Final Fantasy XIV - Footfalls of the Traveler ((Story))

((Spoiler warning! Spoilers for Final Fantasy XIV go all the way from A Realm Reborn to Endwalker (and current patches as they release), so read at your own risk!

Disclaimer! For those that want to read but need some context, the game treats all players as the Warrior of Light. However when RPing with other players, the general rule is that no one is the Warrior of Light, and the PC is but an adventurer. Despite this, it is accepted that everyone has their personal head-canons, either embracing or eschewing the role of the WoL.

About this story: This is just a side project and my head-canon about my WoL. Just wanted to brainstorm and explore his backstory. I had some blanks to fill, but I’m doing my best to do as much research as possible. Had to make some assumptions about the timeline according to in-game, lore, and commonly accepted theories since there’s no concrete timeline given of how long each expansion is. I’ll also be doing my best with providing context and information where necessary

I’ll be using in-setting terms for measurements and what not, and some terms are more archaic, so helpful things to know (I’ll update this as I find more):

Hyur is the in-setting term for humans. Clarifying this here since there’s often going to be comparisons made to them.
Onze = ounce
Ponze = pound
Tonze = ton
Ilm = inch
Fulm = foot
Yalm = yard
Malm = mile
Machina = machines (though machines as a term may still be used)
Gaol = jail

I may or may not post some screenshots or art to go with this, but we’ll see. Just going to have some fun!))

Prologue


This place… what is this? Where… who… am I?

What appeared to be a deep sea in various shades of blue and purple stretched out to infinite ends. Serene and calming were its waves, and, though it was not an ocean in the traditional sense, bubbles were occasionally seen roiling up from below. Ghostly orbs of various coloured light would flit about, flickering in and out, but shining brilliantly all the same. His memory and thought was all but a faded tapestry, eroded, fractured: he was fractured. His identity, his very being was lost to him. Try as he might, he could not recall his life, who he was. Equally he did not know where he was, how he had come to be here.

Despite the various blanks, there was a lingering emotion within him, a desire, hope, a duty that was still present. There was also a tangible sorrow, but with it came a strong will and resolve. But now it did not matter; whatever his duty, his wishes were, he could not carry them out from here.

More of the glowing orbs came and went, just as energy fluctuated and flowed through this vast ocean. He, too, felt a pull to flow along with the other lights, but something stopped him. Some force held him tight, keeping him captive in the sea where all else was in motion around him. There was no indication of whether only a moment passed, or if it was an eternity where he was kept in place. Perhaps it mattered not. He abandoned the call of the flow, and embraced the hold upon him, coming to rest amongst the sea. There would only be sleep, and the calm embrace of the waves stretching out unto the boundless horizons. There was a small, but present ebb and flow, but ever did his place remain static while all else changed.

For a time untold, there was just the tranquility of the expanse, but then suddenly the hold that held him still let go and set him adrift. No, perhaps it was less the natural flow of the sea, and more of an active push. What began as a gentle wave grew stronger and gained traction in a single direction. As he was being ushered through the expanse, the sea grew darker before. Strangley the sea seemed more shallow, and there was a sensation of being carried to the shores.

Soon there was a cacophony of voices that came forth from the depths, but they were shades. A feeling of turmoil, and a contradictory feeling of hope welled up and overflowed with fragmented memories.

”What… cannot … end?”

“... what we must…”

“So many… be the…”

“Our… been forestalled.”

“... where… go… What other choice…”

“Then… our decision…”

More voices were still heard, but this time he felt a feeling of pride and purpose, of adventure, of anticipation of new sights.

”Your report… well done nonetheless”

“... eschew procedures…”

“... free spirited. … necessary attribute…”

“Bring… Seat of…”

“... great privilege… none more fitting…”

Then came a feeling of familiarity, camaraderie, loyalty, and fondness for dear friends. This time the voices came clearer than ever before.

”Must I be dragged into every trouble that you two are undoubtedly entangled in?” a complaintitive yet principled male voice spoke.

”Oh come now. If my eyes did not deceive me, I witnessed you answering our friend’s call with great haste. Try as I may to beat you, you’re too swift for me every time!” a softer male voice replied back with a smug playfulness.

The memory came and departed too quickly. Those voices, all of them, he knew them, but he could not remember from where, and from who.

