salads, and quick snacks like granola bars or crackers. As a group, our in-game prep was the usual of getting enough consumables for the entire raid that would last a week. In addition to that, we ran old content with extra restrictions to make it challenging for us and force us to respect every bit of damage and mechanic that came out.
KIONA LYNAER: There was a lot of preparation,
mostly challenge mode on Heavensward raid fights (minimum item level with some pieces of gear removed as well). Practice made all the difference for our team as we were extremely familiar with all the repeated mechanics from old tiers in the race.
SFIA PIRION: Real life prep is the hardest part to
be honest. Allocating free time and making sure you are completely free for an extended period of time can be really challenging. Then being from New Zealand my sleep prep was super important. Waking up and functioning at 10PM is HARD and takes some time to organise. Eating well and staying healthy so prog time can be as productive 110
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as possible is an ongoing thing. In game though, doing everything possible to be performance ready. The hardest content in the game made harder through gear restrictions, pug stuff to make sure I’m ready to... adjust to new situations. REIMI SHIROHIME: I honestly made a mistake
this patch in prep cause I pushed all my sleep adjustments into 2 days which was miserable. Alongside the in game challenges we had, I had a personal experience due to my left hand being... not what it used to be, where I practiced on controller as much as possible to have a backup plan to be able to transition if necessary.
PLD:
super peasant
DRK:
sindalf sindalf
WHM:
reimi shirohime
SCH:
kiona lynaer
BRD:
phantom assassin
NIN:
shindaneko hansha
BLM:
sfia pirion
SMN:
ara hoshizora
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Did you change your group make up at all during the race? If so, what prompted the change? ARA HOSHIZORA: I have been the flex caster for
this group since Eden and when we picked up Sfia I looked towards RDM and SMN. SMN was largely favored this patch thanks to the job adjustments, which is great because I’ve loved the job since ARR. Oddly enough though I’ve mained healer for as long as I can remember in this game so these swaps were jarring for me to say the least. Very grateful the group took the plunge for me when I swapped off in ShB!
KIONA LYNAER: I guess I’ll talk about healers - we
entered and stayed with white mage and scholar. Reimi was prepared to switch to astrologian if the conditions favored it, but we were happy with the tools white mage had and their use in the fight, so we never made a change.
REIMI SHIROHIME: I'm actually a big fan of current
astrologian and was considering using it all the way up to a couple days before patch. In the end I felt the ease of use in the white mage kit justified itself enough to ride it unless a very specific situation occurred that suited astro. SINDALF SINDALF: We originally went in with a
dancer but why would you take a DNC when there are two targets for the first two phases? I swapped to bard and called it a day. If they buffed warrior to be actually good, I'd play that instead of DRK. I don’t understand GNB enough to actually even consider it. Paladin is no brainer for prog since it offers a lot of mitigation tools. Were there any points in the fight that proved to be the biggest wall(s) for your progression? SUPER PEASANT: Definitely Fate Calibration. It
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wormhole. Thankfully we were consistent enough to get 7 datapoints before we slept that night, which was enough to basically conclude that we simply were not seeing everything.
SINDALF SINDALF: Aside from fate calibration;
wormhole. Without that mechanic the fight would have died a day earlier for sure. It's an exercise in keeping a spatial layout of the arena in your head and knowing the locations of every other person. Early on we had some abstract locations figured out but this leads to too many options and decisions being made on the fly that leads to inconsistent mechanics. Abusing the natural markers on the ground such as the red dots and nuts/bolts helps this immensely. Instead of a million different possibilities of where you could end up in relation to another person you now have an exact location and as a bonus you now know where the person on the other side of the map is as well. What was going through your head during the final transition?
SINDALF SINDALF: I was just looking for the next
mechanic. Trying to see if I could gain anything from it. The transition itself I figured I would see a million times so I could appreciate it later. SHINDANEKO HANSHA: Gundams and Gattai!
How much do your healers dislike Living Liquid?
REIMI SHIROHIME: In the beginning it was quite
wild having a relatively strong healing check in the doll feeds and then immediately into splash plus drainage. At first I thought "oh, this is a step above Twintania" and worked on making it as consistent as possible. Then 6 throttles hit our team and I knew the dev team was laughing. I'm not sure what the general opinion of esuna mechanics are but personally I like it when, like in living liquid, they come at a perceived bad timing.
KIONA LYNAER: It’s definitely the scariest in
terms of damage variance! Sometimes tanks or players can drop dangerously low. But we have run it so many times, it’s like riding a bike now. “Oh, the tank is about to drop from 90% hp to 10% hp in the next few seconds. I’ll just spam some adloquiums for a few GCDs.” My Scholar has to use excogitation on me during Jagd dolls, enough said.
ARA
HOSHIZORA:
SINDALF SINDALF: "Use Living Dead." "Don't use
Living Dead". Make up your mind already!? I'm sure they had "fun". Especially early on we didn't realize that Living Liquid shot a protein wave forward every single time. I kept dying every pull no matter what I did.
AT FIRST I THOUGHT "OH, THIS IS A STEP ABOVE TWINTANIA" AND WORKED ON MAKING IT AS CONSISTENT AS POSSIBLE. THEN 6 THROTTLES HIT OUR TEAM AND I KNEW THE DEV TEAM WAS LAUGHING.
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Wer you
SIND
Cut. num thou goin we one by g thou
KION
first coul did n diffic of “O that no p Calib
SFIA
with the Nigh with Tha rid o was muc
Did wis tier
ARA
also we h
SIND
muc to c We r
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re there any "OH NO!" moments when u first saw a mechanic?
DALF SINDALF: Anything related to Limit
. Players have always been bad at counting mbers, myself included. That aside, I actually ught inception tethers after the heart were ng to be a lot of trouble. That is until we realized could send everyone one direction and just person that was static with the stack marker giving them a massive shield. Removes all ught from the mechanic.
NA LYNAER: Wormhole Formation was the
t mechanic that created that feeling of dread. I ldn’t help but think “Wow, even if Brute Justice not exist in this mechanic, it would still be very cult.” Fate Calibration α was a different kind Oh no,” where it wasn’t mechanical difficulty t loomed, but an impossible problem that had paths to victory. While Wormhole induced fear, bration induced despair.
A PIRION: Nisi. When it was first placed on us
h nothing to interact with and no idea of where goal line was with it I immediately panicked. htmares of spending the next 15 minutes h this god awful buff going through my head. ankfully the dev team was kind and let me get of it after only a couple minutes. Oh. Wormhole s like seeing suppression for the first time but ch, much, worse.
d you encounter any mechanics you sh they had included from the Savage r of Alex?
