A recap of...
Final Fantasy Xiv Shadowbringers
Shadowbringers occurs on the First, a parallel world split long ago from the Source, the original setting. Eons ago, Hydaelyn sundered the world to imprison Zodiark. The Ascians, Zodiark's immortal servants, trigger Calamities on the Source to "Rejoin" its Shards. They manipulated the First's heroes to destroy too much Darkness, creating a lethal excess of Light. This Flood of Light erased everything, and everyone, outside the continent of Norvrandt. Minfilia, the player's ally and Oracle of Light, sacrificed herself to halt the Flood during Heavensward. Survivors in the post-apocalypic world resist monstrous "sin eaters", which feed on the living, warping them into more sin eaters.
Norvrandt is Eorzea's mirror on the First, unaffected by the Source's Calamities. Central Lakeland hosts the Crystal Tower, which mysteriously appeared a century prior. The Crystarium, a hard-working commune under the enigmatic Crystal Exarch grew around it. Decadent Eulmore in Kholusia pampers its wealthy citizens with indolent luxury. Lord Vauthry built this paradise with slave labor, exploiting destitute refugees. Vauthry's inspirations include Jabba the Hutt. Dwarves, the First's Lalafell, live in Kholusia's mountains as an insular Tribe of miners and blacksmiths. The Seven Sisters cliffs provided visual references for Kholusia. The Rak'tika Greatwood houses, the Ronkan Empire's ruins, and the Night's Blessed, a religious community hiding from Light beneath the jungle canopy. Angkor Wat and Mesoamerican civilizations inspired Ronkan architecture. Il Mheg is the land of the fae—pixies, fuath, nu mou, and amaro—in the valley formerly of the Kingdom of Voeburt. Finally, Amh Araeng is the desert where Minfilia halted the Flood, left as massive waves of solid Light. The Empty covers the rest of the world, a vast, lifeless white expanse.
Transitioning to Shadowbringers, the Garlean Empire also resumes its campaign against Eorzea, as Warrior's closest allies sequentially fall into comas while hearing a mysterious voice, leaving the Warrior isolated. Emperor Varis zos Galvus begins mass-producing Black Rose, a chemical weapon lethal even in tiny doses, to retaliate against Ala Mhigo's successful revolution. Garlean crown prince Zenos yae Galvus also resurfaces, seeking a rematch with the Warrior. Emet-Selch, an Ascian leader who had founded the Empire as Solus zos Galvus, accelerates his plans to destroy the First and restore Zodiark. In his unsundered eyes, modern mankind are disturbing husks, not truly alive, thus claiming no remorse for killing them.
Shadowbringers opens as the Warrior and Tataru approach the Crystal Tower, hoping to restore the Scions, but the Warrior is summoned to the First by the mysterious voice: the Crystal Exarch. The Exarch, calling for the Warrior, summoned the Scions by accident, who have lived years on the First, time passing differently between Shards. The Exarch explains the impending doom: rampant Light will trigger a Calamity, destroying the First and ending Source civilization. The Warrior meets Feo Ul, an adventuresome pixie, and Ardbert, a Warrior of Darkness returned to the First. The others sacrificed themselves to halt the "Flood of Light." Ardbert was denied the chance, witnessing Norvrandt's slow decline as a shade.
The Warrior seeks out Alphinaud and Alisaie. Alphinaud investigates decadent Eulmore, while Alisaie aids a hospice for sin eater victims in Amh Araeng. With the twins, plus the Exarch and his adopted daughter Lyna, the Warrior saves the villagers of Holminster Switch, defeating a powerful sin eater, a "Lightwarden". Slaying a Lightwarden infects the slayer with its Light, creating another Lightwarden, but Hydaelyn's Blessing forestalls this. Lakeland's sky goes dark for the first time in a century. Rumors fly of the legendary "Warrior of Darkness". Lord Vauthry sends general Ran'jit to investigate, but the Exarch deflects. The Warrior joins Thancred and his ward, a girl named "Minfilia," rescued from Ran'jit. She is the latest incarnation of the Source's Minfilia, revered on the First as the Oracle of Light.
