Final Fantasy XIV - The Eorzean Alliance / Characters

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/FinalFantasyXIVTheEorzeanAlliance

As the story has advanced beyond the point of hiding plot twists for A Realm Reborn, there are unmarked spoilers below. You have been warned.

The Eorzean Alliance is a political and military alliance between the three main city-states of the Eorzean continent: the wealthy sultanate of Ul'dah in the deserts of Thanalan; the druidic Gridania located deep within the Black Shroud; and the thalassocracy of Limsa Lominsa on the isle of Vylbrand.

Originally created a century before the events of the game to drive back Ala Mhigo's expansion into Gridania in a conflict known as "the Autumn War", the Alliance, with the aid of their fair-weather allies in the theocracy of Ishgard, managed to beat the invaders back.

Over time, the Alliance's member-states drifted apart due to various circumstances, though it reformed itself during what became known as the twilight years of the Sixth Astral Era in opposition to the expansionism of the Garlean Empire. While it ended up falling apart again after the fall of Dalamud and Bahamut's rampage, as each city-state dealt with the rebuilding and changes to the world the Calamity created, they proved themselves willing to ally with one another even still, creating the current incarnation of the Alliance that still holds strong to this day.

Following the events of Heavensward, Ishgard finally commits fully into the Alliance after a shakeup in leadership, as well as a relatively peaceful end to the thousand-year-long war with the Dravanian Horde of dragons, caused by the events of the expansion. See its own page.

After those of Stormblood, Ala Mhigo, once the enemies of the original Alliance, also joined the fold following its liberation from Garlean control, both to defend itself against any future aggression and as a measure of redemption for their own aggression decades past.

In the events leading up to Shadowbringers, Doma, on the other side of the known world, also joins the Alliance out of gratitude for the Warrior of Light and the Scions' aid in their own liberation efforts.

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Ul'dah

For Coin and Country

—Ul'dah Motto

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/uldah_flag.png

Lying in the arid landscape of Thanalan, south of Aldenard, Ul'dah is known for being the wealthiest of all city-states of Eorzea. It has enriched itself through multiple industries like the mining of minerals of their bountiful region, weaving of fabulous garments, the study of alchemical and tradtional cures, crafting of jewelries, recreation of fighting arenas and gambling halls, and establishing themselves as the major trading hub of Eorzea, attracting and welcoming all peoples from all corners of the Star.

While a monarchy de-jure, most of the power has been seized by an oligarchic council known as the "Syndicate," with the current sultana—Nanamo Ul Namo—being recuded to a mere figurehead.

General Tropes

Badass Creed: The oath of the Immortal Flames, "For Coin and Country!"
Character Focus: Notably the most emphasized of the initial three nation states, to the point that Ul'dah's effectively the story and character side-focus of the Ala Mhigo part of Stormblood, and several major events like the reformation of the Eorzean Alliance as well as the infamous Bloody Banquet all occur within its borders. Even the Path of the Twelve and Scions headquarters of the Waking Sands is located within Thanalan's borders, effectively acting as home base to the player for 1.0 and A Realm Reborn. It's emphasized enough that Ul'dah's day theme is used to open the final credits of Endwalker rather than one of the expansion's themes, and feels wholly deserved.
City Guards: The Brass Blades funded by Lolorito are Ul'dah's primary policing force. Due to ther nature of their employment under a Corrupt Corporate Executive, many of them are Corrupt Cops who abuse their position for personal profit.
Crapsaccharine World: Ul'dah is the wealthiest of the city states of Eorzea thanks the rich mineral deposits of the Thanalan Desert, being situated as a major trading post between Gridania and Limsa Lominsa, and its thriving weaving, gambling, goldsmithing, and alchemical industries. As such, many flock to Ul'dah as a land of opportunity, only to be confronted with a much harsher reality. Much of Ul'dah's wealth is built upon the backs of the poor, resulting in an enormous wealth gap. The nation's fixation on coin has led to distrust of anyone who can't earn it as well as widespread corruption despite Nanamo's and Raubahn's best efforts to stamp it out. The Lalafell-dominated Syndicate also coined the notion of "beastman" races being inferior to the "Spoken" races, perpetuating the Fantastic Racism that inevitably leads to the summoning of primals.
Culture Chop Suey: Ul'dah has a vaguely Middle Eastern theme, being a desert nation ruled by a sultanate, with most people dressed fittingly. However, it also mixes in a lot of western elements, such as appearances, clothing and names. Most notably, the Sultansworn paladins loyal to Nanamo are straight up European knights in shining plate armor. Its reputation as a land of opportunity where even the poorest can potentially rise up and become wealthy brings America to mind, with some even calling it "the Ul'dahn dream". The glitzy and glamorous gambling scene reminiscent of Las Vegas furthers this connection.
Desert Bandits: The city is plagued by this problem. One such outfit, the purple-robed Alacran, makes recurring appearances in the thaumaturge, gladiator, and pugilist questlines, and even in the MSQ for characters starting out in Ul'dah.
Dirty Cop: Most of the Brass Blades are infamously corrupt, often taking bribes or engaging in criminal activities themselves. An Ul'dahn Warrior of Light's first encounter with them has the Blades plant evidence of somnus smuggling on the merchant caravan the Warrior is riding just to have an excuse to frisk the caravan for all it's worth. They're only thwarted when their attention is called away by an Amal'jaa ambush.
Due to the Dead:
- Arrzaneth Ossuary, a temple devoted to the worship of Thal, offers funerary rites at a cost. Accoording to tradition, Thal regards wealth very highly, hence giving donations to the Ossuary for the service of their priests is encouraged. This has made the leader of the Order of Nald'thal, Dewlala Dewla, a member of the Syndicate and the wealthiest woman in Thanalan.
- The temple also house the Thaumaturges' Guild, a school of the arcane, which origin can be traced back to Mhach. Though their art is widespread for its combat use, the priests of Thal's temple uses them mostly for funerary rites. Usage of them as follows: freezing magic for the preservation of the body, fire magic to purify the body and then lightning magic to purge the sin of the body.
Fantasy Counterpart Culture: While definitely not a one-to-one (see Culture Chop Suey above), its location in Eorzea, arid climate, and focus on trade makes it a rough analogue to Morocco and North Africa.
Good Capitalism, Evil Capitalism:
- Ul'dah is infamous for its cutthroat capitalism. Competition is fierce in the "Jewel of the Desert", with the most unscrupulous merchants resorting to bribery and sending hitmen to take out rivals and upstarts. Despite this, Ul'dah does have its fair share of honest businesses who provide quality goods and treat their workers fairly. The guilds behind Eshtaime's Aesthetics and Sunsilk Tapestries as well as the famous Godbert Manderville are all shown to be good to their customers while offering ample opportunity for upward mobility to their employees.
- "In the Balance", a song devoted to Ul'dah's patron deity, Nald'thal, espouses the good parts of capitalism, advising listeners to not fear unjust favor's bite and for all to want for naught that coin can buy. This strikes a startling contrast with the present state of Ul'dah, in which money is concentrated in the hands of the few, far from the ideal that all will die as equals.
Megacorp: The East Aldenard Trading Company is the largest and most influential company in Eorzea. Its chairman, Lolorito Nanarito, holds a seat on the Syndicate by virtue of being the richest man in Ul'dah, and could be fairly said to be the unofficial leader of the Monetarists faction; he thus has significant say in the runnings of the nation. Meanwhile, the Brass Blades, ostensibly the Company's security, also act as a police force for Ul'dah as a whole. The Company's influence is so great and far reaching that it even has an embassy in Kugane, halfway across the world; as no Eorzean nation has such an embassy, the Company ends up acting as a pseudo-representative for Eorzea as a whole in foreign affairs.
Merchant City: Ul'dah is in a central position in Eorzea where all goods must flow to reach other parts of the continent, cementing it as a center of commerce and trade.
Praetorian Guard: The elite paladins of the Sultansworn serve as the royal guards of Ul'dah.
Precursors: Before Ul'dah and its currently nonexistent sister state Sil'dih there was Belah'dia, which much of its civilization's knowledge was lost to time. The Belah'dian state was formed by the Lalafellin descendants of Mhach, an ancient civilization infamous for its usage of black magic and void magic from the Fifth Astral Era.
Private Military Contractors: The Brass Blades that police Thanalan are this moreso than traditional law enforcement, being owned and operated by Lolorito's East Aldenard Trading Company. While smaller, the Stone Torches are likewise this for Amajina & Sons Mineral Concern. One of the biggest impetuses for the formation of the Immortal Flames was to give Ul'dah a military that wasn't owned by private interests.
Proud Merchant Race Guy: The Lalafell native to Ul'dah have this reputation.
The Syndicate: The ruling body of Ul'dah is titled as such, working in tandem with the Sultanate to rule the nation. Appropriate to a Merchant City, it is made up of the six people who contribute the most to Ul'dah's economy, and it has historically been dominated by the self-interested Monetarist faction. With decisions resting on a vote between the six seats of the Syndicate and the single sovereign ruler, the sultanate in reality has very little power in Ul'dah.
Town with a Dark Secret: According to official Ul'dahn records, the final war between it and its sister state, Sil'dih, ended with Sil'dih using an chemical weapon to turn its own populace into shambling undead in a desperate attempt to stave off defeat. In truth, the so-called "Trader's Spurn" was a weapon designed by Ul'dah's own thaumaturges. After this, a secret propaganda machine unknown to even the present sultanate was devised to prevent the inconvenient truth from coming to light.
Under City: After the last war between the sister states of Ul'dah and Sil'dih, Ul'dah moved and built a new city atop the fallen Sil'dih's original settlement. The remains of Sil'dih can be found in tunnels and aqueducts running beneath the present Ul'dah. Nanamo commissions the Warrior of Light to escort her through the Sil'dihn Subterrane as part of her parents' last will for her.
War Refugees: The city is full of refugees from Ala Mhigo, which has been taken over by the Garlean Empire. When refugees from Doma come for the same reason, the city has to turn them away because they're already full.
Wretched Hive: The city is plagued by gangsters, corrupt cops, gambling and wealth inequality.

Nanamo Ul Namo

Voiced by: Mariya Ise (JP), Mela Lee (EN, Los Angeles cast), Joanna Ruiz (EN, London cast), Adeline Chetail (FR), Antje von der Ahe (DE)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ffxivnanamo.jpg

Race: Dunesfolk Lalafell

"The true wealth of Ul'dah lies in the health, happiness, and hopes of her citizens."

The reigning sultana of Ul'dah. She is the seventeenth ruler in the line of Ul, the royal family of the city-state. Although nominally the head of state, her authority is undermined by the Syndicate, a ruling council of Ul'dah's wealthiest citizens.

Abdicate the Throne: 2.4's Ending cut-scenes shows that she plans on not only abdicating the throne but abolishing the monarchy of Ul'dah altogether. However, this doesn't quite go as planned due to the Monetarists' plans, and she settles back into her role as sultana, though she still makes the plight of the poor and miserable her number one concern.
Character Development: She initially goes to Raubahn for support before she takes any actions. This gets her branded as weak by the Syndicate due to her relying on Raubahn for everything. Nanamo eventually tries to do things on her own without telling Raubahn, which causes the bloody banquet that gets the Scions framed as murders and causes Raubahn to lose an arm. Lolorito calls her out for this and she reluctantly agrees with him. By Stormblood, she learns that she can't put only her people on her priority list and has to consider the needs of others while also learning how to barter and strike deals that benefit multiple parties. Her maturity greatly impresses Lolorito and he is more than happy to agree to Nanamo's deals.
A Child Shall Lead Them: She became the sultana at the age of five after her parents died in an "accident" that she believes may have been an assassination. She's twenty now, so it doesn't apply anymore, but this trope is the reason for her Puppet King status that she's trying to shake off.
Deceased Parents Are the Best: The Sil'dihn Subterranne dungeon quests explain that Nanamo has nothing but fond memories of her loving parents. According to lore entries, they met at a gala and fell in love at first, ruling justly before their deaths. Prior to their passing, they gifted her the key that opens that Sil'dihn Subterrane for her to explore when she's grown. This key helps her reveal things both good and bad about Ul'dah as well as protecting evidence of the Amalj'aa's alliance with Ul'dah against Sil'dih.
Deconstruction:
- Her plan to Abdicate the Throne gets this treatment. First, while it sounds nice to give power to the people, in practice those people would be the unscrupulous members of the Syndicate who would not make better rulers than Nanamo, who may be ineffectual but at least she cares about the common man. Second, it's major shift in Ul'dah's government and needs to be carefully organized, which Nanamo's efforts to keep her plan hidden from the Syndicate, including Raubahn, means it can't be. Third, because it's such a big change, you shouldn't enact it while the city has other problems to deal with, like the refugee crisis or the looming Garlean invasion. For these reasons, even after Teledji's plot is safely dealt with Nanamo decides not to go through with her plans for now.
- Of an All-Loving Hero. Godbert Manderville tells the sultana straight to her face that she shouldn't go forward with her proposed plan of just giving the Ala Mhigan refugees money in patch 4.1. It's not that Godbert is against the idea of helping Ala Mhigan refugees — Godbert himself has done so in the past. It's that he's against the idea of just giving away money and expecting nothing in return. Godbert reminds Nanamo that she has a responsiblity to help her own people first and others second as the ruler of Ul'dah. He's also quick to point out that Nanamo's continued attention to refugees will only breed resentment towards the refugees and her. While Godbert is a generous soul, he doesn't give out charity constantly, but rather employs anyone who needs work so they can support themselves while generating revenue for him at the same time. Afterwards, Nanamo takes this advice to heart; she's inspired to create a plan that not only encourages Ala Mhigan growth but Ul'dahn investment as well. It's so good that even Smug Snake Lord Lolorito is genuinely impressed with it, which turns this into a Decon-Recon Switch when she finds a way to help everyone in a way that comes across as grounded in realpolitik.
Disney Death: She's poisoned in the climax the 2.0 story line leading into Heavensward. Once this happens everything goes straight to hell for EVERYONE. Her apparent death remains unknown by most people: all cutscenes and activities in the main scenario quest line imply that Nanamo is dead, but talking to the NPC Jenlyns, the leader of the Sultansworn and your trainer during the Paladin quests, reveals that Nanamo is "convalescing from illness", and Papashan in Central Thanalan also has hopes that she is still alive. There's the risk of a potential civil war if Nanamo is found out to be dead (by murder, no less!) by the people, so they are likely trying to keep it secret for now. None of the Sultansworn have been allowed to see her, only knowing of Raubahn's outburst. The Monetarists, Brass Blades, Crystal Braves, and Immortal Flames are each keeping the details under wraps from the public: the Flames to avoid a civil war, and the others because the Warrior of Light, and Scions are recognized as heroes by virtually everyone, and to make further attempts at accusing them would turn public opinion against Monetarists. But in 3.0 it is revealed that Lolorito heard of Teledji Adeleji's plot and had one of his servants, whom had been placed as Nanamo's handmaiden, swap the lethal poison for one that merely put Nanamo into a death-like sleep.
Fatal Flaw: Naïveté. Nanamo is trying to be The High Queen and lead her people to happiness. A fine goal for a head of state, but one not tempered by experience or wisdom. She's a borderline Puppet King if not for Raubahn's support, and believes that a plan to Abdicate the Throne is going to be in everyone's best interest. This is despite the open corruption around Nanamo and not really having a plan for how it's going to help once she's out of power. After she's nearly killed by Teledji Adeleji and the Warrior of Light is framed for her death, Nanamo finally realizes that her blind idealism and Stupid Good tendencies are doing more harm than good, resolving to be a better ruler in her own way.
Girls Love Stuffed Animals: While she tries to hold herself to a royal standard, Nanamo does still keep a plush moogle and chocobo in her bedchamber.
Hidden Depths: Nanamo is shown to have a keen ability to sense aether during the Sil'dihn Subterrane quests, letting her realize that the Silkie is actually a familiar and guardian of her late mother's because of how nostalgic its aether feels. This implies that Nanamo has significant potential as a mage if she were to ever invest time to study it.
The High Queen:
- Nanamo's desires the continued happiness and prosperity of Ul'dah and its citizens above all. Her idealistic policy is aimed toward bringing succor to the suffering and trying to narrow the infamous wealth gap in the country. Unfortunately, due to being thrust into the role of sultana at an early age, her policies often veer toward being overly idealistic and rarely work out the way she intends them to. In addition, her hands are tied by the power of the Syndicate, making her a borderline Puppet King if not for Raubahn's support and her widespread popularity among the common people.
- In 4.1 she shows her determination to stand on her own and make informed decisions, consulting with the appropriate people and learning to think things through. This is enough to impress even Lolorito and shows she is becoming a wiser ruler
- Taken further in Endwalker, where Ul'dah is the only region of Eorzea where absolutely no blasphemies are created. This is demonstrated in the Ala Mhigo storyline, where Nanamo is shown to still be going out into the streets incognito to make get a gauge of her policies, and after Stormblood, has become probably one of the most effective civil leaders in the entire story, even with the Syndicate to contend with. Even the infamous Pearl Lane, home of pickpockets and Ala Mhigan refugees, has seen massive improvements if Raubahn is to be believed.
King Incognito: She frequently goes out in disguise as an Ul'dahn noblewoman named "Lady Lilira" both to escape her responsibilities for a time and to see the hardships of her subjects firsthand. This causes Papashan no end of grief as she frequently slips away from him despite him being her bodyguard and attendant.
My Significance Sense Is Tingling: Despite not being a trained mage, Nanamo possesses a keen enough ability to feel aether that she notices the similarities between the aether of the Silkie in the Sil'dihn Subterrane and her mother's. Upon finding her mother's tea sets and cutlery, she quickly realizes that this Silkie was her mother's familiar.
Nice Girl:
- She is VERY kind and considerate to everyone around her, to the point it can frustrate her if she is helpless to do something about it.
- In the Stormblood Goldsmith quests, she takes the proactive task of trying to help Ala Mhigans rebuild their lives and offers up her mother's crown and funds to assist the foundation of an Artisan's School, asking for the WoL to help. Nobody can doubt her kind heart.
No Hero to His Valet: She causes Papashan no end of grief with her tendency to slip away as Lady Lilira, forcing him and the Sultansworn to look for her when she could be kidnapped or worse.
Non-Action Guy: Nanamo is the only Eorzean leader with no military experience or combat training. As a result, she's the only one to not step onto a battlefield in times of crisis, relegating her to adminstrative matters once she learns to stand on her own two feet without relying so heavily on Raubahn.
Pimped-Out Dress: She wears a very elaborate royal gown.
Puppet King: She has some of her own political clout mostly due to Raubahn's support, but her decisions have to meet the approval of the Syndicate. Somewhat averted later in Heavensward when she notes that after Lolorito secretly saved her life he donated a large sum of money to her to make amends for the problems he caused in 2.5, effectively giving Nanamo a full seat on the Syndicate.
Sheltered Aristocrat: Downplayed. She's far from blind to the grim realities of life for Ul'dah's poor, but she's naive and lacking in worldly experiences due to her youth as a Puppet King and being confined to Ul'dah much of the time. While accompanying the Warrior of Light into the Sil'dihn Subterrane, Nanamo demonstrates child-like wonder at the marvels they find, as well as disgust and revulsion when she encounters the grosser parts of adventuring. She's also nervous about crossing a rickety bridge and panics when they're ambushed by monsters, shouting at an amused Warrior that she wanted no rocking or shaking.
Squee: She has this reaction in the Level 70 Goldsmith quest, "Sultana Dreaming," when she's given an orchestrion that's not only her size, but made with the jewels from her mother's crown.
Sweet Tooth: The Level 50 Culinarian quest has you asking around to learn the sultana's food preferences in preparation for a diplomatic banquet. One patron of the Bismarck reveals that she bought out an entire shop's stock of crowned pie on at least one occasion.
Stupid Good: Discussed. In the A Realm Reborn arc, Nanamo's idealism often gets those around her hurt, including Raubahn, and her plan to abdicate the throne had the potential to push Ul'dah into a dangerous crisis. Her naïvety lessens as the story progresses, especially once the Stormblood arc rolls around and she realizes that blind idealism and love for her people isn't going to magically translate into a successful city-state. However, she does manage to turn this around, in a way that impresses even the cynical Lolorito, by having an actual plan to work with the Monetarists and provide for her people, while staying true to her beliefs. Lolorito even admits to Nanamo's face that he's impressed.
Tempting Fate: In 4.4, just prior to the meeting between the Eorzean city-states, Doma, and the Scions, she comments that the last time she had a big get-together like this she nearly died and Raubahn lost an arm. So it should come to no surprise when three of the Scions end up comatose by the end of the story arc.
Vocal Evolution: Nanamo's voice has undergone possibly the biggest change among the voiced characters. It was a lot higher pitched, almost child-like in 2.0's story, contrasting to the lower voice used in 2.3-onwards. At first it was just Mela Lee lowering her tone a little, but with Heavensward and beyond it was Joanna Ruiz bringing a new take on the character.

Raubahn Aldynn

Voiced by: Hiroki Yasumoto (JP), Jason Charles Miller (EN, Los Angeles cast), Nick Boulton (EN, London cast), Frédéric Souterelle (FR), Gordon Piedesack (DE)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ffxivraubahn.jpg

Race: Highlander Hyur
Epithet: The Bull of Ala Mhigo, Flame General
Discipline: Champion Gladiator

"The line between victory and defeat is drawn by the swift and trod by the dead."

The leader of the Immortal Flames, he seized power in Ul'dah through the winnings he earned in the Bloodsands. He has turned his back on the other members of The Syndicate for refusing to aid the Sultanate.