A HOSHIZORA: Where was height error!? I was
o sad Digititas didn’t make its appearance as had practiced that one for a long time.
DALF SINDALF: More timestops and height. So
ch of this could have been used and combined create a really dynamic and challenging fight. really prepared for that and it just never came.
SFIA PIRION: I feel like Faust should have made
an appearance. Does he count as a mechanic? The singular Gavel being as easily resolved as it was, was also a surprise. No steam regulators, no prey marker?! I also wanted to see Sindalf get run over by giant balls.
SUPER PEASANT: A big disappointment was
not having a more difficult temporal stasis and definitely not having a super complicated Gavel. That kind of sucked. REIMI SHIROHIME: I do wish there was a harder
temporal stasis. Aside from that, I wanted a mega beam, I mean come on it’s in the song. What was your favorite mechanic/the most fun mechanic?
ARA HOSHIZORA: I don’t think I’ll ever get tired
of Fate Calibration! I’m a huge fan of memory games and the presentation of how it works is the coolest thing they’ve ever added to this game. REIMI SHIROHIME: I think the design of both fate
calibrations are out of this world. That was not a mechanic I would have expected in 1000 years and it fits so amazingly into Alexander’s theme that it feels perfect.
SINDALF SINDALF: Dropping the ice in Brute
Justice to freeze the tornado only because I got to mix my cooldowns up around there for some really nice water/thunder mix. Had a really specific spot to drop the ice in so the rest of the group could forget about it. Rampart + TBN for the ice. Rampart + Dark Missionary + (optional) TBN for the thunder/water.
SUPER PEASANT: Fate Calibration was really
fun, but nothing gets me excited like Wormhole. I love our strat because it makes wormhole very dynamic. Even if you got the same number twice, it might be different each time. The feeling of doing wormhole correctly is also just really nice. 115
There seems to be a consensus that this might very well be the best fight they have ever designed, how would you rate it? SUPER PEASANT: I think the fight is great. At
least for right now, it’s honestly super enjoyable, and there’s probably still so much we don’t know about it yet. I’m definitely looking forward to running it more.
REIMI SHIROHIME: Being the newest fight usually
earns higher ratings. We’ll have to see later down the road how it holds up without the massive hype. As of now, I say it’s my favorite though. SHINDANEKO HANSHA: TEA is thematically and
aesthetically excellent; alongside The Unending Coil of Bahamut. How does the fight shape up compared to the other ultimates?
SFIA PIRION: I think it’s the hardest. There are very
few spots where you can make a mistake and you’re fine. Other ultimates are more forgiving in that regard. I also think more time and effort was put into the development. So many new assets were used in this fight and that takes time. I’m so happy to see that they are continuing to move away from the “low effort” ultimate format that started in UCoB.
ARA HOSHIZORA: I think it’s by far the most
ambitious, they made new assets for it and created some really fun mechanics for the final phase. It has definitely raised the bar for what these fights will give us in the future. How did it feel to be the first to clear TEA?
SUPER PEASANT: Amazing. I do progression
SINDALF SINDALF: UCoB is technically "harder"
due to more trios and more spots where you could wipe at. TEA just had a higher chance of wiping due to wormhole existing. UWU is a prog only fight in terms of difficulty. One other thing about TEA is that in its current state it's much harder or impossible to recover from a death or a mistake. In UCoB and UWU you could recover and continue the run. This will probably change as buffs and new food are introduced to the game. Look at the dps check in UCoB now for example, it's a complete joke.
because I want to clear content fast, but I think part of why I even do world prog to begin with is out of duty, or necessity. I want to see my teammates succeed and be happy, I want them to experience the joys of victory and feeling accomplished. Some of the members here were part of Wheelchair Emoji, which took Sigmascape world first, and I was so glad to have been there helping them achieve their first World First. The feeling is the same now: I am glad that I could help them achieve their first WF Ultimate!
REIMI SHIROHIME: For me it’s hard to judge since
SINDALF SINDALF: Call me a sore winner but I
I chose not to prog Ultima and my player evolution has changed since the first ultimate. In UCoB I remember thinking explicitly “there’s no way I can do this, it’s impossible, I’ve hit my limit” on multiple mechanics, but after a couple years you adjust to the difficulty and nothing seems impossible at face value. One thing I think Alexander does better than the other two is punishing mistakes. While I’m sure some cheese strats will be discovered, at 116
least for the first time around it felt we truly needed to do all the mechanics correctly as intended.
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didn't feel much compared to everyone else. I've been highly focused on a lot of things outside of the game so I just didn't get that same spark everyone else did. In fact I was generally unhappy most of prog because I thought we were behind and throwing. Although we did say before prog "Our prog may be bad but then you find out everyone else's is worse". I was very surprised how long it took everyone else to clear.
WORLD FIRST CLEAR (BLM POV) click here for the video WORLD FIRST CLEAR (SCH POV) click here for the video WORLD FIRST CLEAR (DRK POV) click here for the video WORLD FIRST CLEAR (NIN POV) click here for the video
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CURIOSITIES OF COSPLAY CHEZAH
Text and interview by A'onisya Dehf Photos by Von Koenigsmarck, MetalSpy, DiegoonNio, Mirella - Costume Design and Road N Troll Layout by Lolae Demort
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The actual game of Final Fantasy XIV is only part of why many of us love playing. XIV inspires not only the imaginations of its creatively minded players, but builds the foundation for all the talented communities which these artists call home as well. Whether it’s friends encouraging each other or insanely passionate creators pooling their talents, XIV players produce stunning works of art in writing, screenshots, illustrations, merchandise, and cosplays that would never have come into being otherwise. Chezah, possibly one of
the most recognizable cosplayers in the FFXIV community, attests to that fact herself. To consider cosplay as a means of connection not only to other cosplayers but the XIV community as a whole, to express joy for a game we all love, and to encourage each other to pursue our own creative expressions of that joy, has clearly been a pursuit of Chezah’s ever since she started sharing her work online. So create, XIV players, and keep creating, and if you need some inspiration, read on for my interview with the lovely Chezah first!