The Scions seek refuge with Urianger in Il Mheg, Feo Ul's homeland. Il Mheg's Lightwarden is the fae King, Titania, locked in their castle. The newly-minted Warrior of Darkness gathers the regalia to enter and slays Titania; Feo Ul becomes King, leading Il Mheg's defense as night returns. In the Crystarium, former Garlean Emperor Solus zos Galvus appears, introducing himself as, "Emet-Selch, Ascian." He offers truce, aid, and knowledge of his true motives. The Scions tentatively listen, travelling to the Rak'tika Greatwood seeking Y'shtola. After a tense reunion, the Scions explore the Ronkan Empire's ruins. Its protectors, the amazonian Viis, help the Scions slay Rak'tika's Lightwarden. Emet-Selch reveals Hydaelyn and Zodiark's origin: not gods, but primals, created by his people. Zodiark stopped a disaster, and Hydaelyn imprisoned Him, fearing His power. The Warrior overhears Y'shtola admonishing Urianger for his secrecy; she can see the Lightwardens' aether straining the Warrior's soul.
The remaining Lightwardens hide; the Scions seek out "their" Minfilia's soul, putting the young "Minfilia" at risk. While Thancred delays Ran'jit, the Warrior and young Minfilia go to the frozen Flood of Light. Minfilia bids the girl decide her own fate, willingly passes, and bequeaths her Oracle powers. Renamed Ryne by Thancred, she locates the remaining Lightwardens, including the final one: Vauthry himself. After the Warrior kills Ran'jit, Vauthry hides atop Mount Gulg. With many allies' aid, they give chase, and the Warrior defeats Vauthry. The Echo reveals Emet-Selch offered Vauthry's father a deal: bind a Lightwarden to his unborn son, and thus control sin eaters. The First's combined Light is too much, however, and the Warrior begins to transform. As the Exarch tries to absorb the excess Light and then flee between worlds, he is revealed as G'raha Tia, a friend from prior adventures. He disguised himself so the others would not prevent his sacrifice. Emet-Selch stops G'raha, breaking his truce, as the Warrior has failed his test. He takes G'raha to the bottom of the Tempest, the ocean surrounding Kholusia.
Ryne temporarily stabilizes the Warrior, but Light returns to all Norvrandt's skies. They learn that G'raha came from a timeline where a Light-supercharged Black Rose caused the Eighth Umbral Calamity. Battling societal breakdown, the Ironworks rallied those inspired by the Warrior. After two centuries, they opened the Crystal Tower, awakening G'raha from stasis. Combining powers from Alexander and Omega, they sent G'raha across time and worlds.
The Scions pursue Emet-Selch to the seafloor, where he has overlaid ancient ruins of Amaurot, his people's capital, with an illusion of the original city, complete with citizen simulacra. Facing the Final Days, the Ancients beseeched their leaders—the Convocation of Fourteen, Emet-Selch among them—for salvation. A self-aware simulacrum, Hythlodaeus, says three-quarters of Ancients willingly sacrificed themselves, creating and empowering Zodiark, saving and restoring the world. The Convocation planned to sacrifice later life to revive these Ancients. Dissident Ancients, wishing to let new life grow independently, summoned Hydaelyn to imprison Zodiark. Emet-Selch tests the Scions again with illusions of Amaurot's destruction and the Final Days, but remains unimpressed. The Warrior nearly succumbs to the Wardens' Light before Ardbert, in truth a shard of the Warrior's soul, merges into and heals them. Emet-Selch battles the Warrior under his true name, Hades. The Warrior weaponizes the Light, forming it into an axe which they use to mortally wound Hades, while also purging it from their body and restoring Norvrandt's night sky. As he dies, Emet-Selch makes a final request that the Warrior remember his people. With the First saved and the Eighth Umbral Calamity averted, the Scions and G'raha return to the Crystarium, hoping to find a way to send the Scions home.