All for Nothing: His complete and utter rage at Teledji and Ilberd over their assassination on Nanamo results in a fitting end for the former, but costs him dearly with his left arm severed by the latter followed by imprisonment and an attempted execution. Then it turns out that Lolorito and the other Monetarists had intended for Teledji to be found guilty before a court, and Nanamo lives. Had he managed to contain himself, much of the resulting conflict could've been contained, and Ilberd likely would have been unable to do much about it in the aftermath. Raubahn seems to solemnly realize this in hindsight after the plans were unveiled.
An Arm and a Leg: Loses his left arm thanks to Ilberd slicing it off when Raubahn charges at Lolorito. Raubahn is barely slowed down in the ensuing fight, but once adrenaline wears off, he's able to be captured.
Angrish: After Ilberd gloats in his face that he was the one who poisoned Nanamo, Raubahn barks a barely intelligible "You... YOU DIE!" as he attacks him.
Animal Motif: Raubahn's helm is modelled after a bull's head, while his shoulderguard feature bull horns. As a gladiator, he earned the nickname the Bull of Ala Mhigo. It wouldn't be hard to call him "bull-headed" at times either.
Badass Cape: Dons a black cape to cover his left shoulder and conceal his missing arm in Heavensward after recovering from his imprisonment at the hands of the Crystal Braves.
Beard of Sorrow: The Heavensward trailers shows him growing out his beard during his time in jail, which is due to him losing Nanamo to Ilberd's poison and falling from grace as a leader after he killed Teledji, who had provoked him by mocking the Sultana's death. This is however not depicted in the game itself, where he retains his usual stubble.
Big Good: Of the Immortal Flames Grand Company. He's fiercely loyal to his sultana and to his city, and is presented as one of the most righteous characters in the story.
Big Scary Black Man:
- In truth, he's quite jovial and friendly; the Sultana, who is a Lalafell, regularly perches atop his raised arm for pictures, or giving speeches to the people, and there's almost a father-and-daughter aspect to their friendship. Still, he is a huge, muscular dark-skinned Highlander from Ala Mhigo who gained fame in the coliseum after being captured by the Brass Blades, and forced to fight 15 years ago while he was fleeing from the Garlean occupation of his homeland.
- In the climax of 2.55, he plays the trope straight when he goes on a murderous rampage after he finds out who supposedly killed the sultana. He slices Teledji Adeleji in half, and even losing his arm doesn't slow Raubahn down very long.
Blood Knight: Won a thousand matches in a row in the Coliseum, and now as the Immortal Flames' General, he's known as one of the most aggressive Grand Company leaders. After the falling Dalamud exploded and revealed itself to be the prison of Bahamut, Kan-E-Senna and Merlwyb had to convince him that the battle was lost and to retreat so they could rebuild. He's also got a patch of Northern Thanalan named after him in front of Castrum Meridianum named "Raubahn's Push".
Category Traitor: Ilberd sees him as this, believing him to have "abandoned" Ala Mhigo in favor of serving the Sultana.
Cool Helmet: Raubahn wears a black helmet in the shape of a bull's head, keeping to his armor's theme.
Cool Sword: Raubahn carries two large black swords, reforged from a pair of cursed blades and is said to set unworthy wielders ablaze with their power.
Covered with Scars: One look at his face is enough to realize Raubahn had his fair share of fights in the past. Since he is a former gladiator, it is not surprising.
Dual Wielding: Carries a matched pair of those massive swords and briefly wields them together when he kills Teledji Adeledji. After losing his left arm he still carries them both until passing one of them to Pipin.
Doting Parent: He's very affectionate toward his adoptive son Pipin, constantly encouraging him and egging him on even while Pipin knows that Raubahn is trying to make things easier for him when they're fighting on the frontlines together. He's also the closest thing Nanamo has to a Parental Substitute next to Papashan, being fiercely protective of her and worried when she runs off as "Lady Lilira".
Duel Boss: Post-Heavensward you get to fight him one-on-one in the climax of the Grand Melee event.
Endearingly Dorky:
- After being relieved of his positions, he approaches Lyse and the others and suddenly starts stammering and stuttering at when asking if there was a place for a newly-freed up mercenary. The others find it adorable.
- In the Endwalker Healer Role Quests, Raubahn claims to be the best at finding a disguised Nanamo on the streets of Ul'dah. Papashan confesses that the opposite is true. It takes only a few minutes of searching before Raubahn starts to panic, growing desperate enough to stick his head in pots looking for her while worrying himself sick over her whereabouts. When he and the Warrior do find her, he offers to let her ride on his shoulder like old times, only for Nanamo to decline because of how much of a scene he's made. The Warrior chuckles at the sight of this.
Et Tu, Brute?: He did not take the revelation of Ilberd being allied with the Monetarist all along well. Then he told him that he was the one who poisoned the Sultana.
Fatal Flaw: Wrath. After hearing that the Sultana had died, Raubahn is quite distraught. But Teledji Adeleji's taunting makes Raubahn fly into Unstoppable Rage, literally slicing Teledji in half before trying to do the same thing to Lolorito. Even Ilberd taking off Raubahn's left arm barely slows him down. But in the end, it gets Raubahn branded as a traitor and thrown into jail. As is later revealed, flying off the handle like this ended up doing way more harm than good. Raubahn's actions made him a Spanner in the Works for Lolorito's plans, who had Nanamo's deadly poison replaced with a sleeping poison instead. Lolorito had intended to get Teledji arrested and the Scions' names all cleared with his power and influence. But Lolorito couldn't ignore Raubahn killing Teledji, forcing plans to change. This leads to the Warrior of Light going into exile while the heat dies down, depriving the realm of its champion. Raubahn even bitterly notes that his rage made things worse after all is said and done.
A Father to His Men: While there are corrupt members of the Immortal Flames, the majority of its members are fiercely loyal to the Flame General for his bravery in battle and his compassion off the battlefield. He's also a literal father to his Number Two, his adopted son Pipin, who loves him just as much.
Four-Star Badass: He's the Flame General and the commander of the Immortal Flames, the elite military force of Ul'dah, and is one of the fiercest warriors in Eorzea.
Frontline General: While he tends to remain on the backlines due to his position, he is equally capable of leading from the front and spearheads the Immortal Flames' offensives in its most important missions, such as Operation Archon.
Genius Bruiser: Raubahn's renowned as a master tactician on top of being one of the best warriors in the setting.
Good Scars, Evil Scars: His scars are primarily of the Good kind, featured on his forehead, and cheeks.
Guest-Star Party Member: As of patch 6.4, he'll join the player for Duty Support runs of Ala Mhigo as a DPS-spec'd Gladiator (Fittingly enough since he has no shield arm) if the player is a Tank or Healer.
Handicapped Badass: Even without his left arm, the Flame General proves himself almost as dangerous as ever in the Grand Melee.
Heroic BSoD: Hearing about Nanamo's alleged death leaves Raubahn despondent and in denial, dropping to his knees while screaming her name. His grief is quickly converted into murderous rage when Teledji Adeleji taunts him over it.
A Hero to His Hometown: While Raubahn's exploits have won him fame and glory in Ul'dah, he's even more popular in his homeland of Ala Mhigo as its most famous prodigal son. There isn't a single person in Gyr Abania who doesn't know the Bull of Ala Mhigo's name and he's respected as hero by nearly everyone. This becomes particularly important in the aftermath of Stormblood, where his popularity and wisdom as a leader prove essential to restoring order and government to the country after it is liberated from Garlean occupation.
Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: He's the personal bodyguard to and closest confident of the Lalafell Sultana, Nanamo Ul Namo.
I Choose to Stay: Played with. As much as Raubahn wanted to stay in Ala Mhigo once it was liberated, his Undying Loyalty to Nanamo dictated that he had to return to Ul'dah, though he was obviously torn on the matter. Nanamo ultimately made the decision for him by relieving Raubahn of his command and his seat on the Syndicate, effectively cutting his ties to Ul'dah and allowing him to stay behind without causing him to break his oath.
I Owe You My Life: Implied. Raubahn met Nanamo when she was still young. He was forced to fight in a rigged match against twelve other gladiators, all so the people betting on his loss and death would profit. Nanamo saw this and was outraged, using her royal authority to demand Raubahn be granted a fair fight. He was so grateful upon learning of this that he swore Undying Loyalty to her then and there, vowing to become her blade as soon as he won his freedom.
Large Ham: At the end of the 2.4 storyline, he is so fed up with all the scheming around him (and by the treason of his right-hand) that he yells at the possible spies in the room that he will take care of their masters one day, and lets out a powerful roar.
Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Raubahn carries a black shield to use with one of his swords and an echo vision of his gladiator days shows him using it effectively to block his opponent's attacks.
Man in a Kilt: Ok, more "Man in a Romanesque long tunic" but the effect is similar, what with the pleating at the bottom. And for those wondering what he's wearing underneath, it's tan boxer briefs.
Manly Man: Speaks in a deep voice, muscle-bound, his armor only covers his left arm, and greaves for his shins, and until Godbert Manderville showed up, was Eorzea's answer to Chuck Norris (and still is to some degree).
Mythology Gag: Raubahn, general of the Immortal Flames, shares his name with Raubahn from Final Fantasy XI, captain of the Immortal Lions.
Named Weapons: Tizona, an Evil Weapon he had taken from a rival in the Bloodsands. Interestingly, it seems both of his swords are called Tizona, as he still invokes the name after giving it to Pipin.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: His killing Teledji was murder, and no amount of Teledji being an Asshole Victim changes that. Not only did this kickstart the violence that made the Bloody Banquet end so poorly for so many, but when the dust settles Lolorito is able to avoid punishment for his part in Teledji's scheme partially because his crimes are less severe than the open murder of a Syndicate member and punishing him would mean also taking Raubahn to account. Raubahn later laments that his rage made a bad situation so much worse.
One-Handed Zweihänder: Both of Raubahn's swords are very large with broad blades, but he always wield them with one hand.
Parental Substitute: He is the adoptive father of Pipin, whose father sold him away to pay off his own debts.
Playing with Fire: Raubahn is able to call upon potent fire magic through his sword. When you fight him one-on-one in Heavensward, he has an attack called "Immortal Flame" which is a One-Hit Kill unless you destroy the swords that spawn with it. Said attack is Raubahn summoning a geyser of flame from the earth beneath him, along with blades of pure fire. Before the fight, he also traps you both in a ring of fire so no one else can interfere.
Proud Warrior Race Guy: Originally hails from Ala Mhigo from before its fall to the Garlean Empire, which held Rhalgr, The Destroyer as their guardian deity.
Rags to Riches: Was a captive forced to fight in the coliseum. He then won a thousand matches undefeated and used the prize money from his gladiator career to buy the coliseum and become a member of the Syndicate.
Rage Breaking Point: When it comes to Nanamo, he is completely devoted to her, so it is no surprise that his rage builds up when the Syndicate pushes her around or makes it difficult for her to rule. Raubahn keeps his composure for the sake of keeping things together as a leader. He goes beyond the point of no return when Nanamo is apparently killed and Teledji taunts him, causing the mournful man to unleash his rage upon him and slice him in half. When Ilberd claims that he was the one to have Nanamo poisoned, Raubahn's rage renews as he attacks him.
Red Baron: Back in his Bloodsands days, he was known as the Bull of Ala Mhigo.
Ring of Fire: Uses the fire magic from his sword to make a ring of flames, separating you and himself from everyone in the Grand Melee so you can have an uninterrupted duel.
Secret A.I. Moves: In addition to functioning as a DPS Gladiator in Ala Mhigo, he also has access to two unique abilities: First is The Bull of Ala Mhigo where he dashes towards an enemy to deliver a charged up kick for a big chunk of damage, while the second is Flaming Tizona, where he uses his cursed sword to summon a huge pillar of flame on the enemy boss which explodes for massive damage.
Self-Made Man: He became wealthy enough to join the Syndicate by winning countless gladiator matches.
Self-Serving Memory: Played for Laughs in the Endwalker Healer Role Quests. Raubahn claims to have a knack for finding a disguised Nanamo in the crowd, though Papashan confides in the Warrior that Raubahn's recollection of events may "differ from reality". Sure enough, Raubahn utterly fails to find her on his own, going so far as to look in pots and growing increasingly panicked at the thought that she might have been abducted or worse.
Shout-Out: To Final Fantasy XI, a character named Raubahn was the leader of another military group with a similar name. In the case of FFXI, it was a group of Blue Mages known as the Immortal Lions.
Shut Up, Hannibal!: When Varis claims the Eorzeans started the most recent war with the Empire and there would have been peace if they had simply accepted Imperial rule, Raubahn counters that Imperial rule is monstrously oppressive and blaming any resulting conflict on their victims is a clear case of Never My Fault.
The Soft-Hearted Warrior: Raubahn Aldynn is the general of the Immortal Flames, one of the three largest military organizations in Eorzea. He's a proud warrior of Ala Mhigo who won a thousand battles on the bloodsands of Ul'dah's coliseum as well as a battle-hardened war veteran. But he's also a jovial and friendly man to his compatriots, a Father to His Men, and a proud and doting father to his adopted son.
Sword and Fist: His Bull of Ala Mhigo attack in his bossfight is to dash up to you and boot you across the arena.
Take Up My Sword: He does this accidentally with Pipin. He trained him in combat and command, because those are necessary skills for their shared professions. He gave Pipin one of his swords, because he's lost an arm and has no need of a second sword anymore. He cedes command of the Immortal Flames to Pipin, because Nanamo fired him so he can't use his position as a rationalization to not return to Ala Mhigo. When he protests, she has to spell out to him that he's already prepared Pipin to be his successor and she doesn't need him to sacrifice his wishes for her sake.
Undying Loyalty: To Nanamo. Even when people mock him for his loyalty, it's well-known that there is no one more dedicated to the sultana across all of Eorzea than the Flame General. However, this loyalty is tested in a few ways across the story.
- At the end of A Realm Reborn, Teledji Adeleji mocking Nanamo when she appeared to have been assassinated sent Raubahn into a rage. This mockery went so far that Raubahn literally sliced Teledji in half, instantly killing him However, this gets Raubahn arrested not long after.
- At the end of Stormblood, when Ala Mhigo was liberated, Raubahn was fully prepared to return to Ul'dah and continue serving Nanamo, even though she could tell he wanted to stay in Ala Mhigo. It took her relieving Raubahn of his command and his seat on the Syndicate to convince him he could stay behind without breaking his oath to her. Even after this, he's still always seen seated next to Nanamo during any scene where the Alliance Leaders are gathered, showing that the sentiment continues to stand.
Unstoppable Rage:
- In 2.55, when it seems that Nanamo has been assassinated, he immediately rounds on Teledji Adeleji, suspecting him of foul play. Teledji decides to taunt Raubahn about the matter, and speak ill of the dead, prompting Raubahn to fly into a fury. This did not end well for Teledji.
- While he attempts to do the same to Lolorito shortly after, Ilberd reveals his treachery and slices off Raubahn's left arm. The injury understandably gives Raubahn pause... until Ilberd lies and states that he was the one to kill Nanamo to get a rise out of Raubahn, leading Raubahn into a second fury where he attempts to kill Ilberd at any cost, even kicking a stone pillar in half.
Villainous Legacy: Played with. While Raubahn is not at all a villain, after Ilberd's suicidal attack on Baelsar's Wall and subsequent summoning of Shinryu opens the way for the Eorzean Alliance to press on and attempt to free Ala Mhigo from the Empire, Raubahn vows to do it for the both of them.
We Used to Be Friends: With Ilberd, who betrays him to the Monetarists and later tries to have him killed for "abandoning" Ala Mhigo. After he is rescued, he vows not to rest until Ilberd is dead.
Worf Had the Flu: When you beat him in the Grand Melee, his son amusingly points out that his father lost because he is down an arm.
Worthy Opponent: When the Warrior fights him in the Grand Melee during Heavensward, getting Raubahn down to half health has him say "Wonderful! You truly are the Warrior of Light!" in a respectful tone. The conversation after winning has Raubahn's son note that it was the only time after being defeated that Raubahn looked pleased. If the Warrior's expressions are any indication, the feeling of respect is mutual.

The Monetarists

The more powerful and influential of the two factions within the Syndicate, the Monetarists officially favor self-governance over the rule of the Sultana. In practice they control most of Ul'dah's power and wealth, and are willing to go to great lengths to ensure that the flow of coin within the city-state ultimately ends up in the coffers of themselves and their businesses.

Aborted Arc: The majority of major arcs around Ul'dah throughout A Realm Reborn and the following patches involve the corrupt Monetarists putting their fingers in everyone's pie and being universally reviled by all the good parts of the cast. While most of this focuses on Lolorito and especially Teledji, the other pair are far from exempt in context. Once Heavensward kicks into high gear, they're pushed aside as Necessarily Evil and all the blame for 2.55 is placed squarely on Teledji, making them something of a Karma Houdini as the rest of the storyline mostly ignores them afterward.
Capitalism Is Bad:
- They definitely reflect the very worst consequences of free-market capitalism, once it metastasizes into virtual plutocracy. This leads to a somewhat-unintentionally-humorous scene in which Raubahn rails against, basically, the evils of capitalism to an empty room.
- Played with, however, in that some of the Monetarists are well-meaning, legitimately idealize self-sufficiency, and believe that unfettered charity will bankrupt the city and encourage the refugees to become dependent on Ul'dahn generosity.
Corrupt Corporate Executives, Politicians, and Bureaucrats: Because they act as all of the above, the Monetarists manage to have aspects of all three. If they agree to any bill of law, or legislation, it's probably because it mostly benefits themselves.
Even Evil Has Standards: Teledji's traitorous ploys were hardly secret to them, and while they all certainly stand for filling their own coffers, a dead Sultana and Teledji's attempts to seize Omega are bound to cause unprecedented chaos and threaten everything they have. The aftermath of the royal banquet sees them throwing in their lot with the Scions as a result.
Flat Character: We know only of Lolorito, Teledji and Godbert in any real depth, as the other pair of Monetarists shown on-screen, Fyrgeiss and Dewlala, are more background characters. Dewlala gets more with Heavensward with her helping save Raubahn and explain what's really going on, whereas Fyrgeiss lacks even a voiced scene at all.
Karma Houdini: Only Teledji Adeledji ever gets any sort of comeuppance, while the rest of the Monetarists continue profiteering and manipulating as they always have without any real consequences because that's just how life rolls on in Ul'dah. Granted, it says a lot that the vast majority if not all of the attempts at political assassinations and rousing Ala Mhigans into violent riots stop entirely once he's out of the picture, implying that the other Monetarists are A Lighter Shade of Black at the minimum, even Lolorito.
Kick the Dog: The Seventh Umbral Calamity devastated the entirety of Eorzea and has caused an ongoing refugee crisis that lasted five years all the way up to A Realm Reborn. The Monetarist's response? Completely and utterly ignore these people unless they can profit from them, to the point that Teledji and Lolorito commonly exploit the refugees and Ala Mhigans to their own ends and even incite riots with a False Flag Operation. They're also not above intimidation, violence and crime to get their way, underhandedly attempting to assassinate an overconfident, innocent man who didn't realize he was trudging into their sight line (and coffer margins) naively.
Merchant Prince: They lack the title, but their wealth gives them the right to sit on Ul'dah ruling council.
The Syndicate: Part of the ruling body's name, and literally. The Brass Blades, Ul'dah's primary guards and soldiers, are largely owned and paid for by them. The Monetarists use their influence on the Syndicate to steer Ul'dah in a way that grants power only to the ultra-wealthy.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: While hardly the only ones practicing Fantastic Racism against the "beast tribes", as both Limsa Lominsa and Gridania have caused their own fair amount of problems in that regard, it was members of the Monetarist Syndicate that helped perpetuate the superiority of "Spoken" races and coin the entire beast tribe moniker in the first place to justify stepping all over them. This caused enough grief in the tribes combined with the warfare and ousting over land that followed that it spurned many of them into summoning Primals once the opportunity arose, functionally making the Syndicate one of the big root causes for the entire Primals plotline.
Villain Has a Point:
- For the meaning of a villain given the context in the aftermath of Teledji's death and Nanamo's attempted assassination, but Dewlala lets it rip into Raubahn that he is very much guility of executing Teledji in front of everybody without chance for a trial, meaning he himself is as guilty of treason by Ul'dah's laws as Teledji was. This quiets the man down from his rage.
- When Godbert is asked by Nanamo about his opinion regarding her plans for charitable contributions to the Ala Mhigan refugees, he tells her in no uncertain terms that it's an awful idea. This shocks her, as he has shown concern for the plight of the refugees in the past. Godbert explains that straightforward charity does not to address the real issues facing the refugees and only encourages them to become dependent on handouts. What's more, the poor of Ul'dah aren't going to be happy to see their government's money going towards another nation when they have a need for the funds as well. Nanamo takes the words as a needed wake up call and revises her plans to be that of funding the revitalization of Ala Mhigan industries, putting life into the Ala Mhigan economy while bringing in profits for Ul'dah.

Lord Lolorito Nanarito

Voiced by: Hisashi Izumi (JP), Cam Clarke (EN, Los Angeles cast), Simon Greenall (EN, London cast), Bertrand Liebert (FR), Roland Wolf (DE)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lolorito.jpg

Race: Dunesfolk Lalafell

"The law is the law."

Owner of the East Aldenard Trading Company, as well as Sunsilk Tapestries and Eshtaime's Aesthetics, (the shops which sell the goods of the Weavers' Guild and Goldsmiths' Guild, respectively), Lord Lolorito is the richest man in Ul'dah, an utterly ruthless capitalist (beyond even the usual standards of the Dunesfolk), the essential head of the Monetarists, and wields a tremendous amount of influence, both in plain view, and in the shadows of Ul'dah's underhanded dealings.

