Stormblood content

Patch 4.2

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Patch 4.2
"Rise of a New Sun"
PatchTitleCard-4-2.jpg
Expansion
Stormblood
Release Date
4.2 - 30 January 2018
4.21 - 13 February 2018
4.25 - 12 March 2018
Promo Page
Link
Patch Notes
4.2, 4.21, 4.25
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Patch 4.1
Patch 4.3
All content patches
Concept Art

Introduction

Patch 4.2: Rise of a New Sun is the second major content update introduced for Stormblood.

Notable Features, Additions, and Changes

New Content

System Changes and Additions

Miscellaneous

Note: Not all content listed here will launch on the same day. This article is about the 4.2x season as a whole.

Main Story Summary (Spoilers)

Lore

Thanks to the Warrior of Light’s heroic deeds and Raubahn’s long-awaited return, Ala Mhigo continued its steady march towards recovery. Yet there was no rest for the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, for the winds of trouble were blowing from the Far East, where an unexpected spark threatened to set the kindling of chaos ablaze.

Tidings from the East

The newly formed council governing Ala Mhigo and headed by Raubahn Aldynn was well positioned to lead the fledgling republic into the future. Therefore, when Hancock of the East Aldenard Trading Company sent word from distant Kugane that he had acquired information of great interest to the Scions, they were ready and willing to answer his summons. On their arrival, he informed them that individuals resembling Gosetsu and Yotsuyu had been but recently seen walking the streets of Kugane. Though the Scions struggled to comprehend how they could possibly have escaped Doma Castle alive, the fact remained that the Garleans were sufficiently convinced to dispatch a sizable contingent of soldiers to hunt them down. Never one to leave a comrade at an enemy's mercy, the Warrior of Light agreed to join ‘Yugiri in her quest for the truth.

‘Through none other than Gyodo, the Namazu who unwisely betrayed them to the Empire during their first visit to Kugane, the Scions learned that an elderly Roegadyn samurai had recently sold a katana of surpassing craftsmanship to a pawnbroker on Kogane Dori. Shortly after Alphinaud, in his folly, purchased the katana with Scion funds, Gyodo informed them that the imperial contingent charged with finding Yotsuyu was preparing to deploy to the Ruby Sea, plainly in the belief that their quarry was bound for Doma. The Scions duly followed, and while at the Ruby Price, chaos erupted when the Empire launched an attack against the nearby Confederate stronghold on Sakazuki. Wasting no time, they hastened to join the defensive effort, and were soon reunited with a familiar figure—Gosetsu. Without breaking stride, the Warrior of Light hurled himself between the old samurai and his assailants, and at length succeeded in beating them back. Having dealt with the immediate danger, the Scions then turned their attention to their ailing comrade and his unlikely traveling companion.

At Alphinaud’s prompting, Gosetsu recounted the miraculous tale of his survival. When the keep collapsed around them, he and Yotsuyu plunged into the One River and were swept out to sea, where they drifted for days before finally coming to rest on the shore of a desert island. ‘Though she came through the ordeal whole of body, Yotsuyu awoke bereft of her memory, and Gosetsu, unable to decide her fate, resolved to deliver her to Hien for his judgment.

Storm on the Horizon

Lord Hien welcomed his dear friend and loyal retainer with open arms, but knew not what to do with the former viceroy. Even if Tsuyu, as Gosetsu had named her, had forgotten who she was, the people of Doma had not, and she could not be permitted to roam free. Hien declared that she would be detained in secret while he deliberated a course of action.

However, the question of Yorsuyu’s fate would have to wait, for the Empire was on the move once more—an imperial airship had been sighted near Castrum Fluminis. Curiously, the airships occupants used traditional Doman smoke signals to communicate peaceful intentions, prompting Lord Hien and his retinue to greet the occupants under a flag of truce. So it was that they were met by Asahi sas Brutus, ambassador plenipotentiary of Garlemald—heir to the Naeuri clan and Yorsuyus adoptive brother.