Ever faster was he being pulled from the memories. In the darkness, he saw lights floating upwards. More and more they flitted about, and faster and faster, but perhaps it was he that was moving faster. Ahead was an orb of light that started to coalesce, but the velocity quickly picked up and ushered him forward unto the light. He instinctively covered his vision, but it was ineffective. His vision was filled with a blinding light before the darkness started to fade back in. Likewise the sounds of the sea and of the memories started to dissipate until there was naught but silence. Crystalline blue sparkles shone for a moment before his vision was consumed by the darkness.

In the depths, he heard one more voice, but it was not a memory. It was ethereal, yet clear, and it called to him. There was something about this voice, something strangely familiar to him. Her voice, her words, her gentle hold, they ushered him forward into the unknown.

“Well come and well met… My brave little spark…”

***

The sun had risen over the Azim Steppe. The skies were fair, and the clouds framed the horizon and the mountains. The Azim Steppe was known for many things, but perhaps it was best known for being the homeland of the Au Ra. The Au Ra were a civilized race, but they, unlike other Hyur-like races, were distinguished by their scales and tail, and horns that were in place of ears. Of the Au Ra, the dark-scaled Xaela were very much the predominant group in the Steppe, with scarcely a sight of the light-scaled Raen who were much more common in the rest of Othard and other lands beyond than their Xalea cousins. That was not to say that there were no Xaela outside of the steppe, but as a people, this was where they were most numerous. While not as common as other locales, there was the occasional foreigner that came to the steppe.

Yet another beautiful morning in the steppes of Othard.

A Viera man sat upon a rock near a yurt, holding a cup of warm tea in his hands as he admired the scenery. Ravenstar had his journal nearby to take more notes of his time in this foreign land, but he was reminded that some experiences are better lived in the moment rather than recorded. Ravenstar had been warned by his colleagues in Sharlayan of the dangers in the Azim Steppe, not only of its harsh climes, and flora and fauna, but with the often-warring tribes of the Xaela. He was not certain how intense the conflict would be when he had decided to travel to this land, but thankfully the skirmishes were not as widespread as he had thought, and there were enough peaceful tribes of which he could interact with. Granted, 'peaceful' was relative; were they put to the test, he would not doubt they would take up arms and defend themselves with their all.

One such tribe of the more amicable nature was the Kha, which he was staying with. Living on the fringes of the Azim Steppe, for better or for worse, also meant that they had more interaction with foreigners, and members of different races. Ravenstar thought he would have more questions about life in the Steppe, but they were just as equally curious about him. In part it was that the leporine Viera (men in particular) were not an everyday sight in this part of Othard, but the Kha were very inquisitive of outsiders and other races in particular; they were one of the few tribes in the Azim Steppe that took very well to cultural exchange. All the better for a friendly environment for Ravenstar to work in. His hosts had been very gracious to him in the past week, making sure he was comfortable and including him in their various day to day activities. As part of repaying their kindness, Ravenstar elected to help the Kha in their daily tasks, such as hunting, gathering, and running errands with them.

Normally in the morning, he would have his breakfast with his host family, but today he was respecting their privacy, for they were welcoming a new member to their tribe. Judging from the mewling and the quiet celebratory whispers he heard coming from the yurt some half a bell ago, he wagered the delivery went well. As Ravestar took another sip from his tea, a warm wind blew upwards and through the camp, rustling his forest green hair. He now spied some grayness to the clouds on the horizon. The unpredictability of the weather in the Steppe seemed to be showing itself, but for now it was more than agreeable.

Ravenstar's ears swiveled back. Someone exited the yurt and approached the Viera. It was a young Auri woman of light blue skin and black hair, and like most women of the Au Ra she was petite in stature. Her pink eyes with their vibrant blue limbal rings looked towards Ravenstar, to which she offered a smile.

“Our apologies for having you wait outside like this,” she said to Ravenstar.

The Viera shook his head and smiled back. “There’s naught to apologize for, Orbei,” Ravenstar replied. “This is an important moment for your family, and a stranger such as I would be a distraction. I take it mother and child are doing well?”

“Yes! My mother said both my aunt and new baby cousin are fine. Uncle asked me to take you inside, if you would like.”

“I’d be honoured to partake in the celebrations," Ravenstar said as he placed his journal in his satchel, and took his tea with him.

“Oh, let me take that,” Orbei said, taking the teacup from Ravenstar. “We will have fresh tea made.”

“You needn’t trouble yourself for me.”