Actually Pretty Funny: When Nanamo enters a meeting with him wearing a similar mask to his usual attire, he admits it's an unsettling look and that it's actually amusing to see her with that mask on. He agrees to them both going maskless for their discussion.
Advertised Extra: Despite being hyped up as a major antagonist in the Heavensward cinematic trailer, the fallout of his crimes in Before the Fall and his role in the main plot are essentially a sidestory that gets wrapped up rather early.
The Atoner: For his part in 2.5, Lolorito has been making amends to those involved. In the short story "For Coin and Country", which Nanamo references, he donated all of Teledji's profits and a good sum of his own to the royal house. And in Stormblood, it's his company that accommodates the Scions and assists them in their efforts in Kugane (Specifically, he's given orders to Hancock that the Scions are to given whatever resources they need). He also helps Nanamo hammer out a plan to restart the newly-liberated Ala Mhigo's salt economy. Given how awful the events of 2.5 were though, everyone continues to have zero trust in him.
Beard of Evil: The corrupt Lalafell has a long moustache and beard combo. Better to highlight his wicked little half-smirks.
Big Good: For the Stormblood arc, by way of sending Hancock to support the Scions in the midst of trying to profiteer in Othard. For their part in it, none of the group even remotely trust Lolorito or Hancock's intentions given the sheer irony of the situation, but it turns out to be a rather useful decision in the long-term and Hancock is a Sheep in Sheep's Clothing for all of the aid he manages for them.
Card-Carrying Villain: Lolorito very much understands that no one likes him, and the heroes running about would consider his role in the syndicate very much a hated factor. He's also fully aware that he has plenty of blood on his hands. That being said he is still not stupid enough to think he can actually face off against the Warrior of Light, Scions and Raubhan. Thus, when he exposits about his role in saving Nanamo and causing Teledji's downfall, he still openly mocks Raubahn and Ilberd while holding a Smug Snake attitude, and his urging for starting anew with a "blank ledger" is mostly in jest to get a rise out of Raubahn. Lolorito figures that if people hate him as much as they do, and are going to do so no matter what he does, he might as well indulge in being a jerk and get himself a few chuckles out of it.
Characterization Marches On: In Legacy and A Realm Reborn he's plainly presented as a villain while in later expansions he's more like an unscrupuolus ally. Early on he's corrupt and scheming, but also petty and prone to making overtly villainous moves and he's not so smart that the heroes can't get one over on him. Later on he's presented as profit focused above all else and pragmatic enough that he can be counted on not to rock the boat that much, while also being much smarter and on top of the ball than he used to be, with some other redeeming traits added.
The Chessmaster: He casually runs circles around his economic and political rivals. He and the rest of the Syndicate would have kept Nanamo as a total Puppet King if not for Raubahn's seat, and no one is ever able to pin him for the many, many things they know he's guilty of. More interestingly, he knows what moves not to play as well, as he does not even consider attempting to face off against the Warrior of Light and the Scions when they free Raubhan, knowing he and his merchant empire would be ground to dust. He instead reveals the entire plot, and makes a sizeable donation of most of his assets to make up for the trouble, a decision which allows him to survive and recover any losses. He also does not stand against Nanomo when she starts to show mettle and business accumen, realizing she can no longer be turned into a Puppet King and that coorperation is far more profitable.
Corrupt Corporate Executive: He isn't afraid to get his hands dirty if it means turning a profit. This means trading with both the Eorzean Alliance and the Garlean Empire, aiding and abetting organizations who have performed kidnapping, murder, and extortion, as well as actively using his wealth to bribe his opponents. It's little wonder that he's universally hated by anyone who isn't a business partner of his.
Enemy Mine: Back in Legacy, before the Calamity struck, he tried to use his merchant ties with merchants from the Empire for peace (and profit for himself). However, when it became apparent that Nael van Darnus sought to destroy Eorzea, and that the rest of the Empire's leadership wasn't much better, decided to throw in his monetary support to the Immortal Flames at the time.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Despite having been generally presented as utterly unconcerned with anything not pertaining to maintaining his own wealth and status, the early endgame of Stormblood reveals that he does have a soft spot for and is rather overprotective of his niece.
Even Evil Has Standards: While very unashamedly a villain that is willing to go to extremes, he still manages to keep Ul'dah's well-being at the top of his priorities and restricts his villainy to politics. His actions, underhanded as they were, actually end up saving Nanamo, and he fully intended to clear the murder charges on the Scions after Teledji's machinations had been exposed (which didn't go as planned because they fled). He's a ruthless and cunning businessman and politician, but he's not a killer.
Evil Is Petty: The Culinarian quests (which chronologically take place before the events of 2.55) establish that Lolorito is known as "Chefsbane" among culinary circles because he intentionally tries to shame chefs with nearly impossible standards, and with his influence has driven numerous restaurants out of business. After you provide a flawless serving of his favorite dish on behalf of the Bismarck, he subsequently arranges a royal visit to Limsa Lominsa and actively sets out to make it as difficult as possible for you to please the sultana in an effort to see you humiliated.
Fiction 500: Being the owner of basically the fantasy version of the British East India Company and a lot of associated businesses, he is almost comically wealthy, and can afford to make plays that the other Syndicate members can only really dream of. This includes buying the loyalty of most of the Crystal Braves and covering his tracks to make it look like Teledji's doing it (though it's later revealed that most of the assassination plot really was Teledji's work and that Lolorito turned it into something less catastrophic).
Foil: He's the complete opposite of Nanamo. Where she is a compassionate and idealistic queen, Lolorito is conniving, ruthless, and only interested in self-profit. Nanamo's inexperience has her grappling with how best to wield her influence to benefit her people as well as the flood of refugees from Garlean-held territories, whereas Lolorito is the richest man in Thanalan who seemingly effortlessly commands a vast mercantile empire. Even their eye colors are opposed: Nanamo a serene emerald green while Lolorito's strikingly gold eyes only seek gil.
Foreshadowing: In 2.55's post-credits scenes, when it's confirmed that Nanamo's lady-in-waiting was the one that poisoned her due to being under his thumb, he reacts not with a smug attitude but instead a grimace of annoyance. He technically succeeded in all of his plans - except for the Scions deciding to fight back and flee on their own accord, when he would've tried to clear their names in the aftermath had the arrest not happened as standard. Combine this with his disgust in having to poison Nanamo into a coma rather than death just to pull a fast one on Teledji and one realizes the importance of this moment well ahead of time.
Gone Horribly Right: His plan for dealing with Teledji's scheme to assassinate Nanamo and frame the Scions for it was to let the plan proceed aside from quietly interfering enough to prevent Nanamo's death until Teledji had incriminated himself beyond recovery and the Scions were trapped in a dire situation. At which point Lolorito would swoop in, get Teledji imprisoned for attempted regicide and end up the hero who Nanamo would owe her life and the Scions owe their freedom. Unfortunately, Ilberd has a huge chip on his shoulder against Raubahn and intended to take over the Crystal Braves by deposing of the core Scions. On top of this, Teledji makes it so obvious he was really behind it that Raubahn cuts him down in a fit of rage and the Scions believe they will be found guilty (or atleast cut down by currupt Brass Blades and Crystal Braves) so they try to fight their way to freedom. Meaning instead of a peaceful arrest that's harmlessly undone, there's murder on the Syndicate floor and a running battle with Lolorito's own henchmen and his out of control allies. A big reason it takes so long for the Frame-Up to be resolved is Lolorito needs to find a way to back out now that he's been left holding the bag without making himself even more of the Sultana's and Scions' enemy.
Hazy-Feel Turn:
- He is utterly uninterested in actually betraying Ul'dah or in overthrowing Nanamo and knows he won't survive challenging the Warrior of Light and Scions, and as a gesture of good will after the mess that happened with Ilberd he authorizes half of his wealth as well as all of Teledji's assets to be seized by the state under Nanamo, giving her a sizable control over the Syndicate. He also arranged for Hancock to serve as a liaison for him and to provide the Scions with any help and information they need to reach Doma and aid in its liberations efforts.
- In 4.1, he is approached by Nanamo for his mercantile expertise in aiding the refugees with Ul'dah's help. He's quite surprised and pleased to see Nanamo isn't just trying to throw Ul'dah's money away for nothing and comes up with a mutually beneficial plan for both parties that satisfies her. At no point does he mince words with you should you suggest the wrong thing, either. During this meeting, he actually seems pleased with Nanamo's growing confidence and wisdom, even showing his uncovered face without his Mask of Confidence. The whole time, Lolorito is still presented as a shrewd businessman who's only out for himself, only on the side of Nanamo because it benefits him directly.
Jerkass Has a Point:
- He's the most vocal opponent of the Syndicate allowing the Domans to seek refuge in Ul'dah. When Nanamo calls him out on this, Lolorito reminds her that not only does Ul'dah have its own sizable refugee population already, she wasn't so willing to allow the Ala Mhigans to seek refuge in their time of need either. This is implied to be the reason why the other members opposed allowing the Domans into Ul'dah, and it's a point that Nanamo is rather bitter about but can't refute.
- In the Lodestone short story "For Coin and Country". He not-so-subtly calls out Nanamo for leaving Raubahn Locked Out of the Loop in regards of her plan to abolish both the Syndicates and the monarchy, which resulted in Raubahn losing an arm and getting the Scions framed for murder. Nanamo begrudgingly agrees.
- When he says that Raubahn was a Spanner in the Works in regards to his planning. With no deaths on Lolorito's hands and the majority of the assassination plot being Teledji's doing, Lolorito goes free, in spite of Raubahn's opposition to it. And Raubahn mucking up the plan was due to Raubahn literally cutting Teledji Adeleji into two right in front of Lolorito and the rest of the Eorzean Alliance. Even if Lolorito wasn't acting like a Card-Carrying Villain, there's no way he could have ignored someone committing murder right in front of him. Raubahn later admits that his act of Unstoppable Rage made everything worse.
Karma Houdini: As of 3.0. Regardless of his reasons, he still did nothing to stop the destruction of the Scions, letting them be framed for a regicide that never happened; and worse, the Warrior of Light is redeemed on their terms. And in the Lodestone short story "For Coin and Country", he insinuates that they would have been to blame for their own demise for not taking their accusations lying down. Though he then goes on to semi-subvert it by handing over half of his personal wealth and all of Teledji's to the Sultanate as a show of good faith; Raubahn is quick to call him out for thinking he can purchase his forgiveness, but with no deaths on Lolorito's hands and the majority of the assassination plot being Teledji's doing, he goes free.
Know When to Fold 'Em: He uses the Crystal Braves as his muscle to try and capture the Scions in the aftermath of Teledji's murder, and branded them fugitives when they escaped. However, when Ilberd proved too extreme even for him and went rogue, Lolorito personally negotiates an end to all hostilities and immediately gives the antidote for Nanamo's slumber. He still manages to evade retribution on account of the fact that Raubahn did commit murder in the Royal Promenade.
The Man Behind the Man: It's all-but-confirmed that the money buying off the Crystal Braves was really his, not Teledji's, and that Teledji himself is little more than an Unwitting Pawn. Though Teledji was plotting to assassinate Nanamo and seize control of Ul'dah, the Crystal Braves in on the scheme answered to Lolorito, and he would have used them as his muscle and leverage had Ilberd not gone rogue.
Mask of Confidence: His mask — a black Domino Mask full of holes that covers his eyes — doesn't do anything special. It's not magical, enchanted, or anything of the sort; it's just a mask. But it enables him to constantly hide his true agenda due to the psychological effect of not being able to know what he's planning at all times. He only agrees to take off this mask once, when Nanamo comes to him wth a proposition that will benefit both Ul'dah and the refugees.
Meaningless Villain Victory: Worse, a Detrimental Villain Victory, if viewed at first glance the Bloody Banquet seems like a total victory for him. When analyzed however it quickly becomes clear that it's nothing but a gigantic failure for a businessman like him, sure he is controlling Ul'dah but he was already doing that and now he has to deal with the fact that he is attached to a bunch of bloodthirsty traitors, with Teledji dead he is now considered a suspect in the Sultana's "murder" and he was the primary cause as to why the Scions were droven to exile and with them their primary Primal deterrent. All of this combined meant that if Lolorito hadn't managed to somewhat peacefully resolved things with Raubahn and the Scions then he would have been left in a position that could have threatened his life.
Narcissist: Has a giant statue in honor of himself built in Vesper Bay. Originally, he was going to build an aetheryte instead of the statue, but the Scions of the Seventh Dawn did not want to be indebted to Lolorito and refused his offer, causing him to build the statue of himself out of spite.
Pet the Dog: He offered a Hancock, who had grown up an abandoned orphan, a job because he recognized that he has talent as a merchant.
Picky Eater: He fancies himself a food critic in his downtime. But he's also so picky that culinarians fear him as "Chefsbane", as his wealth and influence mean that a bad review from him is tantamount to a career death sentence. It's implied that he purposefully leaves scathing reviews of restaurants he's visited just to get a laugh out of watching them go under. He's irritated when the Warrior of Light manages to cook him a meal that he can't take issue with.
Pragmatic Villainy:
- Lolorito only makes villainous moves when he thinks it's necessary. He's willing to be civil otherwise (even if he always ensures he's the richest man in the room). The plan to assassinate Nanamo was less of a joint operation between Teledji and himself, but rather Lolorito hijacking the plan in order to save Nanamo and gain some leverage over the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Once the Crystal Braves go rogue, Lolorito calls off his pursuit of the Scions entirely and negotiates a peace. Lolorito's motives are purely for his own gain, and he has nothing to gain by destabilizing Ul'dah.
- Lolorito later states that he had too much to lose and too little to gain in regards to killing the sultanate or attempting to go along with Teledji Adeleji's plan. Lolorito recognized that he was already basically running Ul'dah as it was, and the chances of something going wrong with Teledji's plan were too high. So, Lolorito secretly sabotaged the plan by changing a fatal poison to a sleeping potion, thus setting up Teledji to fail. He only attempted to have Raubahn and the Scions arrested because Raubahn literally sliced Teledji in half right in front of him, and Lolorito couldn't possibly ignore that.
Private Military Contractors: Even before he begins to, ahem, "consolidate power" in Heavensward's lead-up, the Brass Blades are the private army of the East Aldenard Trading Company (and thus Lolorito is in charge of them), and are as big as they are because of how rich the EATC is. He also buys up the loyalty of the Crystal Braves during the ARR patch cycle.
Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!: His main beef with Nanamo throughout much of the story. As of 4.1, he appears to develop some respect for her once she presents him with a business proposal that is mutually profitable both for Ala Mhigans and himself.
Sink or Swim Mentor: In "Lost to Avarice", Hancock recalls that he was but a young boy scraping his gil together in the backstreets of Ul'dah when Lolorito appeared before him. Having heard of Hancock's wit, Lolorito laid a heavy sack of gil at Hancock's feet and told him to double the amount of gil contained in the sack by the following day. Hancock, aware of who he was speaking to, resisted the urge to splurge the gil on luxuries and successfully managed the feat. Seeing this, Lolorito took Hancock under his wing, eventually making Hancock the head of the Kugane branch of the East Aldenard Trading Company. Hancock remarks that had he succumbed to avarice, he would likely be dead at the hands of the Brass Blades.
Then Let Me Be Evil: Downplayed. He isn't outright evil, so much as he is a greedy Smug Snake. But his attitude comes from the fact that he knows nobody likes him, so he indulges in being a Jerkass to get a rise out of people. Lolorito figures if he has to play the bad guy, he might as well enjoy it.
Trailers Always Lie: The Heavensward cinematic trailer shows Lolorito as a seeming primary antagonist, complete with a Smug Snake smirk. He's actually on the heroes' side, albeit mostly in his own selfish way.
Villain Has a Point: He's right that Ul'dah's coffers simply cannot withstand both military readiness against Garlemald and support the ever-increasing amount of refugees at the same time, and that's the tip of the iceberg. For as much as a Jerkass as he can be, he didn't get as far as he did because of political or profitable ignorance, and both Raubahn and Nanamo hate him for it but can scarcely ever argue to the contrary.
Yellow Eyes of Sneakiness: We finally get to see his face in 4.1 and with it his yellow eyes, befitting a cutthroat businessman well acquainted with shady dealings.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness:
- Allows Raubahn to off Teledji, not ordering anyone to stop the Flame General beforehand. Probably not his intended solution (he just wanted Teledji removed from power), but he rolls with it since it still gets the rival Monetarist out of the way and provides him ammunition to further accuse and slander Raubahn and the Scions.
- There's also an interesting non-lethal version in the form of Ilberd. Lolorito never wanted Raubahn executed at all. But Ilberd, still in a frenzy over what he perceives as Raubahn's abandonment of Ala Mhigo, wouldn't back down. Once Raubahn is saved during the expansion, Lolorito decides that Ilberd is nothing but a mad dog so obsessed, like so many others, with the reclamation of Ala Mhigo from the Garleans that he kicks him to the curb.

Teledji Adeledji

Voiced by: Taketora (JP), B.J. Oakie (EN), Martial Leminoux (FR), Peter Becker (DE)

Race: Plainsfolk Lalafell

The Plainsfolk owner the Platinum Mirage casino (which has struggled a bit since the Calamity), Teledji was "just" a middling member of the Syndicate, in danger of replacement, until he found out about a discovery made in Mor Dhona after Bahamut's rampage: Omega. Planning on taking the weapon for himself and becoming the most powerful and "respected" man in Eorzea by force, he initially presents himself as a friend to the Scions and arranges to have the Doman refugees transported to Mor Dhona... as just one little piece of his plot to unearth Omega and claim it for himself.

Asshole Victim: No one mourns him when Raubahn bisects him in the aftermath of Nanamo's attempted assassination. When Lolorito cries foul and tries to have Raubahn and the Scions arrested, it's only to further his own agenda, not because he cared about Teledji in any manner.
Big Bad Wannabe: He seems to think himself a brillant mastermind but he grossly overplays his hand following Nanamo's "death" and pays for it with his life. Afterwards, it comes out that Lolorito, who Teledji thought had been blind to his scheme, had quietly bought out many of Teledji's minions and carefully negated the worst damage of his plan.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Pretended at first as if he honestly cared about the Doman refugees. It was actually to keep up appearances that he wanted more refugees in Ul'dah, not because he actually wanted them there.
Bullying a Dragon: Teledji knew that Raubahn was very close to Nanamo and is capable of tearing people apart, since he was a famed gladiator who won a thousand matches in a row, and is literally twice Teledji's size. Yet Teledji kept taunting Raubahn about the sultana's death mere minutes after reporting it, and how she would have been glad to "have someone cut her strings" while mocking her as a Puppet King. Raubahn slices Teledji in half for his mouthing off of Nanamo.
Didn't Think This Through: While he does get the Scions and the Warrior of Light into severe trouble as intended, the heads of state and citizenry are all too aware of treachery afoot and still trust them given the multiple times they've saved Eorzea, which drastically undermines Teledji's entire plan to Take Over the World. Maybe if he lived long enough it could've been bribed and controlled in his favor - but he just had to be Too Dumb to Live shortly thereafter, not realizing just how much everyone hates him enough to not even bother trying to stop him from signing his own death warrant.
Half the Man He Used to Be: Raubahn ends Teledji's life by slicing the lalafell in half at the waist. Teledji wasn't helping things by taunting Raubahn, a man more than twice his size and the head of Uldah's military might, about how he failed to protect the sultana.
Hate Sink: Ilberd's backstory shaped him into the bastard he is, and Lolorito is pragmatic enough that he can be reasoned with. By comparison, Teledji has absolutely no redeeming qualities and his motivations and goals are not only selfish, but outright megalomaniacal. He's given no Freudian Excuse or reason as to why he wants to Take Over the World, and his goals of conquest are treated in-universe as outright insane. This was all done with the intention of making him into a loathsome villain that the players would want to see fail, and to create a Catharsis Factor when Raubahn slices Teledji in half.
Oh, Crap!: After several patches of being a manipulative and arrogant piece of scum, he finally realizes he's gone too far only when he's mocked Raubahn about Nanamo's death to the point that the Flame General has drawn his blades, charged him, and has them in a scissor position at his stomach. He gets one look of complete and utter terror, only able to desperately shake his head before he's bisected.
Paper-Thin Disguise: He bought out the 1st and 3rd companies of the Crystal Braves using some obvious shell companies. When Riol uncovers the trail, he remarks that the only way Teledji could have been more blatant about it would be naming said company "The Bribery Corporation".
Rerouted from Heaven: He is among the souls rerouted to the Palace of the Dead instead of The Lifestream by Nybeth Obdilord, where he can be fought as an undead.
Smug Snake:
- He's smug once he no longer needs to keep up the veneer of civility to Raubahn and the Scions. He never even realizes just how hard he's getting played before Raubahn literally slices him in half, either.
- He grins wickedly for a split second upon seeing Nanamo's dead body before feigning shock at the sultana's death.
Take Over the World: Teledji's ultimate goal was to unearth and claim the Allagan superweapon Omega as his own. With its power at his command, he would lay claim to all of Eorzea as his.
Too Dumb to Live: Teledji gloating to Raubahn, presumably to break his spirit even more, ended with Teledji becoming Half the Man He Used to Be. Tellingly, nobody jumped in to save him or told him to stop what he was doing.
Witch Hunt: He falsely accuses Minfillia and the rest of the Scions of murdering Nanamo and when she tries to defend herself, he orders her to shut up, claiming she has the powers of a witch to mind control people.

Momodi Modi

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/momodi.jpg

Race: Dunesfolk Lalafell

"With the chaos left in the wake of the Calamity, the townsfolk'll be needin' the help of my patrons more than ever."

The head of the adventurer's guild in Ul'dah, the Quicksand, she is the first prominent character that players meet when starting their adventure.

Abhorrent Admirer: If you do the Delivery Moogle quests, you'll discover that she has one of these in the form of a spoiled bachelor who simply will not leave her alone until she accepts his marriage proposal, with her rejections seemingly flying over his head.
The Bartender: Just like Baderon in Limsa Lominsa and Miounne in Gridania, she is this for the Quicksand in Ul'dah.
Dude Magnet: Momodi has had numerous men vie for her hand in marriage over the years. One of the people sitting at the counter of the Quicksand specifically comes just to gaze at her while he eats and drinks. She also has an old friend in a retired goldsmith named Momoroto (often mistaken for an Old Flame of hers) who made her signature hairpin as well as an Abhorrent Admirer in Thomas, the spoiled son of a spice merchant who can't take no for an answer. Seseroga, a wealthy merchant found in the Sapphire Avenue Exchange, also expresses serious interest in her.
Gossipy Hens: In the final Goldsmith quest in Stormblood, you present Nanamo with a compact orchestrion as a gift and discover that in the time it took for everyone to leave the sultana's chambers and return to the Goldsmiths' Guild, word has spread massively and there are now several orders for similar orchestrions coming in. The reason: the Goldsmiths' guildmaster Serendipity ran into Momodi on the way to delivery the gift and let slip what was going on. Once they learn Momodi is involved, it's reasoned that once she knew, so did everyone.
Oh, No... Not Again!: She's in charge of the biggest bar in Ul'dah, so she's pretty inundated to the sort of things that go on in a Wretched Hive. The opening quest for players starting in Ul'dah has her react to a Loan Shark threatening his poor customer by apologizing to the adventurer for how common that is. In the Lv 15 Gladiator quest, when a horde of assailants barge into the Quicksand and level arrows on Aldis, Momodi only sighs before ducking behind the bar (in contrast to her screaming, sprinting patrons).
She's Not My Girlfriend: Gender-inverted. Momodi has an old friend and a former patron named Momoroto who once dreamed of becoming the greatest goldsmith in the realm. The fact that she wears a hairpin he made for her has many assuming that he's The Lost Lenore or an Old Flame, when he's very much alive and they were never more than friends.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: In the Level 15 Gladiator quest, "That Old Familiar Feeling," when the Unknown Assailants barge in, she's one of the first people to hit the deck in search of cover from the chaos that the player and Aldis are about to get into.
Tragic Keepsake: Her hairpin is a gift from Momoroto, a friend of hers and formerly a frequent patron at the Quicksand. Whenever he'd visit, she'd encourage him to chase his dreams and beocme the greatest goldsmith the realm has ever known, not knowing how badly she was piling expectations on him until he resigned after being given a task to make jewelry for the sultana. Although Momodi initially refused to wear it as she was afraid of losing this dear gift, she now wears it every day as both a warning that one's ambitions must come from within. But it also serves as a reminder of the power of the dreams held by adventurers past and present in defending and rebuilding the realm in the wake of the Calamity.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom:
- She is the one who tells the player to go meet up with Alianne outside the city, being falsely told that to frame the player for the sultana's murder. She even advises the Warrior to keep the vial they found out there, not knowing that it contains traces of the poison used on her which implicates them.
- In the Delivery Moogle requests, you learn that she has a friend named Momoroto who was an aspiring goldsmith. Momodi encouraged him constantly to become the greatest goldsmith the realm has ever known, unknowingly piling on expectations that became too much for him to bear when he was given the task of making jewelry for the sultana. He subsequently resigned from his position and retired to a simple life of fishing at Crescent Cove. Momodi blames herself for Momoroto's breakdown, wearing a hairpin he made for her every day as a reminder of this failing but also the power of dreams that come from within.

Pipin Tarupin

Voiced by: Nobuyuki Hiyama (JP), Adam Howden (EN, London cast), Benjamin Bollen (FR), Benjamin Stöwe (DE)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pipin.jpg

Race: Dunesfolk Lalafell
Epithet: Pipin of the Steel Heart
Discipline: Gladiator, Dark Knight

"I dare not abandon Ul'dah to the Monetarists and their cronies."

Vice-Marshal of the Immortal Flames, and adopted son of Raubahn. In patch 2.55, he comes back from the Ala Mhigan front to make his first appearance.