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Tell us a bit about your background. Your online presence with cosplay only goes back to 2015, but I imagine you were cosplaying - or at least had an interest in it - before that. Did you study costuming in university? No, I did not study costuming or fashion design. I have always been interested in dressing up, going back to kindergarten and primary school where my mom made the costumes for me. My first real cosplay, though, was in 2012 for my first convention. I then took a break because school took up a lot of time, but after I graduated I started cosplaying again while I lived in America, and started using social media in 2015 to share my work. If FFXIV players weren’t familiar with your work after your red mage costume in 2017, they absolutely were after you crafted Yoshi-P’s gunbreaker costume for the 2019 EU FanFest. When did Square Enix approach you about commissioning the costume? Square Enix approached me right after Gamescom 2018 and asked if I ever made commissions, which I only did for close friends. For further discussions I had to sign an NDA, of course. You mentioned in your interview with MogTalk that, aside from occasional costumes for friends, you hadn’t previously created a cosplay as a commission for someone else. I have to imagine the pressure knowing you could create a costume for Yoshi-P himself was incredible. Did you have to take time to think over the offer before accepting? I was super excited but also extremely nervous when Square Enix told me that he was going to wear the costume. And that was minutes before they showed me the design during the meeting 120
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back in September. When I first saw it they gave me a few minutes to think about it and then asked if I was interested and ready to do this. How could I turn down such an offer? You also talked about having to remake the jacket and the complexity of 3D printing the gun. Was there ever a point you worried about the final product, or did you just keep your head down and trust your process? Did you have to change how you normally approach making costumes for yourself? Not really, no. There were parts I have never really made before so I took some extra time and care to build them aside from the Gunblade. I always got very positive feedback from Yoshida and the team so that kept me very motivated! Final Fantasy costumes are notoriously complex (sometimes nonsensically so); every cosplayer I’ve talked to has a different method of translating the designs they see on paper to a wearable, physical product. With the Gunbreaker, I imagine you were expected to be onthe-nose accurate to the 3D model design. What parts were particularly challenging to interpret physically? I actually got a ton of pictures and several different references for the Gunbreaker. And since I’m a perfectionist when it comes to cosplay I obviously made it as perfect as possible. Of course I had to keep Yoshida’s measurements in mind. There were some parts in the design that required me to bring in my own style. And yes, I was allowed to do it as long as it works with the rest of the design. My first problem was the bullet belt on the left side. Since it was 3D printed it had quite some weight to it so I sewed velcro directly to the coat and then the counterpart onto parts of the bullet belt. It was the easiest way to attach and detach it without it breaking or damaging the coat.
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After all the work of building gunbreaker, how did you feel when you finally presented the costume to Square Enix and saw Yoshi-P wearing it? I was really nervous. I remember waiting in the meeting room with all the cosplay parts on a big table, and then Ayumi came in along with Toshio and some others from the team. They were looking at every part and detail and were actually surprised by how lightweight the armor was. They were more than happy with it. After I showed them everything Yoshida came in and it went so quick. I had to dress him, they took pictures, and then it was over. That was a couple days prior to the main presentation. When he stepped out on stage, all eyes on him, thousands of people watching him live and on stream I just started crying and cheering very loudly because that was the most important part and the point where it was basically over. It sounds sad, but it wasn’t at that time because I was just so relieved that they loved the Gunbreaker and that everything went so smoothly. The people sitting next to me at that time didn’t even know what was going on with me until the next day. You’ve mentioned that your Final Fantasy 4 dragoon cosplay back in 2016 was your first time building armor. What pushed you to tackle armor with such complex shapes, colors, and details for your very first armor cosplay? Ever since I saw that armor I knew I wanted to make that. I fell in love with the colors and shapes. Of course I watched a ton of tutorials on how to start with armor, what the best tools are, and what materials I can use. It was a nice challenge and I learned a lot for my future builds while making it. I was very happy about it at that time (and I still am), but with the skills I gained over the years
I look back at it and want to redo certain parts. Maybe someday when I’m not drowning in my super long cosplay list. With the frequency at which you’ve finished costumes over the last year - gunbreaker, Y’shtola, Exarch, and Darklander - how do you approach managing several complicated costumes simultaneously? Oh, that’s easy! Depending on what I start with, let’s say an armor, I work on it until I literally can’t see it anymore and then just switch to sewing. But sometimes I take longer breaks and work on fabric parts during the day and then work on armor and accessories during the evening. I just love to work on cosplay. I imagine being able to switch focus to different parts of costumes helps you look at each piece with a fresh eye. How do you manage to not push yourself too hard on your projects? That’s a very good question. I sometimes don’t even notice myself that I’m working until late at night and then have some friends yelling at me to go to bed. I also like to test my limits and see how far I can go without actually burning out myself and still have fun crafting costumes. Over the years I kind of got a feeling when it gets too much and when I should stop. You’re very open about the sheer amount of work that goes into your builds, and that dedication and time are what truly define having “talent.” Do you believe talent has any innateness at all, or is it purely the willingness to dedicate vast amounts of time to a discipline? I do think you can be born with a certain talent. I don't consider myself to be talented, though. 123
I am just hardworking and pour hours into my cosplays like so many other cosplayers, too. So yes, in my opinion it is the willingness to dedicate our time into our craft to create amazing cosplays. While tutorials and research are key to learning new skills and tools, there’s also a certain amount of experience and know-how to translate that knowledge to the project you’re working on. How much does trial and error vs. research factor into your process? I think it is more tutorial based learning when you get started with cosplay, and then you use everything you learned from those videos or written tutorials on your cosplays. Once you have a basic understanding, you work smoother, quicker, and much safer. Since there isn’t a tutorial for everything on the internet, you will later have to try out different techniques and maybe discover something new. Can you remember any specific instances where you had to try several techniques or attempt something new to achieve the final product? Thinking back to when I made Zenos, which was the most challenging next to the Gunbreaker, I had a hard time making the Gun barrel or as I call it the “spinny boy.” It spins ingame so I obviously wanted to make it spin in real life, too. How do I do this? I watched a lot of videos and spent quite some time at the hardware store figuring out a technique and how to make it as lightweight as possible. In the end, I ordered an aluminum ball bearing and built the rest of the weapon around it. Just from scrolling on your Instagram, it’s obvious you put a lot of time and care into the shoots for your costumes. What pushed you to enhance your photoshoots with thematic locations? 124
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I talk to photographers beforehand and we both look for if we can find a location or just shoot in a photo studio. The location for the Red Mage was the photographer’s idea. We also want to bring the character to life as good as possible so those thematic locations are just perfect for it! Once you scout a location, how do you go about planning a photoshoot? Do you already have a good idea what shots you and your photographer want, or do you improvise during the shoot? I sit down with the photographer and send him in game references, trailers, or videos. Then we talk about what is possible and what is not. We do improvise a few things when either of us has an idea. It is always a lot of fun, too. Are you ever concerned viewers might overlook the detail and craftsmanship of your costumes while looking at a more stylized photo? Yes. I am weak for details that I can spend hours over hours making them even if they're hidden, like parts of Zenos’ shoulder armor. It is a curse and a blessing at the same time. When I’m at a photoshoot I ask if the photographer can take close ups of certain pieces, like I did in 2018 with Zenos’ armor where I posted details before sharing the full picture.
