Taking the Fight to the Empire

I was invited to join Minfilia in a meeting with a client about the plight of the Path. I thought nothing of it as I made my way to the Waking Sands. I didn't realize that my life would change drastically on this day - that my way of seeing the world was going to be violently shaken into new proportions. My journey on the Path of the Twelve had been exciting and sometimes frightening, but none of that could prepare me for what would unfurl on this day I was summoned to the Antecedent's office.

New Allies Assemble

As I entered the office, I was surprised to find not only Hero, but the Ala Mhigan Resistance Captain I had recently met who was now accompanied by his trusted elite. I was welcomed and invited to speak with the Resistance members to hear their stories. Minfilia assured me I would need to hear it all and understand it before I would be asked to make my decision to throw in with them or not. During these discussion I heard some of the foul things the Empire was doing in Ala Mhigo. How they had been enslaved and their children brainwashed to fight for the Empire's cause. I could see how much these men and women longed to reclaim their homeland and right these terrible wrongs that had fallen upon them. The captain's speech in particular was very passionate and moving. I felt inspired to storm Ala Mhigo single-handedly to return it to him if I were able to do so on my own. 

His plan was deceptively simple - attack Silvertear Falls in the Mor Dhona region where the Imperials had set up an impromptu base of operations that was weakly defended and remote. There he hoped to steal an airship and use it to drive the legion occupying Ala Mhigo out of their city and back to their holes in the Empire. Minfilia expressed deep concern for the recklessness of the plan and I agree that it sounded like a long shot. The Captain was insistent however that they must try and with those parting words of determination the Resistance left the Waking Sands.

Hero left to go with him, but Minfilia stopped him to offer a strong word of caution. He said to her that he was simply following his Path and to me that I need not follow if I felt my Path went in a different direction, but after hearing the plan and the tragic story of the people of Ala Mhigo, I was as committed as he.I knew he had his own reasons that he did not wish to speak of and I knew I had to stand by him.

Camp Revenant's Toll

I also new Nimla would stand by me and that we would need all the help we could get so together we headed into the depths of Mor Dhona where we planned to meet up with Hero and the Resistance near Camp Revenant's Toll - one of the few bastions of the city-states left in the region. As we arrived Nimla and I realized we were too late - we could see Imperials fighting on the outskirts of the camp with some Resistance members I'd met previously. They were promptly defeated by a group of three Imperials who then ran east - Nimla and I gave chase in order to locate their base of operations.

After Them!

I identified them as a Centurion, a Sagittarius, and a Hoplomachus of the Imperial Army as we neared some cliffs to the east, but all too late I realized they were giving themselves away and leading us into a trap. Nimla and I gasped in horror as they drew their swords and an airship flew in to reinforce them. We could see as it drew in aether to charge its cannon, standing ominously over the three Imperial soldiers. We exchanged a few words and drew our staffs to end this threat or die trying.

It's a Trap!

I admit to you that I don't really remember much of the battle. Nimla and I managed to avoid the blasts from the airship's cannon and use it to decimate one of the Imperials by watching where the aether gathered around us - I suppose being in touch with aether and the elements did us a great service. We individually took care of the two remaining Imperials and turned our sights on capturing the airship as planned, but not unexpectedly it flew off and vanished. We were left breathless and lucky to be alive. The cannon on the airship is incredibly powerful - instantly vaporizing that soldier who stood in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Nimla! Watch out!

Hero was nearby and attracted to the sound of our fighting, but he arrived just a moment too late to help us. He did have a chance to speak with the Resistance Captain and informed us that the next part of the plan would involve Hero, Nimla and I creating a distraction so the Resistance could get their hands on their own airship. It seemed simple enough so we headed through the cliffs and came out in a clearing on the other side.


We made our way into the clearing looking for some sign of the Imperials and some way to cause a distraction when Hero stopped in his tracks and a dire reality unveiled before us. The Resistance members were dead and bleeding at our feet. The plan had failed. They were all dead. There was sounds of scuffle and we turned to see the Captain looming ominously in the fog, but as we neared we could see he was simply being held by his neck, armored fingers wrapped around his throat. He had been defeated.

As the figure released the Captain, revealing an fully armored human-shape with curled, horned helmet, a blue blast of fire shot out of his wrist and knocked Hero away from us. He was so horrific looking that I'm not sure if he was truly one of the five races or not. His voice was muffled by his black and red armor as he informed us we were foolish to come here and he raised his arm again to fire his fire at Nimla and I...

His efforts were deflected by none other than Y'shtola! How had she come? I hadn't seen her in months. She was not alone, either! She had apparently gathered allies since she'd come to Eorzea many months ago on the same ship as I. There was a Hyur with daggers, a Lalafell mage, and a masked pugilist. They began to battle this armored Garlean demon while Nimla and I stood dumbfounded, unable to only gawk at the sheer power displayed by the five fighting figures. As if annoyed that he was evenly matched, the Garlean lifted his arm to the sky and summoned an explosion that engulfed the entire valley - I have no idea how we survived, but I can only assume Y'shtola protected us with her barriers.

Cave Children

Nimla and I awoke in a cave surrounded by scared children. They spoke to us of their fears of the dark and the cold, but why were they here? How had we come here? Had the Echo brought us both? I was so confused and disoriented by the experience. I began to look for an exit to this cavern and as I did, I heard voices by the children. Nimla and I watched as a ritual turned these scared and frightened children into ... firm believers of the Garlean beliefs - raging against the Beast Tribes and their "Gods" with firm conviction. They had brainwashed these young Ala Mhigan children right before our eyes! What we witnessed reconfirmed my previous questions about the true intention of this Garlean invasion - it was not the city-states they had in sight, but the beastkin and their summoned Primals. What did they plan? Why?

We started to intervene when a commanding voice stopped us in our tracks.Y'shtola stood before us - again appearing out of thin air. She chastised me for rushing to my death and squandering my power known as the Echo without understanding its true potential. She made me realize that I had not questioned it enough. I had no idea what it was capable of doing. She had exhibited the Echo before in Limsa Lominsa - we had seen each other in the visions of the past - is that how she became so powerful? Powerful enough to deflect bullets with her will alone? She told me I should seek out who gave me this gift and demand to know its true purpose.

The cave faded around us and Nimla and I were standing with Hero at Camp Revenant's Toll. I was happy to find him uninjured after all we had seen, but we both knew the meanings of our lives had changed in all this. Hero was ready to forge ahead and find the true purpose of the Echo. I wondered if Nimla had it as well as she had somehow been protected and joined me in that cave with the children. We would all seek out the truth together, I hoped.