Abusive Parents: His biological father was The Alcoholic who sold Pipin into servitude to pay off gambling debts.
BFS: Tizona is already a large sword to match his towering father. Being a Lalafell, a sword that is one handed to his father is a massive zweihander to him, and he has to adapt his entire fighting style to wield it. It serves as a notable aversion in a game where the equipment used by players is generally One Size Fits All.
Cool Helmet: Wears a bull-horned helmet to match his dad's.
Early-Bird Cameo: Pipin's existence was first revealed in a short story called 'The Sultana's Seven,' one of several written for the first anniversary of 2.0's launch; he is shown to be staunchly loyal to Nanamo, and he, along with Papashan and the present-day Thaumaturge guildmasters, help her to quell a riot that breaks out during the Calamity. But 2.55 is the first time our characters officially meet him.
Four-Star Badass: He is the Vice Marshal of the Immortal Flames, making him one of the highest ranked members in the Grand Company. As of 4.1, he has become the Flame General proper when Raubahn leaves Ul'dah for Ala Mhigo and leaves his son to take his place.
Giant's Knife; Human's Greatsword: Tizona is wielded by his father, a Highlander, with one hand. Pipin wields it with two hands like a Dark Knight does, averting the One Size Fits All trope prevalent for players.
Happily Adopted: According to Tales from the Storm, Pipin's biological father sold Pipin into slavery to pay off his gambling debts. Pipin had to attend the needs of the gladiators in the Bloodsands. It was there he met Raubahn, who Pipin begged to train under to avoid getting sold back into servitude. The two soon grew close, and Raubahn used his winnings to buy the Coliseum and Pipin's freedom, making them father and son. As such, Pipin is fiercely loyal to his adopted father for saving him from what could have been a monstrous fate, and charges into battle alongside Raubahn at every chance he can.
Long-Haired Pretty Boy: At least for a Lalafell.
Named Weapons: Inherits his father's Tizona.
Number Two: He is one to his father, second only to Raubahn in the Immortal Flames. After his father formally returns to Ala Mhigo, it is he who becomes the new Flame General and the Sultana's right hand man.
One-Handed Zweihänder: A rare inversion. Pipin wields Tizona two-handed, where his father dual-wielded it with another sword. Given the massive size difference between the two, it makes sense.
Pint-Sized Powerhouse:
- Considering the events in which he made his appearance, it's possible he fought seven or more foes at once to rescue Alphinaud and the Warrior of Light after the Crystal Braves sold them out to the Monetarists of Ul'dah.
- He proves it in the Grand Melee in 3.2 where he is the most powerful enemy fielded by the alliance until his father gets involved.
- Gets to prove it one more time in the raid on Ala Mhigo where he can be seen fighting alongside his father.
- He also joins the fray directly in the Tower of Babil dungeon, fighting primarily alongside Lyse.
Rank Up: He becomes Flame General when his father is relieved of command to help Ala Mhigo instead.
Take Up My Sword: Non-lethal example. His father bequeaths one of his swords to him before the battle to reclaim Ala Mhigo, unable to Dual Wield anymore for... obvious reasons.
Vocal Dissonance: In the JP dub, Pipin is a dimuntive Lalafell with the deep, manly voice of Nobuyuki Hiyama, who is best known for roles like Guy Shishio.
Work Hard, Play Hard: Pipin is a serious warrior with Undying Loyalty to his adoptive father and the Immortal Flames. But according to the Encyclopedia Eorzea, he enjoys hard liquor every evening. The stronger the spirits, the better.

Papashan Nonoshan

Race: Dunesfolk Lalafell
Discipline: Paladin

"During the course of my official tenure as a Sultansworn, I traveled the length and breadth of Eorzea. Those experiences molded me into the man I am today."

A former officer of the Sultansworn and a fiercely loyal member of the royalist faction. Though he currently serves as a stationmaster in Thanalan, he is still quite willing and able to take up the sword and protect his charge.

Big Damn Heroes: At the end of the Ul'dah introduction questline, Papashan shows up with a host of paladins at his back to save you and Owyne from the thieves that stole the Sultana's crown.
Cool Crown: Papashan's armor as a paladin includes a golden coronet.
Cool Old Guy: He's fairly old even if he doesn't look like it.
Knight in Shining Armor: Papashan dons the shining plate and mail of the Sultansworn when he comes to your rescue and reveals himself as a paladin.
Knightly Sword and Shield: As a paladin, Papashan's weapon of choice is a simple bastard sword and a tower shield.
Old Retainer: Papashan has served as Nanamo's personal guard for a long time and still continues to look after her in his retirement.
Old Soldier: Papashan is 64 and a semi-retired paladin, but is still quite willing and able to pick up his sword and fight if needed.
The Paladin: Papashan may have retired, but is still a quite capable paladin and continues to uphold their ideals.
Parental Substitute: Papashan became a second father for Nanamo when she came to the throne after having lost her parents.
Praetorian Guard: He is a former member of the Sultansworn which protect the Sultana.
Retired Badass: Papashan retired 15 years ago and became a stationmaster, but still works with the Sultansworn and remains a capable fighter.

Eline Roaille

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/elina.jpg

Race: Wildwood Elezen
Epithet: Eline the Razor
Discipline: Lancer

A former mercenary from Ishgard and Raubahn's lieutenant in the Immortal Flames, she gains prominence in the 2.4 storyline where it's revealed she is a traitor to Ul'dah, to both Dravania and the Garleans. After her treachery is discovered it is revealed she is firmly on the side of the Garleans.

Double Agent: Triple, according to Illberd. She worked with and sold secrets between two factions in Garlemald and the Alliance.
Chekhov's Gun: Her network of traitors returns in 3.4, now working for the Ascians.
Chekhov's Skill: She's mentioned as a deadly warrior with a spear, yet when she's found out she surrenders without a fight. Naturally, she breaks out of prison and you face her in a proper battle later on.
Freudian Excuse: Her reason for going against her people was due to her lowborn status in Ishgard and how she was treated as something to be used and consumed instead of being treated like an actual person. She states she resorted to stealing, killing, and whoring herself out just to survive.
"Not So Different" Remark: When she calls out Alphinaud for being born with a silver spoon in his mouth and thus has no ground to condenm the treason she committed to rise out of poverty, Ilberd counters that he and Raubahn both were just as poor as she and neither of them turned to crime and betrayal as a result. Though time proves Ilberd was lying through his teeth, the comparison to Raubhan still stands.
Number Two: To Raubahn.
Red Baron: The Ivy.

Fufulupa

Race: Dunesfolk Lalafell
Epithet: Fufulupa the Unbending
Discipline: Gladiator

A cheerful and dutiful member of the Brass Blades. He is sworn to protect the people of Horizon from bandits and crooks, though he's dismayed to learn that many of these crooks are within the Brass Blades themselves.

Beware the Nice Ones: He may be the nicest, most honorable member of the Brass Blades, but he's more than capable of fending for himself, potentially taking out two other Brass Blades on his lonesome while the Warrior of Light deals with Baldewyn.
Blush Sticker: Has two painted red cheeks.
By-the-Book Cop: The vast majority of the Brass Blades are Dirty Cops as the well-meaning ones are demoted and Reassigned to Antarctica. Fufulupa is unerringly true in his desire to follow the law and help others while also being in a position to help them as the acting captain of the Brass Blades in Horizon.
The Cameo: He shows up in the level 52 Samurai job quest after Momozigo alerts him to corrupt brass blades buying a girl into sex slavery from a corrupt merchant (and the player knocking said corrupt blades out).
Didn't Think This Through: He has the Warrior setup numerous bear traps outside of Horizon to catch thieves who have been raiding the local storehouses. A fellow Brass Blade panics when he realizes what happened, as a chocobo coming into Horizon could easily lose a leg to these traps, which should have been placed near the storehouse.
Et Tu, Brute?: He doesn't take the revelation that not just Captain Baldewyn, but nearly all of the Brass Blades are corrupt well at all.
Nice Guy: Fufulupa is astoundingly sweet and polite. He performs his duties as a Brass Blade with pride and is above the corruption of his coworkers. He tries to give Baldewyn the benefit of the doubt but accosts his former captain to protect the people.
Token Good Teammate: As a By-the-Book Cop in a group full of Dirty Cops, he fits this.

Gegeruju

Race: Plainsfolk Lalafell

A wealthy Lalafellin merchant who likes to lounge at his personal beach at Costa del Sol.

Bait the Dog: Inverted. A side quest has the Warrior recruited by a carriage driver of Gegeruju's who was bringing dancers to Costa del Sol but the girls hopped out so they could enjoy the beach. He asks the Warrior to bring them back to avoid the repercussions of making Gegeruju wait for his entertainment. When the dancers rebuff the Warrior and they report to Gegeruju, he decides he'll... wait patiently for them. He's happy they're enjoying his little slice of paradise and is not so boorish as to intrude on that just so they'll perform for him a little bit sooner.
Chivalrous Pervert: Chivalrous might be pushing it, but he has always been accommodating and doesn't abuse his power towards his hired dancers. And if the Mamool Ja dancer is of any indication, he does not discriminate against beastmen.
Cloudcuckoolander:
- He blames the tremors from O’Ghomoro on the local buffalo. However, his aide suggests that he knows perfectly well that Titan is the real cause, and just blames the buffalo because the idea of a problem he can’t somehow pay out of existence is too distressing for him to really think about.
- More generally, he gets bored and pensive fast if his available entertainments and pleasures flag enough, which results in him coming up with rather odd ways to rectify the situation.
Dirty Old Man: Enjoys the company of the beautiful women he pays to dance.
Everyone Has Standards: He believes Gurumi Borlumi is a bigger degenerate than himself and according to him, that's saying something.
Extreme Doormat: Despite being in a position of power, it does not take a lot of effort to strongarm him into giving into demands. Even his own dancers can easily intimidate him into paying them extra for additional tasks.
Genius Ditz: He's something of a Cloudcuckoolander and a goof, but he's still an Ul'dahn merchant and a very successful one at that. The fact that he could buy up an entire settlement and turn it into a beach resort without batting an eye means he has a keen eye for business even with his other tendencies.
The Hedonist: An unusually less-than-malign example, as he has absolutely no use for hoarding pleasure. Others enjoying themselves just adds to his own pleasure, after all. The two main problems that do exist are (a) difficulty realizing that some people just aren't interested in pleasure, or at least pleasures as he understands them (like the Bloodshore settlers who resented him just taking over to establish Costa del Sol after the farming failures, even with other settlers gladly joining up with him), and (b) how depressed he gets if the pleasures flag enough, which his aide notes as leading to him getting..."ideas".
It Will Never Catch On: While he enjoyed Bugaal Ja's dance, he believes people are too close-minded and uncultured to appreciate it.
Know-Nothing Know-It-All: Pretends to be a wine expert but it's clear he has no idea what he's talking about.
Mister Big: A rare non-antagonistic example. Gegeruju is a very wealthy, powerful merchant who owns and operates a private beachside resort, complete with a full staff of bodyguards, a private chef, and various other employees. His influence can even be felt in many of the DoL questlines; several skill quests and most of the Level 30-40 Levemetes are commissioned by him or his estate, and it is made clear that you cross him at your peril. He also happens to be a Lalafell. However, with many of his fellow Ul'dahnian business associates effectively being crime kingpins, Gegeruju comes off as much less malicious. His main illicit activity is hiring a wide variety of women to satisfy his hedonistic urges; by all appearances, he both treats and pays them very well.
No-Respect Guy: Bloodshore originally had a problem where the intended farmland’s water table contained too much salt to be viable for agriculture, which prompted Gegeruju to buy and convert it into a beach resort. A good number of the locals did not appreciate this at first despite the fact that he was able to save their livelihoods; they're not going to admit it anytime soon.
Recurring Character: Despite being a minor character, he appears in a lot of scenarios.

Limsa Lominsa

Till Sea Swallows All

—Limsa Lominsa Motto

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/limsa_lominsa_flag.png

A pirate port turned city-state nestled on the shores of La Noscea, it is led by an admiral who sailors and pirates alike swear fealty to. The city-state is primarily home to Seawolf Roegadyn pirates and sailors, but the warm weather has also drawn many a Seeker of the Sun Miqo'te, while the surrounding plain are tended to by Plainsfolk Lalafell.

General Tropes

Badass Creed: The Maelstrom's motto; "'Til Sea Swallows All!"
Born Under the Sail: Limsa Lominsa is a pirate haven, that runs under the command of an admiral who has proven their worth in a deadly ship race known as the Trident held once every seven years. The nation's culture and way of life revolves around the bounty of the sea. Appropriately, it boasts the strongest navy in the setting that even Garlemald can't compete against.
Call to Agriculture: Merlwyb has encouraged former pirates to take up farming instead, which many of them have done with varying success.
City Guards: The Yellowjackets, led by Commodore Reyner. The Rogues' Guild functions as a darker version of this, protecting the city from the shadows.
City on the Water: Limsa Lominsa is built into the numerous sea stacks off the coast of middle and lower La Noscea. The only parts of the city on the mainland of Vylbrand are its gates.
The Drunken Sailor: As a city populated by ex-pirates, the entire city is littered with them. One quest has you track down a pirate who made off with an entire tankard of ale that was supposed to go to a merchant.
Everyone Has Standards: While coining themselves as privateers fighting Garlemald, they're really dressed-up pirates at heart and unapologetically pillage and burn the enemy's ships like any pirate would, but as the Rogue's quest line entails, they have a code to keep some standards. Particularly, no stealing from fellow Lominsans, hurting the weak and the innocent is a no-go and Slavery Is a Special Kind of Evil. If you break the code and aren't strong or elusive enough to keep the Lominsans off of your back, they'll work together, both authorities and rogues alike, to make that your last mistake.
Fantasy Counterpart Culture: The city-state of Limsa Lominsa itself appears to be based largely on the historical pirate republic of Nassau with some elements of Scandanavia; it's an island state with white cliffs that is relatively close to the mainland, a major naval power, and has a significant population of Sea Wolf Roegadyn, whose names are drawn from Welsh, Old English, and Norse. The surrounding mainland draws from Western and Southern Europe, with the outlying regions (particularly the Costa de Sol) appearing to be based on Spain or Portugal.
Fantasy Gun Control: One of the few nations to avert this. Limsa is the only state in the Eorzean Alliance where blackpowder technology is advanced enough to be worthwhile despite the existence of magic, and its warships’ massive cannon batteries are major factors in its navy’s dominance of Eorzea’s seas. Even the recent technological advances in Ishgard that gave birth to its machinists and anti-dragon harpoons were based in part on Lominsan know-how.
Genius Bruiser: Limsa is primarily a Sea Wolf Roegadyn city - in other words, most of the population is comprised of seven-foot-tall pirates built like silverback gorillas. It’s also the most technologically advanced of Eorzea’s great city-states, and its arcanists practice the most intellectually taxing of the major disciplines of magic.
Not Hyperbole: Their national motto is "till sea swallows all" for a very good reason. The biggest threat to their well-being is the Sahagin, whose primal Leviathan will absolutely wash away the whole of Vylbrand if given the time and aether to do it. Hells, almost everything west of Aleport used to be a town before Leviathan let his waves wash on it.
Not-So-Safe Harbor: Limsa Lominsa used to be a pirate port where all manner if lawless crooks and brigands, only recently has piracy been completely outlawed in favor of privateering exclusively on the Garleans.
Old Shame: In-Universe example. The nation's leaders are not exactly proud of their origins, feeling that their Pirate days and how they kicked out many local beast tribes to take the land are not something to be proud of, and have since tried to improve their status without causing more harm.
Port Town: Limsa Lominsa boasts the largest and most bustling port in Eorzea along with the strongest navy in the alliance. This makes it a hub of trade and transportation.
Pirate Girl: The Sanguine Sirens are a violent, man-hating pirate crew made entirely of women. Currently, they are privateers to the Maelstrom and own a small eatery called the Missing Member.
Privateer: Although piracy has been outlawed, several pirates are still in business as sanctioned privateers attacking the Garlean Empire's ships.
Scoundrel Code: The Pirate's Code is a code of conduct that Admiral Agatzahr Roehrmrslyn laid down centuries before the story to prevent the pirates of Limsa Lominsa from falling to in-fighting. All versions of it can be summed up as such: No crew shall take another's hard-won booty. No Lominsan shall steal from another Lominsan. And no one, under any circumstances, shall sell anyone into slavery. Anyone who breaks this code is to be punished by humiliation or death, either by their fellow pirates or by the Upright Thieves, an organization of the deadliest and most alturistic pirates from all of the major crews who are dedicated to enforcing the Pirate's Code. In the present, the Upright Thieves have been rebranded by Merlwyb as the Rogues' Guild to preserve their legitimacy in a post-piracy world.
Wretched Hive: While Merlwyb does her best to maintain order in the city, it is still a city founded and primarily run by pirates and ex-pirates. As such, muggings, drunken fights, black market dealings, and all sorts of other crime is bound to happen. While the Yellowjackets are able to keep the city a relatively safe place (especially when compared to the rampant corruption in Ul'dah), it falls to the Rogues' Guild to take on threats that demand a less conspicuous touch.

Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn

Voiced by: Atsuko Tanaka (JP), Jean Gilpin (EN, Los Angeles cast), Tracy Ann Oberson (EN, London cast), Marie Gamory (FR), Ellen Schulz (DE)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ffxiv_merlwyb.jpg

Race: Seawolf Roegadyn
Epithet: Admiral
Discipline: Musketeer

"Victory is a far-flung shore. Mark the skies, abide the tides, trust your crew—and she will be yours."

The stalwart Admiral of Limsa Lominsa, the ex-captain of the League of Lost Bastards, and the leader of the Maelstrom.

The Ace: She built a nation almost from scratch, meaning that she could rarely delegate and had to be good at absolutely everything. She met and continues to meet the challenge, and is one of the most feared and respected people on the continent as a result.
Achievements in Ignorance: She inadvertently demonstrates that immortal beings like Ascians can be killed by shooting a Sahagin priest to shut him up, which leads to his soul being devoured by Leviathan. Though it goes unacknowledged at the time due to bigger things going on, the Scions research and discuss its importance later.
Action Girl: She was the greatest warrior of Limsa's pirate age, carving out a nation in a hail of bullets, and even through she's more of a politician these days, she's lost none of her talents. When Limsa goes to war, she's its vanguard and its most lethal weapon.
Assassin Outclassin': She is mentioned to have survived numerous attempts on her life for her implementation of the Galadion Accords, which banned piracy outsite of privateering raids on Garlean ships. The Reformists' assassination attempt in the Rogue quests is the latest of these attempts and foiled by the Rogues' Guild.
Benevolent Dictator: The position of Admiral is traditionally decided by the Trident, a multi-pronged boat race held every seven years by the strongest pirate crews to see who crosses the finish line first. Due to the threat of the Garlean Empire and the extensive restructuring needed to pivot Limsa away from piracy, Merlwyb has postponed the Trident indefinitely to remain in charge long enough to steer the nation in a more sustainable direction, essentially becoming the nation's dictator for the past 14 years. This has led to malcontent among the pirate crews who are frustrated by the Galadion Accords that banned piracy, with an extreme faction of the Bloody Executioners trying to assassinate her in the Rogue quests.
Big Good: As the Admiral of Limsa Lominsa, Merlwyb is the commander-in-chief of the nation's Grand Company, the Maelstrom and the nation's executive leader in all its affairs. As such, she's the person everyone turns to when trouble is afoot in Vylbrand.
Cleavage Window: Merlwyb's uniform is unclasped in the front, exposing the nape of her neck and a decent portion of bust.
Combat Pragmatist: When the Sahagin high oracle starts to summon Leviathan, she doesn't even hesitate to pop him in the head. It doesn't work, but she just keeps shooting him every time he gets up until he eventually does die.
Dark Is Not Evil: She's a fearsome pirate queen who looks like the platonic image of The Baroness - a towering, fierce-faced woman with eerily pale skin, eyes, and hair who wears an intimidating black uniform and carries a pair of massive, brutal-looking pistols called Annihilator and Death Penalty. While she is exactly as dangerous as she looks, she's definitely not evil - she's a noble and principled leader who is more consistently effective than any other Eorzean head of state in reforming her country for the better.
A Day in the Limelight: 5.4's Main Scenario quests partially focus on her efforts to pave the way for peace with the Kobolds with the help of the Scions and their newly acquired cure for tempering.
Four-Star Badass: Limsa Lominsa used to have a more... relaxed... military hierarchy than most city-states, and Merlwyb literally had to fight her way to the top. Nowadays, she's a Frontline General to the core.
Frontline General: While she will usually be barking orders from a command post, Merlwyb is not averse to stepping onto the battlefield herself and mowing down her foes with her honed skills as a musketeer. She fights alongside you at numerous points, such as when she tries to prevent Leviathan's summoning and again in the Endwalker Melee DPS role quests.
Genius Bruiser: An extreme example. She managed to turn an anarchic, violent pirate port/refugee colony into a prosperous, unified trading nation with herself as its unquestioned leader, simply by being the toughest, cleverest person in it. Any Limsan knows that if you face Merlwyb in battle or across the negotiating table, you've already lost.
Good Is Not Soft: She is without a doubt completely devoted to leading her nation into a brighter future. But she's also an ex-pirate and has no problems getting her hands dirty if it means protecting her people. For instance, she gives the Scions full permission to break Trachtoum's legs for wasting their time if he's lying about being an ex-member of the Company of Heroes.
Guest-Star Party Member: During Endwalker, she joins the Warrior of Light in the Physical Melee DPS Role Quest chain to hunt down the Blasphemy of the Sahagin Broodmother, the Indigo Beast.
Guns Akimbo: Her weapons are a pair of double-barreled flintlock pistols, wielding one in each hand while firing at a rate far beyond what pistols should be capable of in a Renaissance-era technology setting.
Groin Attack: Shoots a poor, poor enemy between the legs.
Guys Smash, Girls Shoot: Merwlyb is a crackshot with her dual pistols while her Number Two, Eynzahr, typically fights with his marauder's axe while leading the Maelstrom's forces.
Hot Blooded Sideburns: A rare female example. She's still very much got the fiery pirate captain in her, and, well, just look at those.
Hypocrite: During the parley with Emperor Varis, Merlwyb denounces the Empire's wars of expansion and makes the point that Limsa Lominsa has been able to prosper and thrive without conquering anyone. Varis retorts by pointing out that the kobolds would probably disagree with that claim and much of Limsa's prosperity came from piracy, hardly a victimless act.
Improbable Aiming Skills: Merlwyb has no issues landing headshot after headshot on a row of Sahagin before her even while shooting muskets Guns Akimbo. Later on, she has a duel with Sicard and shoots his first shot out of the air, casually dodges his return fire with a tilt of her head, and pops a round into his kneecap in seconds.
Iron Lady: As befitting a former Pirate Queen, Merlwyb is tough as nails and seeks to run Limsa Lominsa and the rest of Vylbrand as one tight ship. While she seeks the best for her people, she's still an ex-pirate and gives you full permission to break Trachtoum's legs if he's lying about being a member of the Company of Heroes. This ruthlessness is even more pronounced in her I Did What I Had to Do justification of her war with the kobolds and the Sahagin during A Realm Reborn, a stance she doesn't walk back on until the end of Shadowbringers. Official materials also state that she "silenced" any pirate crews she couldn't win over at the negotiation table.
Jerkass Realization: A more subdued example than most. Throughout A Realm Reborn she is the most vocal among the leaders that they have to put their people first, regardless of the consequences. The ugly side of this mentality rears its head during the Bloody Banquet and she is furious with herself for not backing the Scions when they needed her. While nobody calls her out, they don't need to, she is the first to call herself craven and it paves the way for her to start using other methods and start taking chances.
Meaningful Name:
- Merlwyb means "sea woman" in the Roegadyn tongue, a name that's very fitting for an admiral and former pirate queen.
- One of Merlwyb's pistols is "Annihilator", infamous as the weapon used by Mistbeard to wipe out many a rival pirate crew. Merlwyb's second pistol is "Death Penalty", which she used to execute her own father after he had been "drowned" by Leviathan.
Might Makes Right: In her view, when two people are fighting over the same land, the stronger one has the greater right to live. This is what drove her to break her non-aggression pact with the Kobolds and Sahagins, as she needed more land to accommodate Limsa's growing population.
My Greatest Failure:
- In A Realm Reborn, it's not standing up for the Scions of the Seventh Dawn at the Bloody Banquet. Merlwyb is the most vocal of the Eorzean leaders to put the people first, but the dark side of this rears its ugly head when she flees the Banquet instead of vouching for the Scions because of what her death might mean for Limsa Lominsa. Though no one calls her out on it in the heat of the moment, Merlwyb eventually calls herself a craven coward for not standing up when the Scions needed her most.
- In Shadowbringers and Endwalker, it's not making peace with the Sahagin or the kobolds. She is initially quite unapologetic about what her nation had to do to become great but realizes that this is little comfort to the beast tribes of the area, especially when Merlwyb had to go back on her word in terms of non-aggression and trade deals that she'd made. The Sahagin and the kobolds don't trust her as a result, and she admits that she can't refute their arguments. She spends most of the two aforementioned expansions trying to broker peace while vowing to be a leader for everyone while admitting that the days of looting and piracy are over for Limsa Lominsa.
Named Weapons: Annihilator and Death Penalty a pair of muskets once used by the pirate king Mistbeard.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Limsa Lominsa had a non-aggression pact with the Kobolds and Sahagin, swearing not to bother one another so long as they stayed to their respective lands. The keyword being had, as Merlwyb's predecessor moved to seize some of the beast races' land for Limsa Lominsa. This reignited conflict between the Lominsans and the beast races, leading to the Kobolds and Sahagins summoning their respective primals to wreak havoc. Y'shtola calls her out on her rash and selfish actions. For her part, Merlwyb takes full blame and strives to limit the damages her actions caused, though she's not exactly regretful about it either as she feels she did what was necessary to secure Limsa's future.
No Place for Me There: She's not self-loathing - in fact, she's proud of what she's achieved - but she's wise enough to realize that no healthy nation would need someone as uniquely talented as her to hold it together. As such, her goal in life is to make Limsa safe, peaceful, stable, and prosperous enough that the great ship of Vylbrand can keep sailing without its genius, unstoppable warrior-queen.
Out of Focus: Along with Kan-E, Merlwyb has not received nearly as much focus the other major leaders of the Eorzean Alliance, Raubahn, Nanamo, and Aymeric.
Pirate Girl: Before taking the mantle of Admiral, Merlwyb was the captain of the League of Lost Bastards, a band of pirates whose greatest claim to fame was discovering a new safe course through infamously treacherous waters to the New World.
Please Kill Me if It Satisfies You: In 5.4, she's well aware that curing the kobold patriarch Za Da's Titan tempering and making an earnest apology and attempt at peace can't undo the generations of ruthless exploitation the Lominsans inflicted on the kobolds after the last treaty. Z Da, even when freed from tempering, has no faith that history won't repeat itself. so she decides to toss him her Death Penalty and allow him to take her life as atonement for Limsa's past wrongs. To put it in her own words, "her life can annul the old pact, and her blood forge the new one." By all accounts, she was totally willing to let the Patriarch shoot her dead if it meant he would give peace a chance, but fortunately, the Za Da can't go through with it and (begrudgingly) decides to try and make peace without spilling blood.
Power Hair: Keeps her hair cut to even length with her jawline and combed back, showing her all-business attitude as the admiral of Limsa Lominsa.
Pragmatic Villainy: Merlwyb's decision to outlaw piracy came less from the moral scruples of it than the practical reasons. With the threat of the Garlean Empire's encroachment hanging over Eorzea, Limsa Lominsa could not afford to alienate its allies to withstand the might of the imperial legions. The Galadion Accords were put to paper to prevent Limsa's pirate fleets from driving away Gridania and Ul'dah in their darkest hour. At the same time, she knew there is far more sustainable profit to be had in establishing a global trade empire rather than restricting the nation to what they can plunder from others.
Renaissance Woman: Deconstructed. She's supremely gifted in every one of the many aspects of statecraft (economics, politics, warfare...) and the best soldier and sailor in her city-state besides. She's also a mortal woman who could drop dead after choking on a fishbone or slipping off a gangplank at any moment. As such, her main objective is to turn Limsa into the sort of nation that's robust enough to endure and flourish without someone like her keeping it all from spiraling into chaos.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Merlwyb leaves after the banquet in Ul'dah goes to hell, though she does express frustration over what happened and how there was little she could do to stop it, and in the Japanese dialogue, she's ready to pop Ilberd in the head and her aide has to remind her that would turn it into an international incident. She also tells the people of Limsa Lominsa that the Warrior of Light had nothing to do with the Sultana's assassination and is to be allowed to walk in their city freely.
Self-Made Orphan: She was forced to kill her own father when he was tempered by Leviathan. It's how one of her pistols, Death Penalty, got its name. It's one of the main reasons why she becomes so determined to end the three-way Forever War on Vylbrand once she realises it's actually an option.
Self-Made Woman: Pirates (even former ones) have no use for inherited titles and respect only strength. She's the one at the top.
Shoot the Bullet: In her duel against Sicard, she was able to shoot the bullet he fired at her, and then kneecap him.
White Hair, Black Heart: Downplayed. Between the three executive leaders of the Eorzean Alliance at the start of A Realm Reborn, whire-haired Merlwyb is the most outwardly ruthless and militaristic of the trio consisting of the peace-loving Kan-E and the idealistic Nanamo. Merlwyb is willing to inflict torturous punishments on her enemies and even advocates for breaking someone's legs if they're wasting her time. But Merlwyb's ruthlessness is only a means of securing a better life for her people and she still dreams of an age where Limsa Lominsa will no longer need to plunder the spoils of others to survive.