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Is that one reason you frequently post WIP and finished build pictures on Instagram and Twitter? So people can see all the detailing and work without any sort of distractions and filters?
and Assassin’s Creed, just to name a few. Do you see yourself continuing to focus on Final Fantasy XIV cosplays for awhile, or are you itching to shake up your roster soon?
Exactly! I like to take them with my phone, too, with no filters or anything else.
I will never stop making Final Fantasy XIV cosplays but I will dive into other games. I had my eyes on a few Monster Hunter World costumes, so maybe you will see some in the future.
There are tons of cosplay makeup tests on your Instagram, such as make-up for Kefka, a styled Aymeric wig, and an Y’shtola wig and ears, some of which have led to full cosplays. Are makeup tests a way for you to explore which costumes you want to fully commit to? On the one hand they are just for fun and to practice my skills; on the other hand I like to see how close to the original I can get with “just” makeup. I also look into all the details of that character to get a plan where to start and how to build certain parts. Sometimes this is the point where I say no to that project since I like to challenge myself. This doesn’t count for all of them, though. Another important aspect is if the character is new or not. So going with the newest expansion/patch is relevant to me, too. Given the wide array of your costumes, what draws you to particular characters? Is it something in their physical design that catches your attention, or does the character’s personality play a large role? It is actually both. Sometimes I just like the character, and when the design fits, too, I go for it. Lyse, for example, I only decided to make to have a nice summer cosplay in between all this full body armor. You’ve showcased a variety of costumes - Aranea Highwind, Spider-Gwen, Samus,
For independent artists, creating for yourself and creating for your followers is a thin line to walk, especially with social media and their ever-changing algorithms playing such a key role in building an audience. Do you find yourself negotiating between projects that you personally want to pursue, and ones you think will appeal to your followers? If so, how? Since most of my followers like FFXIV or know me because of my FFXIV cosplays, they pretty much support me with every decision, which makes it easier for me to actually choose my cosplays. I sometimes do polls on my social media and let my followers choose from a handful of cosplays. A lot of artists struggle with social media, so it’s super important to retweet/share their work. For someone who takes such pride in every detail of their costumes, one would think the affirmation of winning competitions is your focus, but you emphasize that they're only a footnote in the narrative of your work. Instead, you focus on connecting with other cosplayers and people who enjoy what you create. Was connecting with others through cosplay always important? To be honest I would have never in my life expected to play such a big part in the Final Fantasy XIV community. So, yes, it has changed the way I look 127
at cosplay and why I do it. The fun part never changed, though. Cosplay is about having fun and it should always be one of the top reasons even if you do it as a business. I never regretted being public about my process or cosplay in general since that is basically what I wanted to do in the first place - share my work with others. You joined The Wandering Unity, a collaborative group that strives to bring FFXIV creators and fans together, back in August 2018, and you’re an admin there now. Has working with TWU changed your connection to the FFXIV community at all? At what point did you realize your FFXIV friends were more like family than just fans and peers and you wanted to interact more closely with them? Yes, joining The Wandering Unity and being an admin there now has changed my connection to the community just a bit. I always say, if anyone has questions or concerns or just wants to say something they can always message me privately or comment under a post of mine. Though not everyone is comfortable with direct messages. On the other hand there are people who prefer to talk privately. TWU is a better way to connect directly and interact with way more people at the same time. 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? I am a female Miqo’te (Seeker of the Sun) and have been playing Bard for years which has been my main since I started playing, but I changed to Gunbreaker now due to changes in our static. It is something completely new to actually seriously raid as a tank. It takes up most of my time online when I’m not busy leveling other classes or taking screenshots. Thank you so much for taking the time to share more about yourself and your 128
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cosplays with Aetherflow! Where can our readers find you online if they’d like to see more of your work? Thank you for reaching out to me! They can find me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and Patreon.
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TEXT BY VEDERAH KILMISTER - IMAGES BY VEDERAH KILMISTER AND ISSIE VERITY LAYOUT BY ARYA ROSE
Alternative Outfits for the Scions
It is no news to anyone that Tataru Taru is by far the most established fashion designer in all of Eorzea. She’s bigger than Louis Vuitton; bigger than Vera Wang… and yet smaller at the same time because, you know- lalafell.
I know what you must be thinking, “Wait, what about Redolent Rose?” You and I both know that Redolent Rose is also Masked Rose in Gold Saucer and we’ve all seen the strange monstrosities that he’s dubbed fashionable. Plus he doesn’t have quite the same caliber of clientele; only Tataru has had the extreme honor of ever dressing the scions. That is, until right now. Here we’re going to explore the evolution of the wardrobe of our beloved Scions, and toy around with options of where we could see them going from here. While I’ll never claim to be as talented or established as Tataru, I’d settle with at least being the K-mart knock off equivalent.
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Alphinaud Say what you will about Alphinaud, but I have a vast amount of respect for a guy who rocks the look of androgyny. Through the years he’s walked with an air of confidence about him while wearing mini tunics that matched with his sister - a feat I imagine being quite difficult in thigh-high boots with what looks to be little rocket boosters on the back of their heels. Jet off to the Heavensward expansion and we see that Tataru has transformed his look into a sleek, long jacket with a tie, showcasing his maturity and intellect. It’s not ‘til Shadowbringers that we see his iconic tunic make a return with far more metallic, ornamental details than we’ve ever seen Alphinaud wear before. However, throughout each transition of his attire, we see the same color story of blue, black, and white. The twins’ outfit progression is one I found to be very natural and akin to our own progress through the game. We start very basic and minimal, using fabrics that don’t seem very luxe. As we get more powerful, we start seeing a stylistic shift with more accessories and innovative-looking details. Alphinaud’s looks followed that same trajectory, but it was touch and go for a moment there. When we first locate him on the First, Alphinaud looks a bit worse for wear. And by that, I actually mean he looks like a mismatched hobo; whom I definitely didn’t hesitate to tell he stunk when I was given that option upon the initial entry to Eulmore. I suppose all that time without Tataru’s and my own guidance could be to blame. Anyways… Needless to say, when Lady Chai made comments about wanting to change Alphinaud’s look up a bit I gave an audible sigh of relief. And that cutscene where there were multiple angles showcasing his new look? That Meryl Streep gif with her cheering in the audience? That was actually me at my computer yelling, “Work it, Alphinaud!” with such pride. Yet, the whole thing left me with a spark of curiosity. Don’t get me wrong, his new look is excellent… but what if Alphinaud had a real, legit painter glamour as well? After all, who in their right mind wants to paint in the same gear that they battle sin eaters in? Painters don’t need shoulder guards, they need floppy berets, okay?