Meanwhile, Estinien and Gaius infiltrate the Garlean palace to destroy Black Rose. Elidibus, the last unsundered Ascian, flees Garlemald after Zenos reclaims his body. Estinien and Gaius arrive at the throne room to see Zenos murder Varis to protect the Warrior for his desired rematch. Elidibus vows to avenge Emet-Selch and Lahabrea by using "the Warriors of Light".
Norvrandt is Eorzea's mirror on the First, unaffected by the Source's Calamities. Central Lakeland hosts the Crystal Tower, which mysteriously appeared a century prior. The Crystarium, a hard-working commune under the enigmatic Crystal Exarch grew around it. Decadent Eulmore in Kholusia pampers its wealthy citizens with indolent luxury. Lord Vauthry built this paradise with slave labor, exploiting destitute refugees. Vauthry's inspirations include Jabba the Hutt. Dwarves, the First's Lalafell, live in Kholusia's mountains as an insular Tribe of miners and blacksmiths. The Seven Sisters cliffs provided visual references for Kholusia. The Rak'tika Greatwood houses, the Ronkan Empire's ruins, and the Night's Blessed, a religious community hiding from Light beneath the jungle canopy. Angkor Wat and Mesoamerican civilizations inspired Ronkan architecture. Il Mheg is the land of the fae—pixies, fuath, nu mou, and amaro—in the valley formerly of the Kingdom of Voeburt. Finally, Amh Araeng is the desert where Minfilia halted the Flood, left as massive waves of solid Light. The Empty covers the rest of the world, a vast, lifeless white expanse.
Transitioning to Shadowbringers, the Garlean Empire also resumes its campaign against Eorzea, as Warrior's closest allies sequentially fall into comas while hearing a mysterious voice, leaving the Warrior isolated. Emperor Varis zos Galvus begins mass-producing Black Rose, a chemical weapon lethal even in tiny doses, to retaliate against Ala Mhigo's successful revolution. Garlean crown prince Zenos yae Galvus also resurfaces, seeking a rematch with the Warrior. Emet-Selch, an Ascian leader who had founded the Empire as Solus zos Galvus, accelerates his plans to destroy the First and restore Zodiark. In his unsundered eyes, modern mankind are disturbing husks, not truly alive, thus claiming no remorse for killing them.
Shadowbringers opens as the Warrior and Tataru approach the Crystal Tower, hoping to restore the Scions, but the Warrior is summoned to the First by the mysterious voice: the Crystal Exarch. The Exarch, calling for the Warrior, summoned the Scions by accident, who have lived years on the First, time passing differently between Shards. The Exarch explains the impending doom: rampant Light will trigger a Calamity, destroying the First and ending Source civilization. The Warrior meets Feo Ul, an adventuresome pixie, and Ardbert, a Warrior of Darkness returned to the First. The others sacrificed themselves to halt the "Flood of Light." Ardbert was denied the chance, witnessing Norvrandt's slow decline as a shade.
The Warrior seeks out Alphinaud and Alisaie. Alphinaud investigates decadent Eulmore, while Alisaie aids a hospice for sin eater victims in Amh Araeng. With the twins, plus the Exarch and his adopted daughter Lyna, the Warrior saves the villagers of Holminster Switch, defeating a powerful sin eater, a "Lightwarden". Slaying a Lightwarden infects the slayer with its Light, creating another Lightwarden, but Hydaelyn's Blessing forestalls this. Lakeland's sky goes dark for the first time in a century. Rumors fly of the legendary "Warrior of Darkness". Lord Vauthry sends general Ran'jit to investigate, but the Exarch deflects. The Warrior joins Thancred and his ward, a girl named "Minfilia," rescued from Ran'jit. She is the latest incarnation of the Source's Minfilia, revered on the First as the Oracle of Light.