Eynzahr Slafyrsyn

Voiced by: Shigeo Kiyama (JP), Grant George (EN), Serge Biavan (FR), Helmut Krauss (DE)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/eynzahr_ffxiv.jpg

Race: Seawolf Roegadyn
Epithets: Grand Storm Marshal,
Mistbeard, King of the Five Seas
Discipline: Marauder, Musketeer

"Some among us believe that piracy is a time-honored tradition. But so long as we cling to this tradition, we will never know lasting prosperity."

Right-hand man to the Admiral and Grand Marshal of the Maelstrom.

Badass Longcoat: In battle, he wears the Storm Elite's Scale Mail, an armored pirate coat.
Blood Knight: A retired pirate he may be, but Eynzahr loves a scrap when he has the chance to be in one. Watching the Warrior of Light plow through the Maelstrom's best stirs Eynzahr's fighting spirit, with him serving as the final boss of the Hullbreaker Isle (Hard) dungeon. Even after his defeat, he's laughing with joy while claiming that he hasn't felt this alive in years.
…But He Sounds Handsome: He dips into this when talking about Mistbeard.
Captain Color Beard: Well, weatherbeard in his case. Eynzahr used to be known as the latest and last incarnation of the feared pirate "Mistbeard", hiding his identity behind a metallic mask.
Combat Pragmatist: When he fights you in Hullbreaker Isle (Hard), he attacks with his axe and focuses on making big cleaving spin attacks. Once he switches to his Mistbeard persona, he starts using attacks that are quite cheap and dirty; he ditches the axe for a gun, uses a special poison that lowers the party's maximum HP and attack power, and will use Leg Shot to cripple a party member's movement speed so that they can get caught in his heavily damaging Grenado Shot. He basically does whatever he can to hamper your ability to fight.
Cool Boat: It's him at the helm of the Whorleater when you fight Leviathan.
Cool Mask: As Mistbeard he wore the pirate's signature mask.
Exploding Barrels: He will rig the arena with Firesand Kegs which he can shoot to make explode in his boss fight. The party will have to knock the barrels away with their attacks for breathing room, lest they take a series of explosions to the face.
Four-Star Badass: He is the second-highest ranked member of the Maelstrom described as a skilled and daring marauder on the fields—and seas—of battle. When faced as a boss in Hullbreaker Isle (Hard), his axe swings cover a wider area than any of the playable Marauder skills.
I Am Not Left-Handed: Shortly into his fight in Hullbreaker Isle (Hard) he puts on his mask and hangs up his ax to fight with his pistol instead.
Legacy Character: The identity of Mistbeard is passed down through the generations, he himself was the most recent bearer.
Number Two: Second in command and answers only to the Admiral.
Playing with Fire: When using his ax his boss fight has him wielding powerful fire magic alongside it.
Retired Monster: Eynzahr is the latest and last incarnation of Mistbeard, the most feared pirate on the five seas who "drowned a hundred men on their own decks ere they took to sea". But after years of bitter fighting and enmity with Merlwyb, they came to an understanding, with Merlwyb convincing him of her plan to steer Limsa Lominsa away from piracy. As part of her plans, Eynzahr stashed away his mask 22 years ago and became her Number Two in the military while supporting her efforts at reform. That said, he still has some fondness for his old persona, donning it to batlte the Warrior of Light in a sparring exercise during Hullbreaker Isle (Hard).
Subordinate Excuse: It is rumored that he and the Admiral are involved both as himself and his former identity, the Dread Pirate Mistbeard. There are indeed a few moments within the story where they behave Like an Old Married Couple (in a stable, affectionate way, mind you).

Baderon Tenfingers

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/baderon_0.jpg

Race: Midlander Hyur

"Men in my line o' work tend to know a little somethin' 'bout everythin'."

The head of the Adventurer's Guild in Limsa Lominsa, the Drowning Wench. Like Momodi, he is one of the first characters that players who start in Limsa Lominsa meet.

Badass Family: Prior to settling down and becoming a bartender, Baderon, like his father before him, was a famed sellsword and considered one of the best of the best. In fact, the Postmoogle questline reveals that Baderon's father founded the Adventurer's Guild in Limsa Lominsa.
The Bartender: He is the owner and proprietor of the Drowning Wench. In addition to serving some of the best ale in Limsa, he's prone to listening to people's problems and posting jobs as the head of Limsa's Adventurer's Guild.
Call to Agriculture: Baderon once once a skilled sellsword famous in numerous circles, but eventually settled down to run the Drowning Wench instead.
Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: In the mission "Feint and Strike", he initially believes that you were a Spanner in the Works in the Sahagin's plans by forcing the pirates to attempt to destroy the Victory sooner than expected instead of a dual attack on Swiftperch instead. When he realizes that none of the Serpent Reavers were with the pirates, he realizes he got the message backwards, that the Victory was meant to be distraction and the attack on Swiftperch is the real attack.
Hidden Depths: He comes off as an unassuming bartender, but Baderon is the realm's foremost expert on ciphers and his services are often called on to decode nefarious missives.
Talk Like a Pirate: He has a proud Lominsan accent.
Vitriolic Best Buds: Tylswaen, an old friend from Baderon's sellsword days, is prone to waltzing in on the Wench and ordering up pint after pint of ale without ever paying his tab. This irritates Baderon, who repeatedly threatens to throw Tylswaen out on his ass. But S'dhodjbi, one of Baderon's bartenders, says that Baderon was secretly elated to see his old friend again. Should you speak with Baderon after Tylswaen leaves, the bartender will thank the Warrior for delivering his mail and reuniting them again.

Captain Carvallain de Gorgagne

Race: Wildwood Elezen
Discipline: Marauder

Captain of the Kraken's Arms, one of Limsa Lominsa's largest and most successful pirate fleets.

Ascended Extra: Gameplay-wise, he is available as Duty Support for Sirensong Sea as of patch 6.4.
Bait-and-Switch: When performing a short quest for him, Carvallain often asks for help with his completely legitimate business to deliver his "spices" to people in Limsa. At first, it seems like he's working in some shady dealings as a pirate and trying to dupe you into his work. In reality, it is all perfectly legitimate work. He's having you take deliveries to his customers and his piracy is sanctioned privateering against Garlemald.
Defector from Decadence: He was born to House Durendaire but was dissatisfied with this fate and assumed the alias of a House Durendaire bannerman, running away after his fourteenth nameday.
Everyone Can See It: Just about the only person in Eorzea who's still unaware that Rhoswen is in love with him is Carvallain himself.
Everyone Has Standards: As fiercely independent as any of the big pirate crews, but when he hears that one of his crew has been selling out Limsa to the Sahagin, he lets the Barracudas intrude on his ship and arrest the man in question for treason against the city.
Guest-Star Party Member: As of patch 6.4, he'll be the player's duty support tank for Sirensong Sea if the player is not the tank themselves.
Insistent Terminology: Captain Carvallain refers to everything he trades in as "spice", regardless of what it actually is (like Garlean firesand).
Misplaced Accent: For a pirate, he doesn't speak with the same thick brogue that his men or many of the other Lominsans do for that matter. This is yet another hint toward his true identity as the missing heir to House Durendaire.
Paper-Thin Disguise: When agreeing to do business with House Durendaire, his terms to the Warrior of Light include that none of the House's representatives will be allowed to see him or hear his name, all but saying that not only is he aware his disguise won't hold up to anyone who knows him, but that Carvallain is his actual name.
Privateer: After Merlwyb outlawed most forms of piracy, Carvallain turned his attention toward performing sanctioned raids on Garlean merchant ships and warships to make his fortune.
The Rival: To Rhoswen, the captain of the Sanguine Sirens. In truth, she harbors an immense crush on him, but she's too stubborn to admit it. Unfortunately for her, Carvallain is so paranoid about their rivalry that her feelings are entirely unreciprocated.
Sword and Fist: While fighting alongside you in Sirensong Sea, Carvallain will use the Warrior ability Upheaval^noterenamed Solid Leverage to repeatedly punch the enemy target with one hand for a large amount of damage while keeping his axe in his other hand.
Thicker Than Water: Somewhere deep down, he does still hold a bit of affection for his family and Ishgard. Seeing his father willing to give away closely guarded house secrets while trying to parley during the Ishgardian Restoration questline is enough for him to offer a chance to prove that their desire for change is sincere by setting up a trade agreement between House Durendaire and the Krakens.

Sicard Spence

Voiced by: Kenji Hamada (JP), Luke Allen-Gale (EN)

Race: Midlander Hyur
Epithet: Sicard the Last Word
Discipline: Musketeer, Machinist

First mate of the Bloody Executioners, one of the mightiest pirate fleets in Limsa Lominsa. With the captain Hyllfyr out of action due to his illness, Sicard leads in his place and takes it upon himself to make the fleet rich.

Blasting It Out of Their Hands: On the receiving end, with Captain Hyllfyr shooting his pistol out of his hand to stop him from shooting Merlwyb after losing his duel.
Duel to the Death: Sicard sees his duel with Merlwyb as one to the death and refuses to concede even after being knee-capped by her. He then tries to shoot her, only for Hyllfyr to shoot the pistol out of his hand.
Firing One-Handed: He initially just uses a Musketeer's pistol, but upgrades to a Machinist's carbine in Garlemald which he fires with one hand despite its size.
Good Old Ways: Sicard wants Limsa Lominsa to go back to the old days of piracy, which Merlwyb has made illegal and is actively trying to move the nation away from.
Heel–Face Turn: Introduced as a (minor) antagonist interested only in looking out for his own crew, Sicard comes back in Endwalker serving Limsa Lominsa as a whole, and proves himself a capable, reliable ally.
Snark-to-Snark Combat: In Endwalker he banters repeatedly with Emmanellain, with the two constantly trying to outdo each other with snark and the accomplishments of their respective companies.
Ten Paces and Turn: Sicard challenges Merlwyb to a duel with pistols, which Merlwyb wins by shooting him in the knee.
Those Two Guys: How his relationship with Emmanellain develops - even after their service to the Ilsabardian Contingent is finished and they've returned to their respective nations!

Gridania

Wood's Will Be Done

—Gridania Motto

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gridania_flag.png

A city hidden amongst the boughs of the Black Shroud, the wise Padjali Seedseers lead its people under the council of the Elementals, spirits of the wood. Founded under a coalition of Elezen and Hyur, the city-state is also home to many a Keeper of the Moon Miqo'te hunting party.

General Tropes

Blue-and-Orange Morality: The Elementals are completely alien in both agenda and morality to the spoken races. They could easily dismantle Gridania with but a thought, and only refrain from doing so because the Seedseers agree to enforce their will (no poaching on pain of death, take only what you absolutely need from the Twelveswood's resources, only use conjury on those the Elementals themselves deem worth saving, etc).
Don't Go in the Woods: Although Gridania prides itself on living in harmony with the Twelveswood, the forest itself is a terribly dangerous place for the unprepared. Prior to the Calamity, accruing "Woodsin", as in performing actions considered harmful to the forest (i.e. needlessly chopping a tree down or setting a forest fire on purpose), was enough to incur the elementals' wrath. The lucky ones get petrified. The unlucky ones are outright disintegrated. Even discounting the elementals, the Black Shroud is home to a host of highly dangerous creatures, including Big Creepy-Crawlies, various raptors, and very angry treants who will swat anyone who trespasses or disturb the wood.
Fantastic Racism: One of the more bigoted and intolerant of the Eorzean nations, openly oppressing Duskwight Elezen and looking down on Keeper of the Moon Miqo'te due to how their respective lifestyles clash with the will of the Elementals—even though both the Duskwight and Wildwood Elezen descend from Gelmorra. Passerby NPC text also has them grumbling at your character for being an outsider, and a few of the Wood Wailers make clear that the only reason they aren't presently ejecting you from the city gates is Kan-E-Senna's instructions.
- Ala Mhigans are likewise prone to being on the receiving end of this, owing to lingering hostilies from the Autumn War 100 years prior where Ala Mhigo attempted to conquer Gridania. When Ala Mhigo later fell to the Garlean Empire, Gridania was the closest place refugees could flee to, but most were denied asylum by the Elementals and forced to move on to Ul'dah.
Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Gridania is the most removed from any real life place, but its location makes it a equivalent for Central Europe, and may be based on the Black Forest in Germany.
Food as Characterization: Animal husbandry is forbidden in the Twelveswood due to livestock's potential to disrupt the balance of the forest. As a result, dairy products are few and far in-between and most meat is fish or wild game. Gridania instead cultivates Mun-Tuy beans to produce its signature Mun-Tuy tonic, a fermented bean drink akin to real life soy milk. The drink is so popular in Gridania that the setting's equivalent to Open Sesame is "Open Mun-Tuy".
Forest Ranger: The Wood Wailers are the police force of Gridania who defend it from internal threats. They also function as City Guards.
Game-Breaking Injury: The catastrophic damage inflicted on the Twelveswood by the Calamity drastically reduced the elementals' power. While their presence is still felt, as shown by the aggression of the local animals, they are not able to impose their will as easily, allowing poachers and bandits to overtake much of the Black Shroud.
Genius Loci: Gridania is governed by the Elementals, inscrutable fey entities that operate on Blue-and-Orange Morality. As embodiments of the trees, plants, earth, air, and water, they're responsible for the Twelveswood's immense biodiversity and fertility and are thought to be fragments of Nophica's power. While they often render aid when beseeched by the Seedseers, their mindset remains alien and sometimes animalistic. Taint and threats to the forest can drive them into fearful aggression in an effort to defend themselves, forcing the Seedseers to discover and put a stop to the source of distress to restore peace to the forest.
In Harmony with Nature: All Gridanians are sworn to defend the Twelveswood from any who would defile and exploit it. In exchange for protecting the elementals and only taking what is necessary, Gridania gets to enjoy a steady supply of game and the most fertile lands in all of Eorzea. But defying the elementals risks turning the forest against all inside it, turning all creatures immediately hostile and turning trees into treants to crush intruders.
Martial Pacifist: Gridania as a whole abhors violence and sees it as a last resort. But its army of Archers, Lancers, and Conjurers is just as capable as the more militant forces of Ul'dah and Limsa Lominsa.
Nature Is Not Nice: Which is why they're constantly trying to appease the elementals. Also, the forest itself is pretty dangerous even without them.
Plain Palate: Desptie having access to a vast variety of fruits and vegetables Gridanian cuisine tends to be "lightly-seasoned" (to put it mildly) compared to the food of the other city-states. One adventurer hanging around at the Carline Canopy complains that the water has more flavor than the food on his plate. In another scene, a member of the Twin Adders complains that an Ala Mhigan-style stew he's been served is way too spicy for his tastes. His Lominsan and Ul'dahn counterparts gently rib him for eating such bland food that the stew seems overwhelmingly flavorful.
Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: Certain questlines reveal that some Hearers have a tendency to use "the will of the elementals" as a vehicle to enforce their own prejudices and interests... which casts a pall on earlier quests and flavor text in which medical care is being denied under those grounds.

Kan-E-Senna

Voiced by: Rie Tanaka (JP), Cindy Robinson (EN, Los Angeles cast), Hannah Arterton (EN, London cast), Kelly Marot (FR), Annette Gunkel (DE)

Race: Padjal
Epithet: Elder Seedseer
Discipline: White Mage

"No road is closed to those true of heart."

The wise and powerful Elder Seedseer who leads Gridania and its Order of the Twin Adder, maintaining peace between the mortal denizens and the elementals that live in the forest.