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Alisaie Being the spunkier of the two Leveilleurs, Alisaie’s glamours from Heavensward on have always felt a bit more cutting edge, quite literally. Her evolution from those rocket boots was moving to a pair of thigh highs with what looks to be ice skate blades on the bottom. While it’s environmentally fitting since we spent a lot of time in snowy landscapes that expansion, it never stopped me from praying for her ankles every time she made an appearance in a cutscene. Jokes aside, what truly made her glamours so innovative, when compared to the rest of the scions, was the jacket from that same expansion. That uniquely folded and belted neckline was ahead of its time, and added enough volume to perfectly balance the draping at her waist. Also note, it was this piece that also steered her into an entirely different color palette than she shared previously with her brother. A rich, blood red and a neutral peach tone were introduced to her wardrobe- a welcome addition when SE could’ve just gone the stereotypical route of “pink” to establish that she was a girl. Because pInK iS a GiRl CoLoR. Where we lost a bit of v’s chic, cutting edge fashion was here in Shadowbringers. While I liked her outfit, I found it to be a bit uninspired since the top was only a moderately changed version of the Chivalric Doublet of Casting. Is it a cool top? Yes. Would I myself wear a wool bolero jacket while living in the desert of Amh Araeng? Maybe, but I’m also excessively high maintenance so I don’t really count. I wanted to bring her back into a sleek, stylish jacket with eye-catching details paired with more suitable footwear for mobility. Homegirl does NOT need to be performing Displacement in anything other than a sturdy, flat boot.
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Urianger Let me begin with an apology. I completely and utterly forgot the one time prior to this expansion that Urianger changed his outfit. All this time his glow up was happening right before my very eyes, and I didn’t even acknowledge it. During the “Soul Surrender” storyline, he decided to leave his dusty robes back in the Waking Sands and sported a grey adaptation of the Orthodox Robe of Casting. Yet still, he was not acknowledged. This explains so much why, after explaining umbral light and darkness to us and how pivotal they were, he had to stop and ask us what we thought of his appearance. He wanted us to acknowledge how glamourous he became. HE WANTED TO BE KNOWN FOR MORE THAN HIS CONFUSINGLY BEAUTIFUL WORDS. After years of living in Thancred’s shadow, he just wants to have his time in the sexy spot light.
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I know it wasn’t a response option, but I definitely did a custom “tearing up” emote and said, “I’m so proud of you.” There never will be a more beautiful “rags to rich-looking” story than that of Urianger. You hear that, Cinderella? Bugger off. This handsome elezen went from wearing a literal, ill-fitting popoto sack to beautifully draped silk garnished with gold and rubies. Whoever his fairy-glam-mother is, she certainly did a stunning job. (PLOT TWIST- Maybe it was me!) Perhaps now that Urianger has dipped his toes into the wonderful world of glamour he free to throw wide the gates! Why stop at jewelry when you can do fur AND jewelry? Why not also grow your hair out a little and become the male fashion icon Eorzea didn’t know it so desperately needed? Who was Thancred again?
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Y'shtola Incoming Aristocats reference, but Y’shtola is the only cat who knows where it’s at. The only thing that has ever been more on point than her wit and snappy sarcasm is her style. I adored her drop-waist tunic and leggings combination in ARR for how simple and low maintenance it was; (I mean there was the chunky neck accessory and funky shoesbut hey, conceptually it was simple.) By Heavensward, we saw her look evolve into something a bit more tailored and form fitting. The A-line structure is still classic, but amplified by pleated details and an occasional bow. Of all the renditions of any of the Scion’s outfits this was my favorite. So much, in fact, that it was the only outfit of theirs I’ve ever purchased from the Mogstation. Just when we thought that Y’shtola was at her peak of fashion she floored us all when she made her grand entrance in the Rak’tika Greatwood. She not only updated
her job description on her resume, but she also traded in those sleek robes for an elegantly distressed look. Who could even think about those crisp, white pleats of yonder years when we have the beautiful, yet crudely constructed and tiered pleating? No one. You may think you can, but you’re lying to yourself. She started as just a scion, but on the first Y’shtola managed to style herself as an iconic witch of a wildwood. And honestly I wouldn’t change a thing. Y’shtola’s glam is as perfect as perfect gets. However, that’d totally defeat the purpose of this whole article. Sooo…. Perhaps we could take her new-found edginess and bring back a bit of that structure from Heavensward? Kick some of those frayed hemlines, yet keep fur along the neckline. Basically let’s balance out her white mage and black mage looks so much that she turns into a red mage next.
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Thancred Ah, yes. The quintessential charming, yet rough around the edges “bad boy.” Thancred has been “swoon worthy” as long as I can remember, no matter what he was wearing. Whether it was layered shirts or a scrap of fabric acting as an eyepatch his rugged style was appealing to practically everyone, not just those who shared the same adventurous lifestyle. Fellow AFM staffer Niamh summed up Thancred’s transition perfectly- he went from a clean cut baby to a depressed hobo, then found his way back to a happy medium just in time for Shadowbringers. His overall look, while keeping to similar neutral color schemes, is more matured. More heavily armoured, cause yeah there’s the whole, “he’s a tank,” thing now but maybe he’s actually more armoured to protect himself from all the feels he’d be having this expansion! For his glamour, I chose to mature him just a hair more. While I love his edgy coat and six-pack protecting chest guard, I felt like maybe he was drawing the female gaze still just a bit too much. He can’t be doing that all the time anymore. He’s got responsibilities now, guys. He’s not just Thancred anymore….