The Picture of Civility

Asahi claimed to be a member of the Populares, a political faction within Garlemald that represented the interests of the common man and sought to reform the Empire’s provincial policy. Varis zos Galvus had personally sanctioned his mission, granting him the authority to speak with the Emperor’s voice, and with it he sought to negotiate a peace treaty with Doma, provided they formally renounce the practice of summoning. Lord Hien and the others could not help but regard these statements with skepticism, yet the ambassador assured them he spoke true, and in the spirit of building trust, proposed an exchange of prisoners— including his adoptive sister, Yotsuyu. The attempt to retrieve her made by imperial forces in Sakazuki had been ordered by the Optimates, a conservative faction of pure-blooded Garleans which stood in opposition to the Populares, and Asahi posited that securing her return by peaceable means would strengthen his party’s position. Nevertheless, such a decision could not be made lightly, and so Hien invited Asahi to remain in Doma as an honored guest while he considered his offer.

While Lord Hien deliberated over the proposed prisoner exchange, Asahi wished to tour Yanxia in the company of the fabled Warrior of Light. Together with Yugiri and Alisaie they paid a visit to Monzen, where the ambassador reaffirmed his determination to put an end to the conflict between Doma and the Empire, and lamented the loss of the majestic castle. The party then proceeded to Namai, and en route came upon a group of Red Kojin threatening two youths from the village. After driving away the thick-shelled sellswords, Asahi laid the blame for the Kojin’s aggression squarely at the feet of the Empire, leading Yugiri to point out the absurdity of his position. Rather than take offense, however, he implored her to look past old allegiances that all might work towards the common goal of peace.

While not under the best of circumstances, Asahi seemed glad to have had the opportunity to share his thoughts on how relations between Doma and the Empire might be improved. And, regrettable though the battle was, he admitted to having relished the chance to witness the Warrior of Light’s martial prowess firsthand.

True Intentions Laid Bare

Lord Hien agreed to the proposed exchange of prisoners on one condition: that Yotsuyu be granted exemption from the transaction should her memory fail to return by the appointed hour. Though plainly displeased by this stipulation, Asahi eventually consented, but not without making one final request: a moment to speak with his beloved sister in private. Hien duly granted his wish, and Asahi was admitted to Yotsuyu’s quarters. When he emerged a short time later, he conceded that Yotsuyu’s condition was not feigned, and entrusted her to Hien’s care.

Having agreed upon the finer details of the exchange, there was naught left to do but bid the ambassador and his associates farewell, and so the Warrior of Light dutifully escorted them back to their ship along the bank of the One River. Moments prior to departing, however, Asahi pulled the Warrior of Light aside to offer special thanks—or so he claimed. With his back turned to the others, his smile quickly changed to a scowl, and he issued an ominous threat. Yet even as he began to speak, the Warrior of Light was overcome by a vision of the past, wherein he discovered Asahi was in fact a fervent admirer of the late Lord Zenos. Realizing the hero had walked in his memories only served to stoke the flames in the ambassador’s eyes, and he castigated him for presuming to oppose his master before stalking away, leaving the Warrior of Light to watch open mouthed as the airship disappeared into the distance, dumbfounded by the sudden show of petulance.

Noting his troubled expression, Hien asked if something was amiss, and the Warrior of Light distractedly recounted his exchange with Asahi. The tale left Yugiri and Alisaie understandably aghast, but Hien appeared unmoved. Though he conceded the incident did not bode well for the coming prisoner exchange, he remained determined to see it through.

Despite the Scions' and the Doman’s best efforts, the questions raised by Yotsuyu’s return had yet to be satisfactorily answered, and the appearance of her adoptive brother only added to the uncertainty. Yet the light of hope could not be suffered to dim. Regardless of Asahi’s aims, Doma and her allies would do whatever necessary to ensure that she never again fell under the shadow of imperial rule. [1]

References

  1. Encyclopaedia Eorzea: Volume II, page 61-62