Action Girl: Finally shows it when she can be seen fighting on the front lines with everyone else in the battle of Ala Mhigo.
Big Good: Of the Order of the Twin Adder Grand Company.
Dishing Out Dirt: She is shown to use Stone spells in battle.
Druid: As mentioned before, Seedseers can hear the Elementals, and interpret their will, as well as provide healing to nature, and those who respect it. She is very attuned to the aether, and as such, can sense dark presences (often the Ascians) easily.
Force Field: She uses the same Aetherial Pulse barrier as Y'shtola to protect the alliance in the Ghymlit Dark.
Former Teen Rebel: When she first became a Padjal, she hated it because she never asked to be one and thought her horns made her ugly. She would constantly wander about in the woods and complain about how she couldn't live among her friends, giving E-Sumi-Yan grief to no end thanks to her rebellious attitude. Once she accepted her role as a Padjal and becoming the Seedseer, she becomes more mature.
Green Thumb: Is a Seedseer and White Mage, which here, pull double duty of being a fantasy Druid. As such, she can hear the Elementals' will.
Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: As evidenced by her picture. The most soft spoken, composed, and kindest of the three Grand Company leaders, she's held in high regard by the people of Gridania as the very embodiment of what they strive for living in the Black Shroud.
High Priest: Of Gridania's environmental theocracy.
Holy Hand Grenade: During the raid in the Tower of Babil in the post role quests, she'll use Holy Light to blast enemies with holy magic. It's the White Mage's Holy III spell in all but name.
Horned Humanoid: As a Padjal, she has horns and is gifted with eternal youth.
Improbable Age: Subverted. While 28 seems awfully young to lead a country, as a padjal Kan-E is gifted with preternatural wisdom and foresight.
In Harmony with Nature: As the Seedseer and a Padjal, she is very much in tune with the elementals.
Married to the Job: By virtue of being chosen to lead Gridania by the Great One. She used to hate it, but now she has no other desire than to give her everything to the Tweleveswood. She does admit if there ever came a time when she retires from her position and someone else takes her place, however, that she'd like to find true love.
Mythology Gag: She performs Yuna's Sending Dance when trying to summon the Irmin Hedge in the Endwalker Tank role quests.
Named Weapons: Claustrum, a staff created from a tree that survived the 6th Umbral Era.
Nature Hero: Is one with the Elementals of the forest and defends both her people and the forest.
Older Than They Look: Averted, for now. As a Padjal, she stopped aging at some point in her late teens or early twenties and is fated for this, but at present doesn't look that far off her age of 28. This actually makes her unique among her peers, as she appears visibly older then her fellow Padjals who mostly look like children or preteens, even though some of them, like E-Sumi-Yan, are older than her. That said, she clearly wears heels and the thick dress obscures her figure, making her appear taller and more matronly that she likely would without them.
Out of Focus: Along with Merlwyb, Kan-E has not received nearly as much focus the other major leaders, Raubahn, Nanamo, and Aymeric. By Endwalker, she gets a chance to have some of the spotlight for herself in the tank role quests.
Pretty in Mink: Her robe has a white fur collar.
Seers: Right there in the title. She was admitted into the Conjurer's Guild for predicting forest fires and locust infestations.
Superhero Speciation: Although the Senna siblings are all white mages, Raya-O surpasses her siblings at her ability to wield purging and cleansing white magic while having reduced ability to hear the elementals. A-Ruhn's ability to hear the elementals is the most sensitive of the three to the point of struggling to make conversation with people. Kan-E's abilities are ecliped by her younger siblings in their specialties, but she also has a keen gift of prophecy as well as the social skills and maturity to lead Gridania.
Transhuman: Kan-E-Senna is a Padjal, an eternally young Horned Humanoid that is born from regular Hyur parents.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After the Warrior of Light and the Scions are accused of killing Nanamo and seeing Raubahn go on a murderous rampage to avenge her, Kan-E-Senna quickly leaves the room to ensure her own safety. She does, however, tell her people that the Warrior of Light is to be declared innocent and to not listen to the false rumors.
Ship Tease: With the Keeper of the Entwined Serpents, captain of her personal guard. He is a former imperial soldier that Kan-E-Senna personally nursed back to health after the Battle of Carteneau, which earned her his undying loyalty and seemingly more, as the man is very obviously enamored with her but Cannot Spit It Out.
Silk Hiding Steel: She is a powerful White Mage, shown using powerful Stone spells in the fight to reclaim Ala Mhigo.
Staff of Authority: Her weapon is a Magic Staff.
White Mage: Along with her siblings, she is one of the original White Mages, as prior to the Seventh Umbral Era only Padjal were permitted to take on the job.

Keeper of the Entwined Serpents

Race: Midlander Hyur
Discipline: Lancer

The stalwart guardian of the Elder Seedseer, during the Battle of Cartenau he served with the VIIth Imperial Legion but was grievously wounded in the calamity only to be personally healed by Kan-E-Senna.

Ascended Extra: In A Realm Reborn he initially appears as one of Kan-E-Senna's bodyguards, but only when she has several present. In circumstances where she has only one protector, it is an Elezen man who's guarding her. The Keeper only becomes her first and foremost bodyguard in following expansions and gets something of A Day In The Lime Light in an Endwalker role quest.
Custom Uniform: As one of Kan-E-Senna's personal bodyguards, he wears similar armor as the Wood Wailers only in white instead of green.
Defector from Decadence: He was originally a Garlean conscript, but defected after Kan-E-Senna saved his life and has since then served as her personal bodyguard.
Florence Nightingale Effect: He is implied to be in love with Kan-E-Senna who saved his life after being wounded in the calamity, despite being an enemy soldier.
No Name Given: He is only ever referred to by his title and not by any name.
Redemption Promotion: He was only an ordinary foot soldier when he served in Garlemald's army but as a member of Gridania, he is the personal bodyguard to the Elder Seedseer.

Swethryk Brookstone

Race: Midlander Hyur
Discipline: Lancer

The Grand Serpent Marshall of the Order of the Twin Adder. He's the highest military authority in Gridania, serving as an advisor to Elder Seedseer Kan-E-Senna and training Adders recruits.

A Father to His Men: He took a blow for a soldier under his command and wound up losing his eye from it, after which retiring from the frontlines in order to teach others the way of the lance.
Eyepatch of Power: He wears one over his missing eye and is the military commander of the Order of the Twin Adders, second only to Kan-E-Senna herself.
Four-Star Badass: He is the highest ranked military leader in Gridania. .
Eye Scream: He suffered the loss of his eye and gave up his leadership in the Wood Wailers because of it.
Handsome Lech: He used to have a reputation of being a man-whore in his youth.
Hypercompetent Sidekick: Unlike her contemporaries, Merlwyb and Raubahn, Kan-E-Senna has no experience with military operations and so she leaves the actual military command of the Adders to Brookstone.
Minor Major Character: Compared to his counterparts Pipin, Eynzahr, M'naago, and Lucia, he doesn't actually appear very often or participate in many major stories with his only contribution to the main plot as a Quest Giver for the sidequests that introduce Black Rose.
Retired Badass: From the frontlines, at least. Swethryk once served as the captain of the Wood Wailers but retired from that position due to injury. Presumably his role as head of the Twin Adders is more administrative as a result, and he is never seen in combat unlike his contemporaries in the other Companies.

Miounne

Race: Duskwight Elezen
Epithet: Mother Miounne

"Great or small, every contribution counts."

The head of the Adventurer's Guild in Gridania, the Carline Canopy. She is one of the first characters that Gridanian players meet.

The Bartender: Like her counterparts in Ul'dah and Limsa Lominsa, the Carline Canopy runs a tavern for adventurers coming home from a long day's work. That said, she's much more keen on offering tea than booze.
Beware the Nice Ones: Fufucha of the Botanist's Guild notes that while she is a reasonable woman, she can be quite frightening when angered.
Easing into the Adventure: She is a proponent of this, ensuring that new adventurers are given smaller tasks to help acclimate them to Gridania before sending them out on more dangerous tasks.
Famous Ancestor: The Postmoogle quests reveal that Miounne's family holds an esteemed place in Gridanian society due to minding the waterwheel for generations. Her grandfather welcomed the Lalafellin father and his daughter Figaga when no one else would and helped them build its largest and most powerful waterwheel before both Lalafells succumbed to a plague. Because of this, Miounne makes a point of honoring their memory by laying a bouquet of carlines, Figaga's favorites and the same flowers the Carline Canopy is named after, at the foot of the Jadeite Flood in front Figaga's Wheel, a monument to her grandfather's friendship with Figaga's family. The Carline Canopy itself was built out of the storage shed her grandfather sheltered them in to serve as welcoming sight and a symbol of acceptance to any who would take shelter in the Black Shroud.
Keep the Home Fires Burning: She takes a motherly role to the adventurers who get their start at the Carline Canopy, nagging them to prepare themselves properly and having an eel pie and a cup of tea on hand for when they return. Yet she also knows that some of the adventurers she sees off won't come back, but that makes it even more important for her to be able to welcome home the ones that do.
My Beloved Smother: Downplayed. An adventurer hanging around the Carline Canopy says that Miounne may seem overbearing with how much she nags the adventurers who frequent the guild to prepare themselves, but he says that those same adventurers would have never gotten far in the Black Shroud without her advice.
So Proud of You: Befitting her status as Team Mom, she'll often tell you this whenever you accomplish something noteworthy.
Supreme Chef: In contrast to the typical bland Gridanian faire, Mother Miounne is well-known in Gridania for her signature eel pies. The 2021 Starlight Celebration also reveals her to be a skilled confectioner, making candies and cookies for the children of Bentbranch Meadow, and shows Rudy how to make "schneeballs", a German pastry.
Take That, Audience!: Mother Miounne apparently knows about most players' sense of humor with character creation regarding names.
Miounne: Oh, and I would appreciate it if you used your real name—there is a special place in the seventh hell for those who use "amusing" aliases.
Team Mom: It's in her name, and she encourages adventurers to see her as this. She encourages the player in everything they do, offers as much advice as she can, and would like nothing more for adventurers to come home safely and relax with a cup of tea.

Buscarron Stacks

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ffxiv_buscarron.jpg

Race: Midlander Hyur
Discipline: Lancer

The owner and proprietor of Buscarron's Druthers in the South Shroud. He is willing to serve anyone in his bar, whether they are Wood Wailers or brigands.

The Bartender: He operates his own tavern in the middle of the South Shroud and is a kind, genial man who's happy to listen to your troubles and help you through them. Anyone is welcome at his bar so long as they've got the coin and follow the rules. His kindness has earned him the respect and loyalty of his many patrons, including brigands and poachers.
The Cameo: In the Questions and Lancers quest, he's one of the Lancer Masters Ywain has you go visit.
Establishing Character Moment: During the Sylph's storyline in the MSQ, the first thing he has you do when you first meet him is to stop a Midlander from attacking a Duskwright. Showing that all are welcome at his bar, no matter who they are.
History Repeats: When the Warrior of Light is sent to him so Buscarron can grind up some antelope horns for an Ala Mhigan medical treatment, he recounts his time as a Wood Wailer when the same treatment was given to him to save his life. He then remarks how things come full circle before taking the fully-made ointment off his shelf and giving it to the Warrior of Light free of charge, saying that it's the least he can do after the Ala Mhigans saved his life so many years ago.
Nice Guy: So long as you've got the coin to pay and don't start trouble, he doesn't care whether you're a Duskwight Elezen, a Hyur, a proud hero, or a lowly bandit, you're welcome at his table. He also nursed Totoron, a Qiqirn, back to health at no benefit to himself, and the sylphs are comfortable enough in his presence to talk to him.
Retired Badass: He was once a Wood Wailer himself and a Lancer commended by Ywain, Guildmaster of the Lancer Guild. Buscarron has since retired to live a simple life operating a tavern in the South Shroud, though he still has his connections to the Twin Adders and is happy to send them any info his patrons slip.
Sleeves Are for Wimps: Wears the Hyuran racial top.
Villain Respect: The Redbelly bandits and Coeurlclaw poachers both hold great respect for Buscarron despite him being a former enemy of theirs as a Wood Wailer. They leave Buscarron's Druthers alone, and are even welcome in it so long as they don't cause trouble, and at his bidding come to the Warrior of Light's aid in apprehending the traitorous Wood Wailer Laurentius.

"Gridanian Smith"

Not an NPC proper, but a recurring figure throughout the game. A Gridanian smith who after a meeting with Lady Amandine of Hauke Manor became infatuated with beings of the void and wished to summon one to fall in love with. He was tried and executed for the crime of dabbling in the black arts, but when they later checked his coffin, it was empty. This, among other descriptions from other void related items, all have troubling implications...

Brick Joke: In the Great Gubal Library, you can find a journal apparently from the smith about his attempts to summon a succubus into a victim who is chained to a bed, however the voidsent he summons is very tentacle-y and horrifies him. In 6.2 when the Warrior of Light visits the 13th, on Zero's island, the player can find a Mind Flayer who relays to you a story of being summoned into a body that was chained to a bed. Before he could do anything, his summoner calls him a hideous freak and began stabbing him. He quickly returned to the 13th and vowed never to be summoned again.
The Man They Couldn't Hang: Well they did, but it apparently didn't stick.
Nightmare Fetishist: He became obssessed with creatures of the void, wishing to make one his beloved. The Scathach minion implies that he even learned about her, despite her being sealed away in Dun Scaith, and fell in love with her.
Running Gag: If you find a minion based on a feminine-looking voidsent, chances are he made it. He's also mentioned at least once in every patch in the 6.X series thus far: Another one of his journals is locked away in Sharlayan's restricted library in 6.1; as mentioned above, he's referenced by a mindflayer in 6.2; and in 6.3, a document in Lapis Manalis suggests that he was the latest member of a line of dollmakers in Garlemald, crafting mammets for reapers to practice their techniques on. When he left seeking "unparalleled beauty", the reapers were left without a means to create or efficiently repair their Galateae mammets.

Ala Mhigo

Born from Blood

—Ala Mhigo Motto

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ala_mhigo_flag.png

Once one of the greatest city-states of Eorzea, Ala Mhigo was a kingdom of proud warriors located in the deserts of Gyr Abania. Twenty years ago a terrible civil war gripped Ala Mhigo when the Mad King Theodoric began a reign of terror, executing the rest of the royal family and waging open war with the Warrior Monks who served him. Whilst anarchy reigned, the XIVth Legion of the Garlean Empire, led by the "Black Wolf," Gaius van Baelsar, made their inroads and conquered the city-state ruling it ever since with an iron fist.

General Tropes

A Thicket of Spears: Prior to its fall, Ala Mhigo was known for its legions of pikemen, most notably deployed in the Autumn War 100 years ago in an attempt to counter the mounted knights of Ishgard. Possibly due to its fall and the scattered state of its fighters, only a few Ala Mhigan lancers show up in the present and its famous pikemen formations are not shown off in-game.
Big Fancy Castle: The palace located at the back of the Ala Mhigan Quarter once belonged to the last king of Ala Mhigo, Theodoric. It spans the entire length of the farthest wall of the city and is large enough to have entire armies fight inside of it along with magitek colossi. The final duty of the 4.0 main story, the Royal Menagerie, takes place on the roof of the castle, which once housed an entire zoo full of animals from across Eorzea dedicated to Theodoric's wife.
The Caligula: Theodoric the First, better known as the "Mad King" and "the King of Ruin", rose to the throne of Ala Mhigo thirty years before the events of A Realm Reborn. A paranoid and power-hungry individual, he would conduct a series of purges to destroy anything he deemed heretical and a threat to his rule, including wiping out the nation's vaunted warrior monks, the Fist of Rhalgr. Anyone he deemed a threat, from the nobility to the poorest beggar, would be thrown from the roof of his palace to their deaths. Even his own wife would conspire to assassinate him after seeing the man he became. His tyranny would inspire the creation of the Ala Mhigan Resistance, who would succeed in deposing Theodoric to end his reign of terror. After the events of Stormblood, memories of Theodoric's rule and Garlean oppression lead Ala Mhigo's interim government to agree that it would never have another king to prevent history from repeating itself.
Culture Chop Suey: Similar to Ul'dah, rather than being based on any one culture, Ala Mhigo mixes in several historical influences. Geographically, Ala Mhigo is based on Turkey and some of the outfits themed after the nation are vaguely inspired by the Middle East. However, many of the inhabitants often wear similar medieval European outfits as the rest of Eorzea, while they tend to have names of Germanic origin. Adding to the mix are the Red Mage and Monk jobs, which originate from Ala Mhigo, the former of which wield rapiers and wear vaguely 18th century European outfits, while the latter are inspired by the Chinese Shaolin monks.
Despair Event Horizon: When you first meet the Resistance, you find them all in this state due to the Griffin's plan. This is especially telling in Ala Gannha, they're all content to just live than doing any sort of fighting back.
Exposed to the Elements: As a mountainous region akin to modern-day Turkey, Ala Mhigo has a relatively chilly climate compared to its temperate neighbor, Gridania. Despite this, many Ala Mhigan men remain lightly dressed when not in military garb, with a good number of them going completely shirtless. This is perhaps most notable with the monks of the Fist of Rhalgr, whose initiates have bare arms. Expert practitioners wear the Tantra garb, which leaves their midriff and arms completely bare. The Pacifist's garb only covers the shoulders and sides while being completely shirtless underneath.
Fantastic Slur: Ala Mhigans would call those who adapted and accepted the Garlean rule "tinhead-lovers" for allying with their Tin Tyrant overlords.
Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Ala Mhigo's militant culture and historical imperialistic ambitions brings Turkey to mind. The Peaks heavily resemble the "stone peaks" of Cappadocia◊ and the Ala Mhigan Quarter is similarly to designed to buildings from modern Turkey.
Fatal Flaw: Stubborness. Ala Mhigans have a tendency to get an idea in their heads and stick with it to the very end. The Ala Migians the player interacts with before Stormblood are often either refugees that are reluctant to accept help from outsiders, or rebels that often take resisting the Empire to nearly fanatical lengths. Once you enter Gyr Abania proper, you meet the flipside of that, people who are so broken down they are vehemently opposed to even the idea of rebellion.
Foil: Ala Mhigo is more or less the inverse of its closest neighbor, Gridania. Ala Mhigo is situated in Gyr Abania, a chilly, rugged mountainous region unsuitable for farming. This led Ala Mhigo to produce a militant Proud Warrior Race culture with a history of honing destructive combat forms as per the teachings of its favored god, Rhalgr. Meanwhile, Gridania was established in the fertile Twelveswood where people worked to live in harmony with the elementals in the name of Nophica, goddess of fertility and the harvest. This has led to Gridania abhorring violence and becoming a center for conjury, one of the most widespread healing arts in Eorzea.
The Friend Nobody Likes:
- For years this was the feeling the other city-states held for Ala Mhigo. They were fighters at the best of times and once tried to conquer swathes of its nearest neighbor, Gridania. As a result, Gridania didn't lift a finger to stop the Garlean occupation because of the Autumn War a hundred years ago. Many Ul'dahn natives resent the refugees they ended up dealing with which made them disinclined to help with any dreams of liberating it. Thankfully, with Lyse and now Raubahn, two people who are extremely popular with both of the aforementioned city states at the helm of the liberated Ala Mhigo's senate, relations are improving. Then in Endwalker, Lyse and the Ala Mhigan Resistance come to the aid of Gridanian military forces seeking to claim Allagan adamantite for the Ragnarok in a showing of solidarity and much warmer relations between Ala Mhigo and Gridania.
- Near the end of the Stormblood Carpenter questline, Twin Adders Captain Gairhard struggles to to help his new Ala Mhigan recruits see eye-to-eye with his Gridanian troops because of lingering prejudices and gratuitous amounts of Fee Fi Faux Pas.
Gameplay and Story Segregation: In-lore, Ala Mhigo was known for its fearsome pikemen, which made it confident in its ability to take on the famed chocobo-mounted knights of Ishgard. However, most Ala Mhigans encountered in the story fight either as pugilists or gladiators, with only a few wielding polearms and none of them making use of pikemen formations, likely due to gameplay limitations.
How the Mighty Have Fallen: A century ago, Ala Mhigo had the most powerful military of all of the Eorzean city-states. In the Autumn War, Ala Mhigo was only pushed back and defeated by the combined forces of Gridania, Limsa Lominsa, Ul'dah, and Ishgard. In the present, the once-proud nation is being pillaged by Garlean forces who grind its terrified citizens under heel and attempt to destroy Ala Mhigo's culture and traditions.
Irony: In the past, when Ala Mhigo attempted to invade Gridania, Limsa Lominsa, Ul'dah, and Ishgard banded together to deal a crushing defeat. In Stormblood, the same nations team up again to liberate the nation from Garlemald.
My Country, Right or Wrong: Ala Mhigo is perhaps the staunchest of self-patriotic nation states, to the point that Ala Mhigan refugees are singled out from the rest in Ul'dah both due to their political leanings and the complications that tend to occur when they're unwittingly involved with a new Monetarist scheme. Numerous times in A Realm Reborn we see Ala Mhigans willing to fight for their namesake to nigh-suicidal extents because of how much they love their homeland, and this makes them painfully easy to manipulate to murderous rebellion if someone so much as waves a bit of charisma and the prospect of their land's freedom in their faces.
National Anthem: "The Measure of His Reach", a booming, patriotic tune espousing Ala Mhigo's gratitude to their Patron God Rhalgr for showing them to their promised land while beckoning their fellow Ala Mhigans to aid them in building their nation up. When the Garleans took over, it's replaced with "The Measure of Our Reach", a song sung to the same tune but extolling Garlemald instead.
Occupiers Out of Our Country: The Ala Mhigan Resistance has been fighting a guerrilla war with Garlemald for the past twenty years with only minimal support from Ul'dah.
Proud Warrior Race Guy: Due to its rugged, arid environment unsuitable for farm work, many Ala Mhigans became mercenaries to support themselves. They became so famous for this that each city-state had an entire company of Ala Mhigan sellswords. Ala Mhigo's worship of Rhalgr, the Destroyer Deity of the Twelve, furthered its cultural emphasis on rigor and discipline.
The Republic: After liberation from the Empire, Ala Mhigo transitioned its government into a republic led by a council representing its diverse peoples.
* Unwitting Pawn: Gaius van Baelsar played the Ala Mhigan Resistance for fools years before the events of the story, secretly backing their rebellion to ensure that Theodoric would be overthrown and exhausting both sides of the Ala Mhigan Revolution. That's when the XIVth Legion swept in and occupied a city-state too worn from its civil war to fight back against its new oppressors.

Lyse Hext

Voiced by: Aya Endo (JP), Mela Lee (EN, Los Angeles cast), Laura Aikman (EN, London cast), Isabelle Volpé (FR), Henrike Krügener (DE), Paulina Weiner (DE recast)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lyse_2.jpg

Race: Highlander Hyur
Discipline: Pugilist

"Twenty years the Empire had ruled us, but no longer. Liberty or death. Liberty or death."

The sister of the Archon Yda, she was but five years old when Ala Mhigo fell to the Garleans and has spent her life dithering in the shadows of her father and sister who were both leading figures in the Ala Mhigan resistance.

