Some people call is developer's laziness, some call it rehashing, and some would even call it "budgeted expansions." The world of FFXI is a large one. You can travel from epic castle-like cities through forests, platues, beaches, and deep caves. Adventurers in FFXI have been allowed to travel to the "heavens" and even down across the sea to far off continents and legendary lost lands. One of the most places players have been able to travel to it alternative worlds. Time travel, alternative histories, and even dream-worlds have been discovered by adventurers in pursuit of better gear and a good time. I'd like to take this chance for a quick review on the different worlds in FFXI. Here are my rules: Must be an alternative world, not just far off places such as "sky" or "sea." Spoilers ahead though, so tread cautiously if you care about storyline.
Part 1:
Dynamis: The Shrouded Land
A dream-world created by the terrestrial avatar Diabolos for him to escape Vana'diel's fate during the time of the Crystal War.
Prior the the creation, we find ourselves during the forming of a multinational group to battle the Beastmen and Dark Kindred known as the Hydra Corps. This group contained Raogrimm the Galka an the two humes Cornilia and Ulrich from Bastok; Yow Rabntah the Mithra and Iru-Kuiru the Tarutaru representing Windurst; Finally, Franchmage the Elvaan for San d'Oria. Diabolos saw the conflicts arousing between the Hydra Corps and felt that Vana'diel stood no chance. We watched as Ulrich betrayed Raogrimm and the rest of the corps, thus leading to Raogrimm's pact with Odin to become to the Shadow Lord.
During this time of darkness for the Warriors of Altana, Diabolos decided to create a dream-world to escape from the fate that was looming over the world. With the creation of this world the spirits of of the Hydra Corps and the Shadow Lord's where unable to escape the horrors of the War. The cities became overrun with the beastmen and the Shadow Lord took the new name of the Dynamis Lord.
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| Original Cutscene with Raogrimm and Cornilia. |
Back in our world, Raogrimm's lingering spirit feels that darkness is rising again. He feels that there is another Shadow Lord with an army that wishes to return to the world they originally came from to claim what belongs to them. He asks you to investigate the northlands to stop the uprising of darkness taking over the world.
With the darkness covering the northlands of Dynamis, the spirits of the fallen Hydra Corps where unable to help take blame for the sins Raogrimm committed during his time as the Shadow Lord. Thanks to some adventurers from our current world, we where able to lift the darkness and allow access to Xarcabard and the attempt to free Raogrimm from his eternal nightmare. Adventurers where rewarded for their tasks with ancient currency needed to revive the lost relic weapons as well as armor from fallen warriors during the crystal war.
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| Classic Dynamis - Xarc win, how Dynamis should go. |
This wasn't the end of the nightmare, though..
Adventurers who still wanted to journey deeper into the world of Dreams had the opportunity to talk to Diabolos if they previously met him during Chains of Promathia missions. He asks that if you where to venture deeper into his dreamworld that you may find the cause of the darkness becoming stronger in his dream. When he created this world, it wasn't only dream-like spirits of the Shadow Lord that was created, but also another version of Diabolos himself.
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| Dynamis how I remember it. |
Unfortunately, this is where the story ends. Much like some other areas of the game, this storyline is left unfinished. Perhaps sometime in the future we will get another Dynamis expansion and have a completed storyline, until then...
Next Post: Abyssea & Campaign
Coming After: Voidwalkers & Voidwatch