The Scions seek refuge with Urianger in Il Mheg, Feo Ul's homeland. Il Mheg's Lightwarden is the fae King, Titania, locked in their castle. The newly-minted Warrior of Darkness gathers the regalia to enter and slays Titania; Feo Ul becomes King, leading Il Mheg's defense as night returns. In the Crystarium, former Garlean Emperor Solus zos Galvus appears, introducing himself as, "Emet-Selch, Ascian." He offers truce, aid, and knowledge of his true motives. The Scions tentatively listen, travelling to the Rak'tika Greatwood seeking Y'shtola. After a tense reunion, the Scions explore the Ronkan Empire's ruins. Its protectors, the amazonian Viis, help the Scions slay Rak'tika's Lightwarden. Emet-Selch reveals Hydaelyn and Zodiark's origin: not gods, but primals, created by his people. Zodiark stopped a disaster, and Hydaelyn imprisoned Him, fearing His power. The Warrior overhears Y'shtola admonishing Urianger for his secrecy; she can see the Lightwardens' aether straining the Warrior's soul.
The remaining Lightwardens hide; the Scions seek out "their" Minfilia's soul, putting the young "Minfilia" at risk. While Thancred delays Ran'jit, the Warrior and young Minfilia go to the frozen Flood of Light. Minfilia bids the girl decide her own fate, willingly passes, and bequeaths her Oracle powers. Renamed Ryne by Thancred, she locates the remaining Lightwardens, including the final one: Vauthry himself. After the Warrior kills Ran'jit, Vauthry hides atop Mount Gulg. With many allies' aid, they give chase, and the Warrior defeats Vauthry. The Echo reveals Emet-Selch offered Vauthry's father a deal: bind a Lightwarden to his unborn son, and thus control sin eaters. The First's combined Light is too much, however, and the Warrior begins to transform. As the Exarch tries to absorb the excess Light and then flee between worlds, he is revealed as G'raha Tia, a friend from prior adventures. He disguised himself so the others would not prevent his sacrifice. Emet-Selch stops G'raha, breaking his truce, as the Warrior has failed his test. He takes G'raha to the bottom of the Tempest, the ocean surrounding Kholusia.
Ryne temporarily stabilizes the Warrior, but Light returns to all Norvrandt's skies. They learn that G'raha came from a timeline where a Light-supercharged Black Rose caused the Eighth Umbral Calamity. Battling societal breakdown, the Ironworks rallied those inspired by the Warrior. After two centuries, they opened the Crystal Tower, awakening G'raha from stasis. Combining powers from Alexander and Omega, they sent G'raha across time and worlds.
The Scions pursue Emet-Selch to the seafloor, where he has overlaid ancient ruins of Amaurot, his people's capital, with an illusion of the original city, complete with citizen simulacra. Facing the Final Days, the Ancients beseeched their leaders—the Convocation of Fourteen, Emet-Selch among them—for salvation. A self-aware simulacrum, Hythlodaeus, says three-quarters of Ancients willingly sacrificed themselves, creating and empowering Zodiark, saving and restoring the world. The Convocation planned to sacrifice later life to revive these Ancients. Dissident Ancients, wishing to let new life grow independently, summoned Hydaelyn to imprison Zodiark. Emet-Selch tests the Scions again with illusions of Amaurot's destruction and the Final Days, but remains unimpressed. The Warrior nearly succumbs to the Wardens' Light before Ardbert, in truth a shard of the Warrior's soul, merges into and heals them. Emet-Selch battles the Warrior under his true name, Hades. The Warrior weaponizes the Light, forming it into an axe which they use to mortally wound Hades, while also purging it from their body and restoring Norvrandt's night sky. As he dies, Emet-Selch makes a final request that the Warrior remember his people. With the First saved and the Eighth Umbral Calamity averted, the Scions and G'raha return to the Crystarium, hoping to find a way to send the Scions home.
Meanwhile, Estinien and Gaius infiltrate the Garlean palace to destroy Black Rose. Elidibus, the last unsundered Ascian, flees Garlemald after Zenos reclaims his body. Estinien and Gaius arrive at the throne room to see Zenos murder Varis to protect the Warrior for his desired rematch. Elidibus vows to avenge Emet-Selch and Lahabrea by using "the Warriors of Light".