Action Girl: Of the female Scions, she's easily the most hands-on with her fighting style (figuratively and literally), and she's one of the few who can fight against Zenos (however briefly) without immediately being killed. She also duels the Warrior in a friendly spar atop the statue of Rhalgr, with their mutual grins implying that they each see the other as a Worthy Opponent.
Bare-Fisted Monk: She doesn't even bother with a pugilist's arm in her liberator costume but when she switches to her traditional Ala Mhigan dress she uses a katar that can spring from her gauntlet.
Blade Below the Shoulder: The red dress she dons has a wrist mounted blade built into her right gauntlet to augment her punching.
Boxing Lessons for Superman: Even though she's a powerful monk, she's never been formally trained. The Level 80 monk quest has her ask Widargelt to train her as one of his students.
Character Development: She was originally flighty and hid behind her sisters identity because she felt aimless and without her own purpose, much of her arc in Stormblood is about growing into her own as a leader that the Ala Mhigan resistance and follow.
Closest Thing We Got: There's an implicit understanding that her promotion to leader of the Resistance happens due to a shortage of more qualified candidates. Conrad's preferred successor, Meffrid, is already dead and Lyse can at least inspire others to follow her. Lyse herself acknowledges this and is quick to hand over the reins to Raubahn when she can.
Dead Person Impersonation: 3.56's finale to The Far Edge of Fate reveals that the real Yda died 6 years prior to the events of ''A Realm Reborn'', at least a year before the Calamity, when she tried to help some Ala Mhigan refugees sneak out of her home nation, but was caught by Imperials. The Yda in-game is revealed to her sister Lyse, who took up her name and face mask since Yda was considered a hero for her part in the resistance against Ala Mhigo's former tyrant king Theoderic, and subsequently the Garleans when they rolled in soon after, as well as a trusted companion of the Archons who followed Louisoix as part of the Circle of Knowing. Papalymo tried to discourage Lyse, and kept insisting she follow her own path, but agreed to put on a charade, secretly informing the other Archons and convincing them to accept Lyse as "Yda".
Commuting on a Bus: When she retires from the Scions to help rebuild Ala Mhigo, she fades from the spotlight, but she still has a lot more focus put on her when the opportunity presents itself than the other Eorzean Alliance leaders due to her closeness to them and the Warrior of Light.
Deuteragonist: She and Hien share this role with with the Warrior of Light for the initial campaign of Stormblood before handing the reigns back to the twins.
Early-Bird Cameo: Sort of. Though you've known her as Yda since the beginning, it turns out She's the woman in red sparring with the Warrior of Light in the Stormblood trailer, which was released before the reveal of her true identity and unmasking.
Exposed to the Elements: Double Subverted. When the Alliance heads to Garlemald, Lyse puts on the gear of her fellow resistance members to better protect herself against the region's frigid cold. But once it comes time to invade the city itself, she once again dons her ceremonial Ala Mhigan dress. Even Sadu and Magnai are baffled by how impractical it is in Garlemald's cold, but Lyse brushes it off by saying that she'll warm up once the fighting starts inside.
Foil: To Fordola. Both are Ala Mhigan and fighting for their country's freedom, but Fordola was raised under imperial rule and is willing to butcher her own people and rise through the ranks and wants nothing more than for her people to be equal to Garleans.
From Nobody to Nightmare: From a refugee escaping from Ala Mhigo as it was invaded by Garlemald to the de facto leader of the Ala Mhigan resistance.
Genius Bruiser: A very skilled martial artist who's also a shrewd diplomat and politician, making her perfect to lead a now free Ala Mhigo alongside Raubahn.
Guest-Star Party Member: Its a somewhat odd example since as of the storyline of the relevant dungeons Lyse is still officially a scion (which in any other game would make her a standard party member), but as of patch 6.4, she'll join the player for duty support runs of Sirensong Sea and Ala Mhigo, as well as Bardam's Mettle if the player is a tank or healer.
Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Lyse is a blonde (see above), and is an absolute sweetheart to most people.
I Choose to Stay: At the end of Stormblood, Lyse resigns from the Scions to fully commit herself to leading the restoration of Ala Mhigo.
Innocently Insensitive: At the start of Stormblood Lyse doesn't appreciate just how brutal the Garlean occupation of Ala Mhigo has been and is quite vocal about her frustration that her countryman aren't more willing to fight back. Part of her Character Development is learning how bone deep the despair of a conquered and broken people can get and how to raise people's spirits and give them the courage to hope for a brighter tomorrow.
Limit Break: She uses Final Heaven, the same level 3 limit break used by Monk players, on Fordola in their final encounter during Stormblood and again on Lakshmi in The Legend Returns.
Magnetic Hero: One of her best qualities is her ability to get people to follow her. Her obvious courage, straightforward nature, and compassion inspires fierce loyalty from the other members of the Resistance.
Ms. Fanservice: As of Stormblood, she starts wearing a new outfit which consists of shorts, a sports bra with an open vest, and her old greaves. She later gets another new outfit based on her outfit from the Stormblood cinematic, which has an open back, very low cut pants, and a Cleavage Window. All throughout, she remains fond of using the stretch emote.
Nepotism: Discussed. She's groomed for a command position in the Resistance despite not being a great fit for it because she's the daughter and sister of two famous Ala Mhigan rebels. Conrad sees her value as a symbol and an inspiration to others as outweighing her lack of apptitude. Unfortunately, this also makes Lyse insecure as she feels she doesn't live up to her relatives' examples.
Nice Girl: By and large, Lyse is quite pleasant to be around. When she's pissed, it's a big deal.
Put on a Bus: After Elidibus beats her and the others in patch 4.5, she's not seen or heard from in the main story again until Patch 5.4, almost two real world years later. Justified as the Warrior of Light goes to another Shard for all but a few moments during the story, so she doesn't get the chance to make a proper appearance until the level 80 Monk quest confirming that she survived her fight with Elidibus long before her reappearance in the main story.
Shut Up, Hannibal!: She pulls this on Fordola, her Foil, after Fordola fires Castrum Abania's cannon on Specula Imperatoris while the Alliance and Imperials are fighting there. Fordola tries to justify firing on her own comrades by telling Lyse that she is trying to help Ala Mhigans live free (that is, living under Garlean rule as their equals), but Lyse yells at her to shut up.
Stripperiffic: Her Liberator's jacket costume is a sleeveless leather jacket over a tube top and some pantelettes with thigh high boots. Her second outfit in Stormblood, an elaborate Ala Mhigan dress, includes considerably more fabric, but very little of it actually covers her.
Sympathy for the Devil: In Stormblood, she shows some pity for Zenos after his death by suicide, saying that no one is born evil and that he was once an innocent baby like anyone else, but it doesn't stop her from expressing disgust that he died in a cowardly way.
Walking Spoiler: Given the nature of her Secret Identity and how late in the game's life it was revealed, it makes talking about any of her involvement in the story post-reveal difficult without spoiler tags.
You Are in Command Now : As Conrad lay dying he charges Lyse with heading the Ala Mhigan resistance in his place, a duty which she reluctantly accepts. After the liberation of Ala Mhigo she states that she intends to step down and give command of Ala Mhigo's army to Raubahn, which comes to fruition in patch 4.2 where she states that the resistance has become the official standing army of Ala Mhigo with Raubahn to lead it. She does however continues to protect the Fringes and Rhalgar's Reach as her charge.

Ilberd Feare (Unmarked spoilers except for Endwalker)

Voiced by: Hiroshi Shirokuma (JP), Richard Epcar (EN, Los Angeles cast), Antony Byrne (EN, London cast), Thierry Mercier (FR), Thomas Schmuckert (DE)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ilberd_final_fantasy_xiv_heavensward_54.jpg

Race: Highlander Hyur
Epithet: Ilberd of the Dull Blade
Discipline: Gladiator

"Know this: there is nothing I would not give to take back Ala Mhigo! Nothing!"

A Highlander Hyur from Ala Mhigo. He is the second-in-command and head of the First Unit of the Crystal Braves and later becomes its de-facto leader after Alphinaud is removed from power. He's known Raubahn for over 20 years and was a fellow refugee that fled Ala Mhigo when the Empire occupied it.

Ambition Is Evil: His belief in this is a major factor in his animosity towards Raubahn. As Ilberd sees it, Raubahn abandoned their homeland in favor of becoming wealthy and powerful in Ul'dah. What's more, Raubahn's meteoric rise to prominence only encourages others to follow in his footsteps and also give up on Ala Mhigo. Ilberd wants to kill and disgrace him to curb what he sees as a bad example to their people.
Back for the Dead:
- Patch 3.5 reveals him to be the true identity of the Griffin of the Ala Mhigo resistance. After he's beaten he double crosses his own soldiers so they die cursing the Empire and praying for salvation before using Nidhogg's eyes and his own suicide to complete the summoning of Shinryu.
- He shows up once again in Endwalker as an enemy in the Aitiascope, only for Papalymo's spirit to come in and defeat him in a single hit.
The Bad Guy Wins: While he may sacrifice his own life in the doing, Heavensward ends with Ilberd's plans ultimately coming to fruition, his suicidal assault on Baelsar's Wall spurring the Eorzean Alliance into action to free Ala Mhigo from the Empire. The end of Stormblood has Ala Mhigo freed from the empire's grasp, which is what he wanted all along, but it was unfolded in a different way.
The Bus Came Back: Reappears in 3.5 as the true identity of the Griffin and dies almost as quickly to complete his latest and final mad gambit to bring action to the reclamation of Ala Mhigo. And it may have worked...but it may have also started open warfare with the Garleans again.
Call-Back: His death scene. He gets everyone's attention, allows himself to fall backwards off a wall, and initiates a summoning ritual for a great winged creature in a very dark take on Yuna's "I Can Fly" scene from Final Fantasy X.
Combat Pragmatist: One of his attacks in his boss fight, "Flash Powder", has him throw blinding dust in your face, blinding and stunning you if you don't turn around in time. He'll also throw a magical "Restraint Collar" at your party's healer, rendering them incapable of action or movement until you free them by destroying it.
Cool Sword: Ilberd initially wields a unique falchion with a golden lion on the guard and later upgrades to an even cooler sword as the Griffin, featuring a broad and detailed silver blade with the guard shaped like Nyunkrepf's ark and the pommel in the shape of a griffin, all important symbols to Ala Mhigo.
Didn't Think This Through: Once Teledji meets an early grave, Ilberd takes the opportunity to publicly lie about having been the one to kill Nanamo, and effectively runs an internal coup d'etat over the military of Ul'dah — which leads to absolutely no one wanting him or the Crystal Braves around anymore once Raubahn is rescued and the truth comes out. He also clearly thought Lolorito of all people was going to continue bankrolling him instead of attempting to hand him over on a silver platter to the Eorzean Alliance for his treachery.
Dies Wide Open: The last you see of him is his broken body at the foot of the wall, with his eyes wide-open and blankly rolled back... and his mouth hanging open in a nightmarish smile.
The Extremist Was Right: Ilberd said time and time again the Eorzean Alliance would only help an assault on Ala Mhigo if the Empire was provoked and threatened their lands. Indeed, after the events of Baelsar's Wall, with the Empire seeing the False Flag Operation as an act of aggression by the Alliance, they're forced to continue the offensive and eventually retake Ala Mhigo. Of course, by that point he'd become an Omnicidal Maniac, so he didn't actually expect the Alliance to see such an offensive through and was hoping for Shinryu to wipe them all out, but his analysis was not technically wrong.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Claims that the Warrior of Light is effectively a mindless slave to the Scions and the city-states, doing whatever their masters tell them without a thought, and that none of the above give half a shite about the Warrior themselves. The idea that the Warrior might be helping these people and nations either (a) because of have common goals or (b) out of altruism seems to completely escape Ilberd's mind, to say nothing of his blatant ignorance towards the nations' heartfelt thanks and constant support of the Scions' actions, and the Scions' own endeavours to show their gratitude for the Warrior's actions.
Face Framed in Shadow: Only for a single shot. His Kubrick Stare (see the entry below) is accompanied by harsher lighting contrast; half of his face darkens while the other glows eerily bright.
False Flag Operation: Leads a rare two way example. He has the Ala Mhigan rebels dress in Grand Company uniforms in their assault on an Imperial outpost to make the Empire think the Eorzean Alliance is invading. But unbenowest to them, he also has a few agents dressed as Imperials alert the rest of the base to have the rebels slaughtered. Using their despair and the power of Nidhogg's eyes, he summons a primal as powerful as Bahamut, if not stronger.
Final Boss: He's the last unscripted boss in Heavensward.
Foreshadowing: The first quest of 2.4 was called "Traitor in the Midst", with the banner image prominently featuring the just-introduced Ilberd, who would go on to betray the Scions in 2.55.
- He also gets a line with his best friend Raubahn after capturing a traitor in the Immortal Flames that he'd rather lose his arm than ever betray anyone he cares about. Turns out he's one of the key traitors in the Crystal Braves.. and he gets to lop off said friend's arm in the midst of revealing this to protect Lolorito's life, having been bought by coin.
Freudian Excuse: He claims that he made his decision to support the Monetarists because in his view, Raubahn "forgot" about Ala Mhigo, and has become soft since becoming Nanamo's champion. Sure... that, and the Monetarist coin would give him instant wealth and power.
Get Out!: Eorzea's answer to Ilberd and the traitorous Crystal Braves in Heavensward for their crimes and for betraying and harming the Scions and Warrior of Light.
Hated by All: Posthumously. His actions on Baelsar's Wall and the revelation he wanted to wipe out the Ala Mhigans along with the Garleans destroyed what remained of his reputation, and resulting loss of the Resistance's reputation and morale is placed squarely on Ilberd's shoulders.
He Knows Too Much: Heavily implied he did this to the black market merchant that was fueling the unrest that got the Crystal Braves stationed in Ul'dah. While we never learn who killed Wilred, his murder undoubtedly happened either on Ilberd's order or with his approval.
Hypocrite: Lectures the Immortal Flames' former Second-in-Command for being a traitor, claiming he would rather cut off his own arm rather than betray a comrade and friends. Come 2.55, and he betrays his long time friend, and a large group of the heroes, while literally cutting off said friend's arm to make a power play and take command of the Crystal Braves, while having Braves who know the truth and aren't on his side murdered or captured.
Irony: During his initial fight with Raubahn, Ilberd seems convinced that Lolorito is really in it for Ala Mhigo and that the two of them are going to have a very good future together. Unlike Raubahn's situation, Lolorito really doesn't feel the same way about Ilberd and when it becomes clear he's a threat to his political future, he fires them and throws them to the dogs; in other words, his reward for backstabbing the Player, the Scions and Raubahn was to be backstabbed when he stopped being useful, by someone he thought he could trust despite that he really, really should have known better.
I Shall Taunt You: In the fight against him in 3.5, he'll always smugly say "Sloppy!" when he unleashes a big attack, even if no one gets hit by it.
Karma Houdini Warranty: Though it takes a full expansion cycle, he finally gets his comeuppance at the end of Baelsar's Wall. However, he pulls a Thanatos Gambit in the process.
Kick the Dog: We never find out who killed Wilred specifically after he stumbled onto the truth of Teledji's bribes to the Crystal Braves, but as a fellow Ala Mhigan that shares similar nationalism for his motives, Ilberd never once raises a brow nor a concern about the young man's horrible demise, and may have even likely been the one to pass the order on it. Similarly, his Thanatos Gambit to summon Shinryu consists of mass murdering his own people and followers just to create enough of an aetherial stain of vengeance to power Nidhogg's eyes. Despite his love for his homeland, the lives of his countrymen are purely expendable for his goals.
Kubrick Stare: Delivers an absolutely chilling one to Raubahn when he reveals to him he was the one who poisoned Nanamo (a lie, but it pissed Raubahn off further all the same).
Lightning Bruiser: His boss battle as the Griffin is a slog because of his huge health pool, massive AOE attacks, and acrobatics allowing him to leap from one end of the arena to the other.
Love Is a Weakness: Seems to hold this view, and it's one of the many reasons he hates Raubahn so much, claiming that Raubahn's loyalty and caring for Nanamo has made him weak.
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain:
- His lie that he killed Nanamo snaps Raubahn out of his My God, What Have I Done? stupor and the resulting clash ends with the Braves holding the Scions captive incapacitated (by Ilberd's attack, no less) and Raubahn freeing the Warrior of Light from their bonds, allowing them to escape with the Scions while Raubahn holds Ilberd at bay.
- His summoning of Shinryu ultimately plays a major role in Endwalker, as Zenos utilizes the primal's form to help the Warrior of Light defeat Meteion, the Greater-Scope Villain in the entire storyline.
Omnicidal Maniac: Has become this by the time the Warrior of Light encounters him again in patch 3.5. Ilberd has no delusions that summoning a Bahamut-level Primal will lead to another Calamity; indeed, he's counting on it. He doesn't care to retake Ala Mhigo so much as just destroy the empire; he actually believes his own countrymen don't deserve it because none of them have had the conviction to spill blood for their freedom. As such, he sees them as little more than fuel for his summoning ritual. That's not to say anything about his burning resentment to the Eorzean Alliance for their apathy in helping Ala Mhigo; indeed, by this point he just wants everyone to burn out of spite to them.
Playing with Fire: Like Raubahn, Ilberd wields powerful fire magic, including summoning exploding swords and shooting a flaming Sword Beam.
Punched Across the Room: In the fight against him in patch 3.5, he is capable of performing a kick so hard that it sends the targeted player flying backwards.
Put on a Bus: Ilberd, along with the other key co-conspirators Laurentius and Yuyuhase appear in Heavensward for one fairly quick part of the main story quest, and early on. After that, they are not seen or heard from again for the rest Heavensward, only mentioned in passing that not only have they found themselves outcasted and made outlaws by Gridania and Limsa Lominsa, made the enemy of the Immortal Flames, General Raubahn and his adopted son, Field Marshal Pipin Tarupin of Ul'dah, but also have lost Lolorito and the Monetarists' support because Ilberd is too blinded by anger to be of any use to them. Aside from that though, no further mention is made of him or the other traitors after the matters in Ul'dah conclude and the Brave's are officially disbanded.
Red Baron: Ilberd of the Dull Blade/The Griffin
Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Though he isn't killed, Ilberd's ultimate reward for helping Teledji and attempted murder of Nanamo was to be cast aside by Lolorito once his employment became too troublesome. This leaves Ilberd and the Crystal Braves wanted by the entire realm with zero political support, no friends in high places, and without self-sustaining supplies, basically making them little more than an above-average group of bandits. Ilberd does not take this particularly well, as he was banking on Lolorito keeping him in his employ. Ilberd eventually undergoes Sanity Slippage to the point that he becomes an Omnicidal Maniac.
Revenge Before Reason: Ultimately a key factor in his downfall. His single-minded obsession with taking revenge on Raubahn for "abandoning" Ala Mhigo ends up causing him to be more trouble than he's worth to Lolorito, causing him to abandon Ilberd and leaving him on the run as a wanted criminal.
Sadist: Even before his Sanity Slippage, Ilberd gleefully admits that he was the one who seemingly assassinated Nanamo just to see Raubahn's furious reaction.
Sanity Slippage: Losing the support of Lolorito sent Ilberd flying over the deep end. He was already a Sadist and a backstabber before, but following his fall he considers his own countrymen to be unworthy of liberating Ala Mhigo as they lack the resolve to fight and die for it. He then has them all slaughtered before jumping from a ledge while Laughing Mad to summon a deity even worse than Bahamut, a scenario only foiled by Papalymo's sacrifice.
Shadow Archetype: To Raubahn. The shadow archetyping in particular comes from the opposing nature of how they went about remaking themselves after Ala Mhigo fell. Raubahn went on to become a famous gladiator and then found a cause, and a person, to live for that didn't involve reclaiming Ala Mhigo. Ilberd became just as good a fighter, but never found a way or reason to let go of the bitterness he felt over having his original home stolen from him, and resents Raubahn for not sharing his viewpoint.
Smug Snake: His fight with Raubahn begins after he puts on an absolutely smug smile you'll want to punch, gleefully telling Raubahn that he was the one who poisoned Nanamo. And continues to have the same smug smile throughout the battle as he dodges all of Raubahn's rage fueled attacks.
Sword Beam: Ilberd's signature Sanguine Blade, where he charges up his sword before unleashing it in a huge red slash that covers a wide area.
The Resenter: Heavily resents Raubahn for him "going soft" by not focusing on liberating Ala Mhigo while living a cushy lifestyle in Ul'dah while Ilberd himself had to struggle to survive and find people willing to liberate his hometown. It boils over towards the end of the A Realm Reborn arc of the story where he turns against his friend.
Thanatos Gambit: Sacrificed his own life as part of the larger false flag operation that forced the Eorzean Alliance's hand to liberate Ala Mhigo.
Villain Ball: At the end of the day, his entire status as a villain is a case of this. He had a position of power and influence in a fledgling fourth Grand Company, the friendship of the Flame General, and the ear of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. All useful resources he could leverage into potentially liberating Ala Mhigo, particularly given that a resumed war with the Empire is seen as inevitable. But he throws it all away in favor of the support of Lolorito, a man infamous for caring only about profit who, predictably, couldn't care less about Ala Mhigo.
Walking Spoiler: Most of Ilberd's storyline is a huge spoiler, from his and the Crystal Braves' betrayal to his reveal as the Griffin.
We Have Become Complacent: Why he chooses to sacrifice his countrymen to summon a Primal during the last patch of Heavensward. Much like he has to Raubahn, he has come to resent his countrymen's apathy and unwillingness to take the fight to the Empire. By the time he takes the mantle of the Griffin and stages the assault on Baelsar's Wall, it's clearly too little too late; he sees them undeserving of being a part of a liberated Ala Mhigo, and uses them merely as fuel for his summoning ritual.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: Barely qualifies the "well-intentioned" part, but his overall plans does have some merit. He wants his homeland to regain its freedom, but with no one helping him, he grows frustrated and angry at everybody's apathetic attitude towards Ala Mhigo. This causes him to hatch a plan that would force Eorzea to wage war against the empire in order for Ala Mhigo to be set free while he sacrifices himself and his own men (without their knowledge of his true plans) to fuel the birth of a primal to attack the Empire.

Conrad Kemp

Voiced by: Kenji Hamada (JP), Philip Jackson (EN), Michel Elias (FR), Felix Würgler (DE)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/conrad_3.jpg

Race: Midlander Hyur
Epithet: Conrad Farsight
Discipline: Thaumaturge

"Though we've come a long way, we still have far to go. But we'll fight for every ilm, and sooner or later, we'll get to Ala Mhigo."

The old and well-respected commander of the Ala Mhigan Resistance in Rhalgr's Reach.

A Father to His Men: Cares a great deal for the people under his command, and the fate met by the Resistance members at Baelsar's Wall makes him visibly angry.
Despair Event Horizon: Conrad almost throws in the towel out of despair after the attack on Rhalgr's Reach by the Garleans kills several of the resistance's best soldiers and severely cripples their efforts. Particularly losing promising leaders like Meffrid hits him especially hard.
Frontline General: Despite his old age and status as commander of the resistance, Conrad personally joins in several field operations and actively fights against the Garlean Empire.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: During the attack on Specula Imperatoris he takes time to be merciful and persuade the Crania Lupi to surrender, while Fordola orders the cannon at Castrum Abania to fire on the tower with her own men still there. This act of mercy costs him his life.
Old Soldier: He's 70 years old and still an active soldier and rebel, not that he has the luxury to retire. This is also part of why he's on the lookout for potential younger successors to lead in his stead, such as Meffrid and Lyse.
Reasonable Authority Figure: He is a kind, just, and fair man who weighs his options carefully and fights on the front lines as often as anyone else.
Rebel Leader: He leads the Ala Mhigan Resistance based in Rhalgr's Reach and is shown to be a competent commander who values the lives of his soldiers.
Take Up My Sword: Due to his age and general life expectancy in the resistance, Conrad is actively looking for a successor to take up the mantle of commander of the Ala Mhigan Resistance and has high hopes for Meffrid and Lyse. While Meffrid is killed by Fordola in the attack on Rhalgr's Reach, Lyse is later named commander while Conrad lays dying in Specula Imperatoris.

M'naago Rahz

Voiced by: Runa Onodera (JP), Hannah Arterton (EN), Isabelle Volpé (FR), Rieke Werner (DE)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mnaago.jpg

Race: Seeker of the Sun Miqo'te
Epithet: M'naago of the Crooked Fletching
Discipline Archer

"It's the waiting that drives me mad. Standing around, knowing what's to come. I'll never get used to it."

A member of the Ala Mhigan Resistance.

Ascended Extra: She makes her initial appearance towards the end of the Heavensward storyline, but doesn't get any real screen time until Stormblood where she becomes a recurring character.
Bring News Back: She arrives wounded at the Rising Stones in order to bring word about the Griffin's plan to assault Baelsar's Wall. This turns out to be a part of the Griffin's plan, as with the Eorzean Alliance positioned at Baelsar's Wall he stages a False Flag Operation with the resistance members in the uniforms of the Grand Companies in order to drag them into the war with the Garleans.
Fire-Forged Friends: With Lyse.
Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: Gives a verbal one to Fordola during the final battle of Endwalker's Healer Role questline, snapping the latter out of her guilt that was threatening to turn her into a Terminus.
Lethal Chef: During her Custom Delivery quests, one of her sisters teasingly points out that while M'naago is a formidable soldier she's lacking in other life skills, and singles out her cooking as especially bad.
Survivor's Guilt: After getting your first rank in her Custom Deliveries chain, she states she had this for Meffrid dying to Fordola while she ran.
Undying Loyalty: She'd follow Lyse to hell and back. Even learning Lyse had been lying about being her sister Yda does nothing to waver M'naago's dedication.