“I insist! You’re a guest here,” she said with a smile as she led him into the yurt. The inside of the tent was adequately lit with lanterns, and there was a light scent of burning incense. Towards the back, he saw a group of Au Ra; a bed with a woman, their midwife, as well as a towering figure besides. The tall one, the Auri man of gray skin and black hair, looked at Ravenstar, and waved him over while Orbei went to brew more tea for those gathered there. Ravenstar looked to the midwife and Orbei’s mother, Doyi, who gave a nod of approval for him to approach the bedside while she continued with her work. He walked up and regarded the celebrating couple.

The new mother, Qatun, was of a similar size to Orbei. The father, Maqali, together with his wife, Orbei, and their midwife perfectly displayed the extreme sexual dimorphism of the Au Ra. The women were of a modest size averaging around five fulms, but the men were imposing to look upon with their larger horns and larger physique. It was not unusual for them to be closer to, or exceeding even, seven fulms in height. Maqali was of the latter, standing almost a fulm and a half over Ravenstar. Despite the size difference, the women were no less mighty and strong, and the men no less agile and swift.

“My congratulations to you, Qatun, Maqali,” Ravenstar said softly to them.

“Thank you, Ravenstar,” Maqali replied from his seat at the bedside. “We are thankful that Doyi and Orbei were on hand to help. By Doyi’s words and experience, there were no complications to be had.”

“I normally would tell visitors to refrain from visiting mother and infant so soon after birth, but Qatun and Maqali asked to make an exception for you,” Doyi, stated in a matter-of-factly manner. “You’ve been a gracious guest and with Qatun and her son hale and whole, I saw no reason to object.”

Qatun’s dark gray complexion shone with sweat, and her midnight blue hair was tied back to keep it out of the way, but her smile showed that she was at ease with her newborn son swaddled in her arms. “A trial I am proud to say I have met with success, with everyone’s help. And by Nhaama we are blessed with a healthy child. Would you like to meet him?”

Ravenstar nodded and got closer to the side of the bed. Qatun pulled aside part of the swaddle for the Viera to see. The infant had thunder gray skin, with a head of full violet hair. The child, being newly born, had very few scales, and his horns were mere nubs, but these features would grow more prominent as he got older. His eyes fluttered open, already displaying the blackish sclera that male Au Ra had. Like his parents, he had frosty blue irises, but unlike the Qatun’s white and Maqali’s yellow limbal rings, Jaou’s was an emerald green.

“A beautiful child,” Ravenstar said with some bewilderment.

“Your first time seeing a newborn?” Doyi asked Ravenstar.

The Viera nodded. “In Viera culture, the men only come to settlements for… specific reasons; it is not customary to be present for much else, and that includes childbirth. Even since leaving many years ago, and residing in Sharlayan, this is my first time seeing a fresh newborn.”

“Certainly sounds like a different life from us, but it does bring to mind two other tribes known for their segregation of males and females,” Qatun said. “I’m sure you know that we’re always interested in hearing more of your stories and experiences.”

“I’d be happy to share, as always,” Ravenstar said. He looked at the child again. “Do you have a name for him?”

Maqali seemed thoughtful for a moment, and looked to Qatun. “We were considering some names, but I believe we both agreed upon ‘Jaou.’”

“A good name,” Doyi said.

Ravenstar nodded. “A good name indeed.” The Viera’s ears flickered as he just realized something he had forgotten, and started to rifle through his bag.. “I thought to have a gift prepared, if you would like to accept on behalf of Jaou.” Ravenstar took out a talisman of green amber, pale purple jade, and silver charms, strung with dark brown knotwork. “Just a charm I picked up when I was in Yanxia. The artisan mentioned it was crafted for luck, good health, and success.”

Qatun smiled warmly and accepted the charm. “Such kindness, it would be remiss of us to deny it. Thank you, Ravenstar.”

“Yes, thank you for the gift and the good wishes,” Maqali also said, patting Ravenstar on the shoulder. “We hope he grows wise and strong.”

Orbei came with the freshly brewed tea, and passed the cups around. “Will you be staying for the feast, Ravenstar? It’ll be for when my aunt is recovered.”

“Yes, please join us!” Maqali exclaimed. “You’ve yet to taste some of our finest foods.”

Ravenstar smiled and nodded. “I am here for some more time. I’ll be happy to join, and if I may, help with getting the ingredients.”

“Of course, my friend!” Maqali chuckled. “Your skills in battle are much appreciated.”