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He’s Dadcred. Which, you know what? Yeah that last glam was great and totally Thancred-y. But even it draws too much attention to how much of a looker he is. Can you imagine what that must be like for Ryne? Trying to be like a normal kid when we aren’t off trying to save the world; trying to make friends with other girls her age? But she can’t because all those girls are focused on how hot he is? No, Ryne. Don’t you worry. I’ve got your back. Now that he’s your #Dadcred, we’re going to make him look the part. Only tradeoff is you better be home by 9 from here on out, otherwise your linkpearl is probably going to be taken away. That’s more like it! Welcome to fatherhood, sir! Embrace the uncomfortable sensation of your socks and sandals combo like all the dads before you. Relax on the couch and pass out while watching golf on a Sunday afternoonyou deserve it! Soon he’ll even discover that all his best ideas will come to him while he’s going to the bathroom. Actually... apologies Ryne. I may have just created a monster. Never bring a boy home, because I’m pretty sure Dadcred will have a gunblade ready to meet him… Until next time, friends! Stay original, and stay glamourous. XOX
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FAN ART ᄒan ᆃၰt
ᆈeဃture FEATURE TOY KNIGHT
INTERVIEW BY TETEMUI TEMUI | ARTWORK BY TOY KNIGHt | LAYOUT BY LOLAE DEMORT 152
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Please introduce yourself! What is your name? My IGN is Toy Knight, and everyone just calls me Toy. It was originally a joke name for my Lalafell paladin, but it stuck! I'm 24 years old and currently living in NY. By day I do graphic design for a promotional products company, and by night I enjoy playing my black mage, on Famfrit server. I only play with this one character, as I don’t really have the patience to level up more for the RP scene, but my Free Company has more than enough alts to make up for it! How did you first discover Final Fantasy 14? My boyfriend and I were looking for a new game to sink our teeth into after Aion went free to play. Tera Online had also begun to decline in quality, so we turned to Final Fantasy as we couldn't see ourselves enjoying the style of WoW. We jumped in at the release of ARR and haven't looked back since! How does FFXIV differ from other MMOs? I’ve been playing MMOs since I was ten. My brother got me into them. I recall Flyff being the first MMO I ever played! Compared to other MMOs, FFXIV has really blown me away in terms of story and graphics. I used to play heavily anime inspired ones (such as Flyff, Tales of Pirates, Aura Kingdom, etc.) and while they had very flashy costumes, they were overall weak – kind of cash grabby games that failed pretty fast. FFXIV has a much better polish, and a cash shop that I feel is balanced. The reliable content schedule is incredibly nice
for someone who can't afford to play 24/7, and overall it just feels like a game that has a lot of love behind it. Is there something from FFXIV you find particularly challenging to draw? I find Roes to be the most challenging to draw because of their facial structure. Armor is always a challenge because even the simplest of outfits have a million little details. Don’t get me wrong, I love the little details, but sometimes they drive me crazy! Your art has a very distinct, almost anime-type feel to it. Are you inspired by manga or anime? For sure! I love the painterly style of WLOP's work, and I am heavily inspired by Artgerm. I definitely grew up drawing tons and tons of anime-inspired images, so that's a heavy influence that will probably never leave me. Every Saturday morning was Pokémon and Zoids, and at night it would be Inuyasha. I don't get to watch as much these days, but I do try to catch the highlights of the seasons. As far as FFXIV art influences, I recently joined Instagram and have been connecting with the #ffxivart community, and they're absolutely incredible. @nelizahsison_art and @vito_vivodka are always an inspiration with their color choice and attention to detail! You work as a graphic designer. Has pursuing an art-related job always been your dream? Art has always been a passion of mine ever since I was a kid. In college, I took some courses focusing on new media and the
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complete Adobe Suite. This is actually how I ultimately landed my first job out of college. To be honest though, there isn't too much creativity in my particular role because it's mostly formatting other people's artwork and making sure the specs are correct for printing. When I design at work, I have to meet the clients' needs so being able to come home and draw anything I want is so refreshing! Are you kind of disappointed that your job is less creative, or did you anticipate this? It’s a great job and and I love working in the design industry, but I don't think it's the right job for me. I’m looking to transition fields entirely so I’m currently pursuing a masters degree in accounting while continuing to work. Art is definitely a passion and the commission work I do for the community is more than enough to release my creative energy. I'm blown away by the enthusiasm of everyone and the care that’s put in their characters. Being a part of bringing them to life is incredible! Professionally though, I’d like to do something completely different.
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Llymlaen's Locales TEXT BY ADATAR KORGEAN - PHOTOS BY LAELE NORA - LAYOUT BY ARYA ROSE
Lali-ho fellow Warriors of Light/Dark! We have been busy bringing darkness back to the lands of Norvrandt, also known as The First, an exotic and dangerous world we were called to. During this journey, we have seen towering cities at the depths of the oceans, great forests, and arid deserts. As we explore the lands of the First there may be mentions of potential story spoilers, let this be your warning! These sites can be breathtaking if you know where to look and I am here to showcase some of those sights, so come along Warrior of Darkness, as we dive into the lands of the First.
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Lakeland We start where we awoke on the First, Lakeland. Rich, lush, vibrant Lakeland is a land of beauty and danger. Lakeland gets its designation from The Source, a lake that this tree and aether rich land sit next to. Ruins of previous settlements dot the land and the residents of Lakeland have done their best to make a home where they can in places like Sullen, Fort Jobb, and The Ostall Imperative. During our traversing of Lakeland, word reaches that the Sin Eaters attacked in force and one of the Lightwardens is hiding out in the once tranquil village of Holminster Switch, one of the first dungeons we are introduced on The First. When night is returned, Lakeland is even more beautiful. The stars shine through the night sky and the Crystal Tower can be seen as a bright, shining beacon of hope across the ruinous wasteland. Next, we will try not to lose our way as we head into the mountains and the land of the Fae in Il Mheg.
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Il Mheg As we head out of northern Lakeland we enter into the mountains and the land of Il Mheg. Previously a stronghold for men, once the flood of light hit the land was evacuated the land was taken over by the Fae folk, namely the playful and mischievous Pixies. If you thought Lakeland was a colorful place, Il Mheg is a full artist’s palette of color. Vibrant, almost joyful in the look and feel, it is no wonder why the Pixies chose this location. It is here, deep in his books, that we can find our riddle-speaking Elezen friend Urianger. Smack in the middle of the beautiful crystal clear waters of Longmirror Lake is Mithai Glorianda and the gorgeous castle, Lyhe Ghiah, that is home to the Fairy King Titania. Those crystalline waters of the lake are not without their danger, however; the lake is home to the water-bound Fuath. The Fuath hold a key piece to unlocking the castle and you'll dive into the depths of Dohn Mheg to entertain them to retrieve it. Don't let the watery depths keep you down, though! You'll be dry enough in our next zone as we make our way to Amh Araeng.