Meffrid Noward

Voiced by: Kenichiro Matsuda (JP), Matt Stokoe (EN)

Race: Highlander Hyur
Discipline Gladiator

"We're Ala Mhigans, and Ala Mhigans never forsake one another, hardships be damned!"

A leading member of the Ala Mhigan Resistance, Meffrid is first found tending to his wounded men in Gridania, before rejoining the resistance's efforts in Rhalgr's Reach.

A Father to His Men: Meffrid cares deeply for the men under his command and they highly respect him. He refuses to give up on one of them when they're sick and wounded even when he runs off to die.
Ascended Extra: He starts out as a minor NPC in A Realm Reborn's main story quest but takes on a larger role later in the beginning of Stormblood.
But for Me, It Was Tuesday: He invokes this regarding his first encounter with the Warrior of Light. He feels that helping out a few sick and wounded soldiers is a complete non-event to a hero of their caliber and so assumes that they will have forgotten all about it. The player can choose whether he is correct or not.
Reasonable Authority Figure: While the situation in Quarrymill had him at his wits' end, he shows himself to be a reasonable and effective leader in Rhalgr's Reach. Conrad even has him pegged as his successor to lead the resistance before his death at Fordola's hands.
Sacrificial Lion: He is killed by Fordola in the attack on Rhalgr's Reach early in the story.

Fordola rem Lupis

Voiced by: Marika Hayashi (JP), Annabel Scholey (EN), Caroline Mozzone (FR), Lisa Braun (DE)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fordola_ffxiv.jpg

Race: Highlander Hyur
Epithet: The Butcher
Discipline: Gladiator

"Everything comes at a price. And if you haven't got the means to pay, then you pay with blood."

A youth in service in the Garlean army, born during the imperial occupation of Ala Mhigo. Fordola has known no life without Garlemald ruling over her people and finds herself torn between serving her Garlean masters who regard her little more than an Eorzean savage and the plight of the revolution who regard her as a kinslayer.

And Then John Was a Zombie: Subverted in the Endwalker Healer Role Quests. Fordola is the most at risk of turning into a Terminus Beast during the Final Days because of her intense Survivor Guilt and the guilt of seeing what her actions have done to her countrymen. But she's repeatedly pulled back from the brink by her allies's encouragement and her desire to continue fighting for a better future for Ala Mhigo.
Animal Motifs: Much like Gabranth in Final Fantasy XII, she is often compared to a dog. Her detractors comparing her to a stray dog begging for scraps at the prince's table. As Zenos himself is often referred to as a hunter of men, she is referred to as his hound.
Boxed Crook: She became conscripted by Raubahn as a secret weapon to aid the Eorzean alliance against primal uprisings. She is forced to wear a magical collar that can strangle her to death at a single command from her captors if she attempts to run or betray them. At the end of the 6.0 healer role questline, Raubahn announces that though she will continue to to work as a soldier for the Alliance in penance for what she's done, she will likely be allowed to go without the collar in the future due to her help in destroying the Blasphemy that plagued Ala Mhigo (who was once one of her closest friends).
Combat Clairvoyance: The Resonant experiments performed on her allows her to read her enemy's movements before they can even launch an attack. It was for this reason alone that Urianger refused to tell the Warrior of Light on how or when to use his aetheric siphon device so that they wouldn't be predictable in using it against Fordola.
Connected All Along: The short story "Set with the Sun" reveals that as a young girl, shortly after her father's death, she was saved from a monster and subsequently befriended by none other than Yda. Lyse's sister took Fordola under her wing, teaching her survival and combat skills, even offering to smuggle her out of Gyr Abania. While she resolved to remain with her fellow outcast children regardless, she was followed by Imperial soldiers when she went to give Yda her answer, the resulting ambush ending in her death keeping the soldiers occupied so Fordola could flee; Yda's last words urging Fordola to live.
A Day in the Limelight: Fordola's struggles to atone for her actions as the Butcher and grapple with her own Survivor Guilt are the focus of the Endwalker Healer Role Quests.
The Dead Have Names: Ansfrid, Hrudolf, Emelin. Her fellow Ala Mhigans in the Skulls when she was ordered to destroy the tower they were inside. And she'll never let herself forget them.
Death Seeker: 4.1 shows her as this as she asks and waits for her execution for her crimes. It turns out that she wants to die due to the overwhelming guilt she has to face from the memories of the people around her whose lives she changed for the worse forever via the Echo and having no way to stop seeing it over and over.
Defrosting Ice Queen: Still a bit prickly, but her involvement in the Endwalker Healer Role Quests has her warming up in an effort to move on from her past.
Don't You Dare Pity Me!: After being captured, she rejects Lyse's sympathies and understanding while telling her that she is too soft to really understand her plight.
The Dragon: She serves as Zenos's right-hand woman for the Ala Mhigan portion of the game, gradually gaining more authority due to his favoritism.
Equal-Opportunity Evil: Played with, Fordola bears a very high rank of rem in the Garlean military and she achieved this rank working for the XIVth Legion under Gaius, who was known for his progressive merit-based promotions. However when the XIIth Legion is in control of Ala Mhigo, Fordola's authority is called into question by her new Garlean-born superiors due to her Ala Mhigan heritage and only Zenos is willing to respect her.
Establishing Character Moment: Her first appearance is her Skulls taking a tribute from an Ala Mhigan peasant and then proceeding to beat the tar out of him while ranting about how the Garleans look down on all Ala Mhigans, even them despite their citizenship in the Empire, neatly summarizing how the Skulls hate their own people and are disdained by the Garleans. More subtly, Fordola not joining in on the beating and eventually calling her men off and letting the peasant go (helpfully summed up by Meffrid as a very lucky outcome for the man in question) hints at her nobler qualities lukring beneath the hatred. And to top it all off, her nearly spotting the heroes watching from nearby helps set her up as a fearsome enemy to contend with.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good:
- After reading the Warrior of Light's past with her artificial Echo, she is utterly incapable of understanding how they can still keep going and fighting despite everything they've suffered.
- Happens again later in more a 'Jerkass Cannot Comprehend Good' way; when Arenvald is incapacitated by Lunar Ifrit and Alphinaud is mourning his inability to help, Fordola lambasts him for his naive idealism. Estinien calls her out on this, empathising with her being a realist, but explaining it is Alphinaud's idealism that gives him the conviction to rise above most others, and truly become a hero worthy of praise and recognition.
Evil Counterpart:
- She is one to Lyse in terms of Ala Mhigo's freedom. While Lyse desires pure liberty and justice for her people and wants the Garleans gone, no matter what, Fordola believes that rule through strength has always been the way of Ala Mhigo, that the Garleans are going to be in charge for better or worse (being the strongest), and that attempting to oppose them or "kick them out" will just result in even greater destruction and tragedy later on, and that any real future for Ala Mhigo lies in serving Garlemald. Another way she foils Lyse is that while Lyse escaped the Garlean regime as a young child (about 5 years old or so), Fordola has lived under the Garlean occupation all her life.
- In combat, she eventually becomes a counterpart to the Warrior of Light after she gets the Resonant experiment performed on her. She possesses inhuman strength and speed and her status buff icon is even a copy of the Echo with different colors. Every time she recovers from her aether sickness, she regains her buff with a flash of light in the same way that the Warrior of Darkness did with their Echo.
Exotic Eye Designs: Her right eye becomes red with a strange symbol on it when she is using her powers. This is a result of the experiments the Garlean scientists performed on her to put her on par with the Warrior of Light.
Explosive Leash: As a precaution to having a war criminal as a military asset, the grand companies gave Fordola a cursed choker so that if she slips her leash the magics will cause said necklace to strangle her.
Facial Markings: She has a unique tattoo on the left side of her face. In an Echo flashback in 4.1, it's revealed to be a Tragic Keepsake of sorts, as her late father had the same tattoo. Later still, the short story "Set with the Sun" reveals Yda also had the same tattoo.
Fantastic Racism: Much like Rhitahtyn, most Garleans hold little respect for her due to her being Ala Mhigan. Zenos is one of the few to show her any manner of regard befitting a talented soldier of her rank. Granted he's mostly drawn to her hatred and ruthlessness directed towards both the Ala Mhigan resistance, whom she views as the reason Garleans show such little respect for her people, and towards most of the Garlean occupiers, who are not even remotely subtle with their racism against her.
Flash Step: Once she's been experimented on by the Garlean scientists, she can read her enemy's movements and react accordingly in blindly fast speed. It's later revealed that she was given an artificial form of the Echo so that her results can help the Empire in allowing its natives to wield magic.
Foil: To Arenvald. Both were Ala Mhigans born and raised, but were considered outcasts by both people (Arenvald because he was half-Garlean, Fordola because she was Ala Mhigan and trying to side with the Garleans). Both are also gifted with the Echo, though Arenvald's is natural and Fordola's is artifical.
- She is also one to Yotsuyu. Both are women who have sided with Garlemald against their home countries due to mistreatment they received from their countrymen. Both are The Dreaded in their respective homelands. Both are the Arc Villain of their respective lands. Both come to regret their actions after specific events occur (Fordola is forced to shell a battlefield that killed not only enemies but her own allies (and her best friends) And with the power of her artificial echo, she sees the Warrior of Light's past and is broken by the fact that they aren't broken after everything they've experienced. Yotsuyu is cared back to good health by a mortal enemy who she tortured and generally tormented.) However, they differ in that while Fordola wants to drag Ala Mhigo kicking and screaming into what she believes will be greatness and prosperity under Garlean rule, Yotsuyu simply wishes to see Doma burn to the ground. And while Fordola ultimately performs a Heel–Face Turn and begins to serve as a weapon against primals with her artificial echo (admittingly as a Boxed Crook), Yotsuyu feels that she has done far too much to be redeemed and commits Suicide by Cop against the Warrior of Light.
- Lampshaded by Estinien to himself, of all people. When she calls Alphinaud out on his naive optimism, Estinien agrees they are both realists by comparison. But whereas Fordola sees any sort of optimism as naive and foolish, Estinien realises that it's the optimists like Alphinaud that make the world change for the better.
Heel–Face Turn: While it may be a case of Enemy Mine, Fordola comes to the aid of the Ala Mhigan future meeting when Lakshimi is summoned, using her echo to protect everyone from her enthralling attacks. Opting willingly to return to her cell afterward.
Hero of Another Story: It's not stated anywhere in the game, but the supplementary material Tales from the Storm shows that she was recruited into Raubahn's special primal extermination group where she aids Arenvald and Immortal Flame's Summoners in defeating Ifrit. Elaborated on in the Summoner 80 quest.
I Did What I Had to Do: She is subtly shaken when she orders her men to fire the cannon at the tower while knowing that it will kill both the Resistance and her own men. Granted, Zenos ordered her to fire the cannon in the first place (and you can't really refuse his orders), but Fordola attempts to justify it by saying blood must be spilled for the price of freedom.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Post Heel–Face Turn, she gradually becomes this. She's still very icy and bitchy, but she also goes out of her way to give advice to Alphinaud and Arenvald for no other reason than the sake of it, and her actions when she joins the Alliance are solely on the side of good.
Laser-Guided Karma: She gets a heaping helping of this following the liberation of Ala Mhigo. She not only has it painfully proven that her belief that serving the Empire was the only path to freedom as actual liberation will never happen was not true, she gets thrown in a cell just like those she arrested while serving the Garleans. Making matters worse, her artificial Echo starts picking up memories from the people she mistreated during said service, meaning she has to live through the receiving end of the brutalities she committed. And her Echo triggers nearly constantly because it was based on Krile's unusually sensitve Echo, which was only possible because Fordola captured Krile in the first place.
Might Makes Right: A mindset she seems to have inherited from the similar-minded Gaius, who was her former superior.
My God, What Have I Done?: While she tries to justify it to herself as Just Following Orders, Fordola is haunted by her decision to go through with Zenos's command to fire Castrum Abania's cannon upon Specula Imperatoris. This act kills her closest friends as well as her other comrades in the Crania Lupi. After becoming a Resonant and being imprisoned for her actions, Fordola's Echo forces to experience the misery she inflicted upon her countrymen again and again as all of the atrocities she committed as a Well-Intentioned Extremist became All for Nothing.
National Weapon: Notably in the beginning of the story she wields a shamshir ^note, the national weapon of Ala Mhigo but as the story progresses she is given a gunblade as she is inducted as Zenos's right hand woman. When she in recruited to stop Lakshmi by Lyse, she is again given a shamshir.
Perpetual Frowner: The number of times Fordola has smiled can be counted on one hand. The rest of the time she is scowling at something.
Power Incontinence: Her artificial Echo as a Resonant experiment triggers constantly and is very debilitating due to both inexperience and the artificiality of it.
Pre-Mortem One-Liner: During the attack on Rhalger's Reach, Fordola gets into a duel with Meffrid who calls her a traitor and kinslayer. Fordola angrily shouts back, "You're no kin of mine!" before cutting him down.
Raised by Orcs: An Ala Mhigan born in annexed territory and raised as a fully-fledged Imperial citizen, with all the rights and privileges thereof.
Redemption Equals Life: Her willingness to help Lyse and the captured diplomats defeat Lakshmi probably saved her from what would have either been execution or, best case, life imprisonment. Instead, she's given a form of probation by Raubahn and Lyse as one of their special agents.
Reformed, but Rejected: Downplayed. In 4.1, she saves a group of people from a primal attack. Naturally, the citizens don't trust her, and don’t see this as earning forgiveness for her actions under Garlemald. Fordola isn't exactly seeking forgiveness or reformation, but she fought on for the sake of her homeland as a first step. Also, the Ala Mhigan who tells her he still can’t forgive her nonetheless says right after that he appreciates her helping destroy Qalyana Lakshmi—if nothing else, he doesn’t think she should forget her own crimes for this, but also shouldn’t let that keep her from doing the right thing.
Ship Tease: It's pretty apparent that Arenvald has fallen for her; as of the end of Endwalker, there are hints that she reciprocates his feelings.
Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!: Being such a subscriber to Gaius's Might Makes Right philosophy, she pointedly does not agree with the Resistance's motto of "Liberty or Death" - from her perspective having seen the Garleans' strength (Zenos' especially), the "Liberty" part isn't even an option. 5.5 also has her putting down Alphinaud for worrying over Arenvald, telling him that worrying over everyone possibly dying in the battlefield is a quick way to get yourself killed during battle and that one shouldn't bother trying to form emotional attachments to soldiers.
Single Tear: In 4.1, she saves a group of civilians from the Qalyana Lakshmi. One of them outright says that he still can’t forgive her for what she did for the Garleans, but he nonetheless thanks her for saving everyone. She sheds one tear before going back to her cell.
Start of Darkness: Due to the fact that she and her parents chose Garlean citizenship, Fordola's father was killed trying to protect her from being stoned by a mob when a rock struck his head. A Garlean officer was nearby, yet refused to help even when Fordola's mother begged him. Needless to say, this day left a lasting impression on Fordola.
Stripperific: Her outfit under Garlean employ is a Chainmail Bikini consisting of a breastplate, pauldrons and boots — and a partial waistcloth that doesn't leave much to the imagination at all, while the rest of her gear has exposed parts of skin all over. When she's captured by the Eorzean Alliance, her prisoner garbs are noticeably just a standard shirt and pants, also making this a case of Sensible Heroes, Skimpy Villains. While working as a Boxed Crook for the Eorzean Alliance, she's decked out in the same gear as the Ala Mhigan Resistance, covering her from head to toe in battle-ready gear.
Super-Soldier: She recieves an artificial copy of Krile's Echo along through Garlean experimentation. This lets her read her opponent's intentions as though she were seeing the immediate future and greatly increases her strength and speed. She goes from being curb-stomped by the Warrior of Light to matching them blow for blow and requiring the Warrior to debilitate her with a gadget provided by Urianger to score a clear and decisive victory.
Survivor Guilt: She feels terribly that Arenvald ended up crippled to protect her.
Taking the Bullet: In the role quest "The Butcher's Blade", Fordola holds a girl and shields her from the claws of a newly formed Blasphemy. It only wounds her and she quickly kills it in a single blow.
Took a Level in Kindness:
- Takes one by the end of patch 5.55. Having taken Alphinaud and Estinien's words to heart, she tells the now-disabled Arenvauld that even though he can't walk, he should stop feeling sorry for himself and realise he still has a life to make something of. Her words are harsh, but she's clearly trying to help him, which is more than what she would have done before.
- Takes another by the end of the healer role quests in Endwalker after making some peace with her past as a traitor to Ala Mhigo and killer of her subordinates and closest friends (under Zenos's orders). She genuinely thanks the Warrior of Light for everything they have done for her and happily speaks with a young girl that she saved from a blasphemy earlier in the storyline.
Tsundere: Post-Heel–Face Turn, she definitely has shades of this.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: While she fights for the Garleans, she still cares about Ala Mhigo and only does so in the hopes of achieving Happiness in Slavery so that there won't be any more destruction to her homeland, and will do anything she feels is necessary to achieve that goal - whether she wants to or not, going as far as killing her own kind.
- Later it's discovered that killing her own kind is actually revenge in some cases.
What the Hell Are You?:
- About the only reaction she can muster after she's on the receiving end of a hilariously one-sided beatdown during her first encounter with the Warrior of Light.
- She wonders this again in 4.1, after Fordola's artificial Echo makes her witness all the tragedies the Warrior has been through and how they can possibly function after all of it.
When She Smiles: It's rare to see her with a genuine smile, but when she does she lights up a room. The Warrior and Arenvald can bring one out.

Characters / Final Fantasy XIV - The Eorzean Alliance

As the story has advanced beyond the point of hiding plot twists for A Realm Reborn, there are unmarked spoilers below. You have been warned.

Ul'dah

Voiced by: Mariya Ise (JP), Mela Lee (EN, Los Angeles cast), Joanna Ruiz (EN, London cast), Adeline Chetail (FR), Antje von der Ahe (DE)

Voiced by: Hiroki Yasumoto (JP), Jason Charles Miller (EN, Los Angeles cast), Nick Boulton (EN, London cast), Frédéric Souterelle (FR), Gordon Piedesack (DE)

Voiced by: Hisashi Izumi (JP), Cam Clarke (EN, Los Angeles cast), Simon Greenall (EN, London cast), Bertrand Liebert (FR), Roland Wolf (DE)

Voiced by: Taketora (JP), B.J. Oakie (EN), Martial Leminoux (FR), Peter Becker (DE)

Voiced by: Nobuyuki Hiyama (JP), Adam Howden (EN, London cast), Benjamin Bollen (FR), Benjamin Stöwe (DE)

Limsa Lominsa

Voiced by: Atsuko Tanaka (JP), Jean Gilpin (EN, Los Angeles cast), Tracy Ann Oberson (EN, London cast), Marie Gamory (FR), Ellen Schulz (DE)

Voiced by: Shigeo Kiyama (JP), Grant George (EN), Serge Biavan (FR), Helmut Krauss (DE)

Voiced by: Kenji Hamada (JP), Luke Allen-Gale (EN)

Gridania

Voiced by: Rie Tanaka (JP), Cindy Robinson (EN, Los Angeles cast), Hannah Arterton (EN, London cast), Kelly Marot (FR), Annette Gunkel (DE)

Ala Mhigo

Voiced by: Aya Endo (JP), Mela Lee (EN, Los Angeles cast), Laura Aikman (EN, London cast), Isabelle Volpé (FR), Henrike Krügener (DE), Paulina Weiner (DE recast)

Voiced by: Hiroshi Shirokuma (JP), Richard Epcar (EN, Los Angeles cast), Antony Byrne (EN, London cast), Thierry Mercier (FR), Thomas Schmuckert (DE)

Voiced by: Kenji Hamada (JP), Philip Jackson (EN), Michel Elias (FR), Felix Würgler (DE)

Voiced by: Runa Onodera (JP), Hannah Arterton (EN), Isabelle Volpé (FR), Rieke Werner (DE)

Voiced by: Kenichiro Matsuda (JP), Matt Stokoe (EN)

Voiced by: Marika Hayashi (JP), Annabel Scholey (EN), Caroline Mozzone (FR), Lisa Braun (DE)

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Characters / Final Fantasy XIV - The Eorzean Alliance

Edit Locked

As the story has advanced beyond the point of hiding plot twists for A Realm Reborn, there are unmarked spoilers below. You have been warned.

Ul'dah

Voiced by: Mariya Ise (JP), Mela Lee (EN, Los Angeles cast), Joanna Ruiz (EN, London cast), Adeline Chetail (FR), Antje von der Ahe (DE)

Voiced by: Hiroki Yasumoto (JP), Jason Charles Miller (EN, Los Angeles cast), Nick Boulton (EN, London cast), Frédéric Souterelle (FR), Gordon Piedesack (DE)

Voiced by: Hisashi Izumi (JP), Cam Clarke (EN, Los Angeles cast), Simon Greenall (EN, London cast), Bertrand Liebert (FR), Roland Wolf (DE)

Voiced by: Taketora (JP), B.J. Oakie (EN), Martial Leminoux (FR), Peter Becker (DE)

Voiced by: Nobuyuki Hiyama (JP), Adam Howden (EN, London cast), Benjamin Bollen (FR), Benjamin Stöwe (DE)

Limsa Lominsa

Voiced by: Atsuko Tanaka (JP), Jean Gilpin (EN, Los Angeles cast), Tracy Ann Oberson (EN, London cast), Marie Gamory (FR), Ellen Schulz (DE)

Voiced by: Shigeo Kiyama (JP), Grant George (EN), Serge Biavan (FR), Helmut Krauss (DE)

Voiced by: Kenji Hamada (JP), Luke Allen-Gale (EN)

Gridania

Voiced by: Rie Tanaka (JP), Cindy Robinson (EN, Los Angeles cast), Hannah Arterton (EN, London cast), Kelly Marot (FR), Annette Gunkel (DE)

Ala Mhigo

Voiced by: Aya Endo (JP), Mela Lee (EN, Los Angeles cast), Laura Aikman (EN, London cast), Isabelle Volpé (FR), Henrike Krügener (DE), Paulina Weiner (DE recast)

Voiced by: Hiroshi Shirokuma (JP), Richard Epcar (EN, Los Angeles cast), Antony Byrne (EN, London cast), Thierry Mercier (FR), Thomas Schmuckert (DE)

Voiced by: Kenji Hamada (JP), Philip Jackson (EN), Michel Elias (FR), Felix Würgler (DE)

Voiced by: Runa Onodera (JP), Hannah Arterton (EN), Isabelle Volpé (FR), Rieke Werner (DE)

Voiced by: Kenichiro Matsuda (JP), Matt Stokoe (EN)

Voiced by: Marika Hayashi (JP), Annabel Scholey (EN), Caroline Mozzone (FR), Lisa Braun (DE)

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