Hope Upon a Flower

“

Ryne wearsa look of steely resolve.

— In-game description

Steps

Having bid Ryne farewell, you return to your mission in the First─consulting Elidibus regarding the Final Days. To that end do you seek out the Crystarium gatekeep, who should admit you to the Ocular as before.

Inside the Umbilicus, you use your borrowed spirit vessel to activate the Allagan console, which locates Elidibus's imprisoned essence and projects his image into the chamber. Though your erstwhile foe declares that the star is now yours to fight for, bound as ever by duty, he agrees to share his knowledge. To your surprise, it was none other than Fandaniel who shed light upon the phenomenon of the Final Days, and thence dedicated himself to devising a countermeasure. Prior to joining the Convocation, he served as the chief of Elpis─a facility for the evaluation of creations─and was known as Hermes. Perhaps inspired by an impossible memory of you in that ancient time and place, Elidibus suggests that you travel to Elpis in the past. At his instruction, you open a pathway to your destination, and step into the portal. The magick consumes Elidibus's essence once and for all, and he goes to join his beloved brethren as you journey to your distant destination in search of salvation.

After hurtling through the rift, you safely arrive in what you assume is the past, albeit in a transparent form. Setting aside that problem for now, you begin exploring your surrounds.

As Elidibus had forewarned, you are unable to interact with the people present. From snatches of their conversation, however, you establish that you are indeed in the past, more specifically in a facility called Propylaion. Having learned all you can here, you decide to continue your exploration outside, and make your way to the exit.

As you try to open the door, the inconceivable happens: two new arrivals emerge from the teleportation device, and who should they turn out to be but Hythlodaeus and Emet-Selch. Due to their talent for seeing souls, they readily catch sight of you, and at his companion's insistence, Emet-Selch augments your aether and adjusts your size. Now proportional to your surrounds and able to be heard, you inform your new old friends of your desire to seek out Hermes, and they are taken aback to learn that your purpose is the same as theirs. Hythlodaeus offers to serve as your guide, and together you head outside.

Stepping through the door, your breath catches in your throat as you take in the impossibly beautiful scenery of the testing ground of creation at heavens' edge: Elpis.

Hythlodaeus explains that Elpis is where living beings and certain arcane entities are brought for in-depth observation and research. Thus your search for answers in the past begins, but to what manner of future the path may lead, none can yet say...

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