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Amh Araeng Arid, hot and the edge of the world. Amh Araeng is a desert filled with ruins of a past technology, dangers around every corner, and the stop of the flood of light. Amh Araeng is a desolate land, but within that desolation is a calmness that betrays the pain and terror that once held the citizens of this land captive as the flood closed in. Once the Talos is reactivated the railway is open and we can venture to Malikah's Well. The once-great well that offered its cool waters to stave off the heat of the desert is now a dried up excavation site fallen to the Sin Eaters. Along with Malikah's Well, it is worth it to take the solemn trip to Nabaath Areng. This is a place of great reverence. It is the last stand of Minfilia, the place that she stopped the Flood of Light from overwhelming the world. The destruction here can be breathtaking, the flood frozen in time, ruins of buildings and civilizations can be seen stuck there forever. The sight is breathtaking, a constant reminder of the horrors of calamity brought on by the original Warriors of Light, though this was done through deception. For our last stop, we reach out to the great tower.
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Crystarium The Crystal Tower, also known as the center of the Crystarium. One of the last major bastions on the First, the Crystarium is home to many of the wartorn denizens. The rule of the Crystarium is simple: everyone helps, everyone pitches in. Life is hard enough in the lands of the First, the Crystal Tower is seen as a pillar of hope to those who seek solace in the beautiful domes and high arching bridges. The quiet libraries hold the stories of the past, and maybe guides for the future. Crystarium is the name of the town that has sprung up around the Cyrstal Tower since its sudden appearance in Lakeland; and those that flock there take solace in its safety, maintained by the captain of the Defensive Guard, our Viis friend, Lyna. My favorite place in all of the Crystal Tower though is Crystal Exarch's inner sanctum. Quiet, beautiful, a place of solace and reflection, and the link to our shard.
The first half of our Norvrandt world tour is wrapping up! This has just been a snapshot of some of the amazing sights that can be found in the shard of the First. Get out there and explore, take the time to seek out some of the amazing views and see what you can find.
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G U I D I N G T H E C O M M U N I T H E
P E O P L E
B E H I N D
T H E
R E S O U R C E S
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G U I D E S
O F
Interview BY Rymmrael Bhaldraelwyn | photos BY LEVY BLOSSOM | layout by Arya Rose
SHEI CLOUDBANK (YOUTUBER AND GUIDE-MAKER)
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ritten guides are hugely useful, I've read more than I could ever count over the years I've spent gaming, but sometimes there's just no substitute for seeing it done with your own eyes while someone talks you through it. At times like these we thank the Light (or Darkness, depending on where you are in the MSQ) for people like Shei Cloudbank. For the last several months she's been churning out one video after another, demystifying the secrets of the convoluted system that is housing in Final Fantasy XIV. Housing was added to our game in Patch 2.1, back in 2013. Since that time, many players have had a love-hate relationship with the feature. Houses and furniture are beautiful and can be an incredibly fun activity, great for expressing your creativity. On the other hand the system, from the house shortages to the low item caps, can also be unbelievably frustrating as well. While there has been progress made toward making it more player friendly, it remains rigid in its core limitations, especially on item placement. This is where the “housing glitches” and people like Shei come in. Starting with a step by step video guide on floating furnishings (demonstrating how to, for example, put a non-tabletop item on a Troupe Stage), she didn't stop there. Not by a long shot. Shei has also put out dozens of more videos on her YouTube channel, explaining everything from the various floating methods to breaking down some of the fantastic combinations of in-game furniture that allow players to create their own refrigerators, toilets, recessed windows, and more. She even takes requests on which combos she explains in her videos. And Youtube isn’t her only format for disseminating her housing know-how. Shei and her contributors have compiled a comprehensive spreadsheet of all in-game furnishings and which technique is required to float them. Indoor or outdoor, she can show you how to glitch anything anywhere. Now I know that some people might balk at the word "glitch," and not without reason, but trust me when I say that these harmless bugs are not going to earn your account a ban. The developers have shown no interest in punishing anyone who utilizes the techniques Shei demonstrates in her videos. They've even chosen some players who did so as winners for their interior design contests. You can get as crazy with them as you want without fear of the banhammer.
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"I did some very casual playing of the SIMS, and spent a considerable of time just building houses and layouts."
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We sat down together for an interview and it was clear from the get-go that her number one priority was sharing her passion and knowledge with the rest of the FFXIV community. An extremely humble person, she also stressed that she wanted to give credit where credit was due to all of the other housing enthusiasts who have helped her along the way.
So how did you get started in FFXIV? I actually got started on FFXIV because I played previous Final Fantasy titles like FFX, FFXII, FFXIII and really enjoyed them. FFXV hadn't come out yet, and I was looking for another RPG to play while I waited and picked up the game nearly 3 years ago. It was my first MMO experience, but I mostly played solo just to enjoy the game like the previous Final Fantasy titles. Was there anything about the game that really drew you to it or just because it was part of the franchise? I picked up the game mostly because it was part of the Final Fantasy franchise. How did you first get interested in the housing aspect of the game? I first got interested in housing because of an FC mate when I was on the Behemoth server. He showed me this forum where players in FFXIV put together these really neat ideas for housing. I wasn't aware housing was a thing in FFXIV up to this point. My interest really peaked because formerly, I did some very casual playing of the SIMS (the original game), and spent a considerable [amount] of time just building houses and layouts. The FC mate was kind enough to give me decorating permissions to move things around in his FC house and it just took off from there.
Was SIMS the only game you played prior to this one that had any sort of housing feature? Yes, the SIMS was the only game I played previously that had a housing feature. When and why did you decide to start working on guides for housing? I remember when a designer from Ultros by the name of Alice Lucis Caelum, posted a video of how to float a Troupe Stage over a window. There was no voice direction, only a text direction, and up to this point, FFXIV only had the floating tabletop items and wall mounted items glitch. The floating a Troupe Stage above a window was an admittedly very finicky and very difficult glitch. I re-watched the video dozens of times, read the video description, scoured through the comments for help, but no immediate help was present. So I kept at it until I finally was able to do it after trying for a solid 4 hours. I nearly leapt out of my chair and hit my head on my ceiling when I was finally able to do it. Then a few months later, a huge buzz erupted on one of the housing discords I'm a part of. A Japanese player, Laduga Earhart on YouTube, had posted a video of how to float GROUND furnishings. Naturally this was blowing everyone's mind, since we've never had access to this technique or kind of information before.
