Gulool Ja Ja's Legacy: A FFXIV DT Rewrite + Expansion Concepts [Fanfiction]

Ch13: Expansion Concept 10.0--The Six Calamities

The loss of the Allagan force prompted Xande to seek the forces of the void. So came the Cloud of Darkness to the Source. Bahamut was eventually slain, eyes still blue from the primal force compelling Bahamut to battle.

The Ascians made their move, seducing the three major tribes of Meracydia to summon the Warring Triad, and Tiamat to summon the primal Bahamut. All four were eventually trapped by the empowered Allagan Empire.

Of course, eventually, the Allagan Empire collapsed due to their reckless use of the Syrcus Tower. The ground beneath the tower gave way from the immense aether gathered for Allagan use, causing a chain reaction that set off the fourth umbral calamity. Once again, the ascians' plans had come to fruition.

"I don't understand," Deryk muttered, distraught at the twelve's failure to lead men on the correct path once again. "Azem. Why do you not act? We are unable to prevent the ascians' corruption of mankind. They have influence in the other shards! We are fighting a losing battle!"

Deryk was seemingly filled with despair.

The Warrior of Light felt sorrow at the necessary suffering that could not be changed.

"Do not lose hope, Deryk," the Warrior of Light answered. "The critical moment has yet to come. All is as it should be."

"All... is as it should be...?" Deryk widened his eyes, an epiphany entering his mind.

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The fifth zone-- the fourth astral era had arrived.

Ancient texts recorded little of this era. This era was filled with a shunning for knowledge. The reason for this was that the Allagan empire's maddening use of technology set fear in people's hearts. Many believed the world would be better off if no one sought such knowledge.

Unfortunately, this led to an age of stagnation. The lack of knowledge also was of no use against the ascians' manipulation.

The Warrior of Light and Deryk sat upon a fleet of ships led by Not-Merlwyb. The shunning of knowledge had led to chaos within the many societies of the world, giving rise to these pirates.

Not-Merlwyb's pirates constantly warred against other forces upon the seas. Then, there were certain land states that began to build their own forces to attack the fleets of pirates.

Eventually, the weather became increasingly cold, and the Warrior of Light knew that the fifth umbral calamity was impending.

Mountains and seas soon froze over in endless frost, wiping out the weak civilizations of this era.

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The sixth zone-- the fifth astral era had arrived.

This age was controlled by many magical societies. The Warrior of Light recalled details on the War of the Magi.

Most surprising to the Warrior of Light was the presence of Not-Nanamo. The previous incarnation of the lalafell ruler of Ul'dah was actually a user of black magic, slaying foes left and right with a single wave of her staff for the nation of Mhach.

As it is known, Nym and Mhach battled one another with increasing and excessive use of their black and white magic, disrupting the balance of Etheirys' ambient aether. This eventually caused an overabundance of residue water-aspected aether.

As the flood came, Not-Nanamo chose to fall with her nation.

"O Warrior of Light. I thought you weak, for you sought diplomacy between Nym and Mhach. Now I understand. If only I could roll back time and live a peaceful life, create a serene world for my people..." Those were Not-Nanamo's farewell before she was buried beneath the floodwaters-- the sixth umbral calamity.

The Warrior of Light and Deryk, instead, assisted many to escape. They now stood on the bow of the ship named Nyunkref's Hope as they sailed the waters to survive the flood, and save what lives they could.

Eventually, the waters receded and Nyunkref's Hope returned to solid ground close to Ala Ghiri.

"It is time that we part," the Warrior of Light said to Deryk. On Deryk's shoulder stood an opo-opo, rescued from the flood, now residing aboard the ship mired atop a rocky formation. Many other animals had also been saved to preserve their species. This specific opo-opo had taken a liking to Deryk, and was blessed with longevity by the disguised hyur himself. Deryk is one of the twelve, after all.

"This was all meant to happen, wasn't it?" Deryk smiled. He had come to accept the failure of the twelve to meaningfully impede the ascian's actions so far. The Warrior of Light, however, gave him hope. At a critical moment, the twelve and Hydaelyn would emerge victorious. As long as he knew that, he continued to have the will to put up the good fight. As long as he had the will, so too will the other eleven.

"May we meet again," the Warrior of Light nodded.

Years would pass, and finally, the Warrior of Light set eyes on the lands of Meracydia. It is said that Meracydia was turned into an uninhabitable land due to the Allagans' war against the landmass.

At a southern harbour, the Warrior of Light boarded an explorer's ship after signing a contract which stated that the company was not responsible for any travelers' deaths.

The Warrior of Light's eyes suddenly widened in surprise, recognizing a young Louisoux on the ship. So it was that these two would visit Meracydia, to learn of its current fate after the Allagans had flattened the continent.

Author's Note:

The aim of this expansion concept is to create a setting through which the lore of the many previous eras can be flushed out.

It should have a sort of 'final destination' vibe in which the Warrior of Light can never change the resulting calamity of each era.

I also included Deryk, because I thought the idea of the Warrior of Light, travelling through these past eras alongside Deryk would be quite interesting. This also allows the Warrior of Light to see how Hydaelyn and the twelve remain constantly a step behind the ascians' manipulation of mankind.

The presence of the Warrior of Light, however, gave Deryk continued faith in his mission.

I also attempted to include previous incarnations of characters that began in ARR, such as Kan-E-Senna, Nanamo, Merlwyb, Thordan. My goal was to create this idea that souls can sometimes learn from past lives after their reincarnation from the aetherial sea, representing a hope for growth beyond death.

Finally, the Warrior of Light would explore the continent of Meracydia with Louisoux. This idea occurred to me because I believe that getting to go on a journey with a young Louisoix could be compelling, since Louisoix kickstarted ARR. As a character, exploring his backstory and eventual relationships that led to Fourchenaut then Alphi and Alisaie should be interesting.

However, I have no plans to explore what a Meracydia expansion might look like-- there is basically zero information on the current state of Meracydia in-game, so I am unable to create anything substantive on the continent.