Difference between revisions of "Patch 3.3"
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Latest revision as of 01:35, 3 November 2024
Introduction
Patch 3.3: Revenge of the Horde is the third major content update introduced for Heavensward.
Notable Features, Additions, and Changes
New Content
- Main Story: Revenge of the Horde (6 quests)
- Side Story: Further Hildibrand Adventures (2 quests)
- Side Story: Tales of the Dragonsong War (5 quests)
- Alliance Raid:
The Weeping City of Mhach, the second chapter of the Shadow of Mhach story and raid series - Dungeon:
Sohr Khai, Hullbreaker Isle (Hard) - Trial:
The Final Steps of Faith, The Minstrel's Ballad: Nidhogg's Rage - Chronicles of a New Era: The Warring Triad (1 quest)
- Beast Tribe Quests and Reputation: Moogles
- PvP Frontline -
The Fields of Glory (Shatter) - Anima Weapons - A Dream Fulfilled
System Changes and Additions
- Treasure Hunt -
The Aquapolis 
Palace of the Dead - Deep Dungeon (3.35)- Housing: Wards 9-12 added to all residential districts.
Miscellaneous
- Recommended Gear button
Feature Quests added as a separate category with a new blue icon. Quests that unlock new features or duties reassigned to this new type.- Raid Finder
- Flowerpots and Flowers
- Anima Weapons (iLvl 210) materials
Adamantite Francesca, 
Titanium Alloy Mirror, 
Dispelling Arrow, and 
Kingcake no longer have to be 
HQ. (3.38)
Note: Not all content listed here will launch on the same day. This article is about the 3.3x season as a whole.
Main Story Summary (Spoilers)
Lore
The conference held at Falcon's Nest was intended to celebrate the reconciliation between man and dragon. But the lingering shade of Nidhogg, clad in the flesh of the Azure Dragoon, marked the occasion by spilling the blood of his own kind-a timely atrocity to remind the children of Ishgard that the conflict was far from over.
The Trials of Hraesvelgr
Nidhogg's words left no doubt: the final chorus was nigh, and soon the Dravanian Horde would be at the city's gates. Now that the wyrm was possessed of both of his eyes, Ser Aymeric concluded that there was only one being capable of standing against the vengeful shade-Nidhogg's own brood-brother, Hraesvelgr.
The lord commander bade the Warrior of Light and Alphinaud escort him to Zenith and aid him in convincing the great wyrm to stand with Ishgard. Though he was well aware of Hraesvelgr's previous refusal to involve himself in the affairs of men, Ser Aymeric declared that if there was even a chance the dragon might be swayed, he must plead his case. And plead his case he did, when Hraesvelgr descended from the clouds to meet with them at Zenith. Alas, as before, the dragon greeted their request for his intervention with scorn. Despite Hraesvelgr's protestations of spent faith, however, Alphinaud firmly believed that he still nurtured the smallest flame of hope, for why else would he consent to bear Ysayle upon his back? Nevertheless, the great wyrm would not even consider their proposal until Midgardsormr himself appeared to reminded his son that Nidhogg was but a shade, and that he would do well to ponder his course, lest it lead him unto greater remorse.
Thus convinced, Hraesvelgr declared that he would put the Warrior of Light and his companions to the test. Within the ruins where Ratatoskr once dwelled, the three weathered the trials of the great wyrm, who at last pledged them his aid in the coming battle with Nidhogg.
Battle Between Kin
Shortly thereafter, a thunderous roar echoed across the sky, signaling the advance of the Dravanian Horde. The time had come for the final reckoning with Nidhogg-to bring an end to his wrathful song, The Warrior of Light and his companions settled upon the backs of Hraesvelgr and his kin, and dove through the clouds in the direction of Ishgard.
On the Steps of Faith, the battle had already begun. The Temple Knights and the companies of the High Houses were fighting valiantly to hold back the Dravanian Horde, but in the face of the never-ending onslaught, they began to falter. One by one they started to fall, and when a massive feathered dragon was sighted on the western horizon, all hope was nearly lost, only for it to be restored when Hraesvelgr and his brethren delivered the Warrior of Light, Ser Aymeric, and Alphinaud to the bridge.
With a mixture of surprise and scom, Nidhogg welcomed Hresvelgr, who attempted in vain to persuade his brother from his vengeful course. A mighty clash then ensued between the pair, from which there could be only one victor. The city's defenders watched transfixed as the two dragons tumbled to the bridge, their bodies obscured by roding clouds of smoke and ash. When at last the haze cleared, Nidhogg stood over the recumbent body of his brother, a severed feathered wing gripped between his teeth. Triumphant, Nidhogg reveled in the moment, only to learn that his fallen sibling had entrusted the Warrior of Light with a gift: an eye, and with it one half of his power. With it, the adventurer became Ishgand's best and last hope of slaying the rampaging Nidhogg.
The great wyrm's shade was a fearsome foe, consumed by a thousand years of vengeance. However, the Warrior of Light too was a force to be reckoned with, infused with the might of Hraesvelgr and filled with an otherworldly determination. Thus empowered, he subdued Nidhogg's shade and restored Estinien to his original form. Though weakened, the virulent spirit still held the dragoon in its thrall, commanding him to slay his companions. In that instant, Estinien, marshalling his strength, restrained the beast within and cried out for them to slay him. But Alphinaud and the Warrior of Light would do no such thing, and instead made to wrest the wyrm's eyes from Estinien's armor.
Using every one of their strength, they wrestled with the hateful things, arcs of crackling aether coursing through their bodies, leaving them in agony. Yet just when the feat seemed beyond them, the memories of the lost gave them newfound strength, and with one final heave they succeeded in separating man and wyrm. For an instant, they glimpsed Nidhogg's disembodied spirit depart, before they cast his eyes into the abyss. So it was that Estintien was saved, and with him the nation of Ishgard.
An End to the Song
The battle was over. Having witnessed their brood-father's shade return to the aether, the Dravanians loyal to Nidhogg withdrew. Upon the scorched and crumbling bridge, countless bodies of men and dragons lay motionless. Yet for all they had endured, the city still stood.
At long last, Ser Aymeric was free to abolish the thousand-year rule of the archbishops and pave the way for a new republic. In the days that followed, Ishgard's governance was placed in the hands of a newly formed House of Commons and House of Lords, whose members would be elected from all levels of society. Alas, though Ser Aymeric de Borel wanted nothing more than to lay down the reins of state, he soon found himself elected to the highest seat in the Lords. Though at first he strove to refuse this honor, the Count de Durendaire, well aware of public sentiment, pressured him to accept. For Ishgard was changing, and the people yearned for fair and equitable representation, and there were none better suited to stand at the forefront of the movement than he. So it was that the winds of gentle revolution came to stir.
Prominent among the many honored guests at Ser Aymeric's investiture were the ambassadors of dragonkind, Vidofnir and Vedrfolnir. As a symbol of Ishgard's newfound peace, at the ceremony's climax, Vedrfolnir once more bore Ser Aymeric upon his back, and the people looked on in awe as they soared through the heavens, and by their cheers did they hail him an Azure Dragoon for a new age. Yet Estinien, who had once played host to Nidhogg's shade, would no longer consent to bear the mantle of Azure Dragoon. His hunt at an end, he quietly slipped away from his sickbed, and disappeared from the annals of history. [1]
References
- ↑ Encyclopaedia Eorzea: Volume I, page 76-77