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A kind translator, by the name of Mercy, translated the Japanese video into English directions so I naturally had to give it a try. After some haphazard attempts, I finally managed to get it to work, but as I looked back at the forums and discords, my fellow housing enthusiasts were really struggling with this glitch and that's when I realized text directions simply weren't enough. No one was taking the bold step to be a guide, so I decided to take the initiative to make what was one of my very first housing guide videos and the video spread like crazy and was getting shared everywhere, but people were still having problems with it. Mercy and I teamed up and we set out to fully break down the glitch and comprehend how it worked since every piece of furniture seemed to behave differently. In fact, at the start, we thought at least half of the furnishings weren't viable to float. Coincidentally, this is how we also discovered how to float NPC's. Mercy really was a genius in this regard. Then I noticed a hodgepodge of posts things that could be floated, but there was no organization to it, and it was inconvenient to scroll through massive amounts of comments in the vain hope something could be floated so I took it upon myself to make a massive and very ambitious floating guide spreadsheet and later filmed more comprehensive video guides to help people that were struggling. I firmly believed everyone deserved the same opportunities with access to the same tools to make something amazing. So did you and Mercy collaborate on the project from the start? We collaborated on the housing spreadsheet and she helped me understand in-depth a lot about the glitch, but the choice to do videos and make them was my own. That being said, I couldn't have done it without her as she translated and helped me through the whole process. You started with basic floating glitch tutorials to producing videos on how to create some really amazing designs and reproducing real-world looks with the game’s fairly limited features, where do you draw those ideas from? Most of those ideas came from other housing enthusiasts and designers - whose fans would link me their work and 182
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ask me how something was done. I've gotten to know a handful of designers personally, and some of them are incredibly original and others draw inspiration from real life housing designs. If someone wants to submit something to you, a suggestion or a question of how to do a build, how is the best way to go about contacting you for that? If someone wants to submit something to me as a suggestion or a question on how to do a build, there are two ways to go about it. The best way is just to direct message me on discord, though I will always ask that the person submitting the request links the original designer or person who did it if it's a design-based build OR they can leave a suggestion in the YouTube comments on my channel and I'll write it down for later. Do you get a high volume of suggestions/ questions? I would say I get a high volume of questions asking how a particular glitch works, which is why I published the troubleshooting guide for frequently asked questions, but in terms of suggestions, no, I don't receive a high volume of those. What’s your process for deciding which combination or design to cover next? My process for deciding which combination or design to cover next is determined by popular demand. I lurk a lot on housing discords and forums and if I notice a
particular question getting asked repeatedly, I'll typically make a video of it since videos are easier to link and watch than sitting down and writing an essay about how to build something without any kind of visual help. Are there any particular Discords you'd like to suggest to fellow housing enthusiasts? I would recommend two. One is the Balance since it sees the most influx of visitors and it has a housing channel available for questions and quick help. The other is Fashion Decoration discord where it is a hyperactive community of housing enthusiasts where we exchange ideas and builds, encourage housing tours, post pictures of real life home builds for inspiration, post glitches and resource help, and has a much more in-depth appreciation for the housing side of the FFXIV community. Once you decide on what to cover, about how long does it take you produce a video; from planning it out to uploading it? In terms of actually producing a video, the most difficult part is actually the set up. Picking furnishing builds and making sure I have all the pieces together takes much longer than actually filming. Since I play on PS4, the SHARE options have made my life incredibly easy where I do the video all in one take, do some simple trimming in the Capture gallery and making sure the quality is acceptable, th[e]n upload it since 185
my PS4 can link automatically to YouTube without further hassle of worrying about microphone set ups, audio, video frame lag, etc. Typically actually filming the video only takes 5-10 minutes if less than that depending on the actual video length. So once you have an idea, either from suggestions or lurking, you do all of the planning and production yourself? Yes, everything is planned and produced by myself. Do you have any advice for housing enthusiasts who want to get started on more ambitious housing projects but may feel intimidated by the level of work that goes into some of these designs? My advice for fellow housing enthusiasts is to be very patient with yourself and never give up. I, myself, was at a lot of these glitches for several hours extending into days before I understood everything. The most important thing about making a build, is to have fun knowing that the end result will be incredibly satisfactory--but definitely to have a LOT of patience and don't be afraid to ask for help even if you think the question feels dumb. I promise we were all in the same boat as you, we all started not knowing anything about housing or even about how the housing HUD worked. If you ever feel intimidated, just ask some of your favorite housing designers for their starting work. None of us were that amazing overnight. It was a process of growth and learning and there are plenty of people out there willing to
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help you reach your goals and tap into your creative side! You have over forty amazing videos already on your YouTube channel already; any plans on slowing down or do you feel like you still have a lot to do? I actually wasn't planning on slowing down. If I'm being honest, I actually have a backlog of suggestions. Lately, I've run into some issues between balancing my commission design work and my tutorial videos, and of course some real life commitments. Designing houses takes a LOT of time I find, more than it did in the past, so I'll likely be closing commissions soon so I can continue to make tutorial videos to help my fellow designers and aspiring designers along the way. We'll see how everything works out. There's your YouTube channel and you've mentioned that you have Discord, but are there any other places on social media or otherwise that people can follow you or view your work? No, I usually only stick to Youtube and Discord. Occasionally, I'll post in the FFXIV Home and Garden subreddit. I used to have a Facebook, Twitter, and started a Tumblr, but there are too many social media platforms for me to keep up with on my own sadly. I wish I could be more spread out for availability, but I am only one person, and can get overwhelmed with keeping each platform updated. Was there anyone in particular you wanted to thank, and why is that? Yes, big shout out and thank you to
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Mercy, of course, and the other long list of contributors that can be viewed on my Ground Floating Guide spreadsheet. Ashen Bride for introducing me into more of the housing community, especially Fashion Decoration and additionally introducing me to a plethora of other designers, and of course my YouTube audience for helping me grow as a tutorial writer. Any housing enthusiasts are going to want to be sure to keep an eye on Shei and her numerous guides. Don’t forget that she takes suggestions and is more than willing to help out aspiring designers with their builds!
Shei Cloudbank#3245
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GG Gilsworth
Get GIL NOW for your adventuring duties! • Up to 5 Million Gil for your hard work* • Up to 5,000 Gil in bonuses** • No job or role restrictions!
Call now for a fast and free quote!
Call 1-800-NAMAZUDEAL * Forget about meddling with annoying gil-bots and getting in trouble. Payments will be delivered in coin by a Namazu waiting on a bridge specified. The adventurer is expected to take on any kind of duty provided at short notice, including washing bedlinen and defeating primals summoned by local beast tribes. Sum provided above is only an example and might differ when rewarded. All of our gil is acquired in the most honest way possible and most definitely not acquired through Lalafellin slavery. ** Bonus applies only to adventurers with both Warrior of Light and Warrior of Darkness status. 190
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No long queue s! Get yo ur GIL NO W!
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