|
|
フォーラム » FFXI »
General
»
Melvien's Personal Reflections: The Council Meeting and its Aftermath
Melvien's Personal Reflections: The Council Meeting and its Aftermath
By Kalila 2013-06-06 13:01:27
Warning: The following page contains spoilers that may impede your enjoyment of the Seekers of Adoulin story as of the March 27, 2013 version. Proceed at your own risk.
| |  | Melvien's Personal Reflections: The Council Meeting and its Aftermath |
I hereby bid you welcome to the estate of the esteemed Melvien de Malecroix. Have you business with my master?
I see. I regret to inform you that he has been called away on a matter of utmost importance.
He's a bit too busy, you say? As much as it pains me to agree, it is true that my master has been preoccupied of late. I fear that his admirable work ethic may yet be the death of him.
I advised him to consider taking a brief respite from his duties, but in response, he smiled and brandished a fistful of paper in my face, insisting that the most relaxing reprieve comes after a hard day's work.
I did manage to steal a glance at his manuscript, which appeared to be a personal journal of sorts. Fancy this: a stone-faced man, always steeped in his work, spending his evenings writing down his most personal feelings and thoughts. I would find the entire proposition preposterous had not I witnessed it with my very eyes. I shamefully admit that I would give a month's salary to steal one more glance...
Of course, I know better than to betray my master and lay hand on something so scandalous. Yet when I inquired as to the nature of the documents, he brushed me off, saying they were but personal musings on the state of the colonization effort.
<Sigh>. I should simply be content with the knowledge that jotting down introspections serves as an outlet for him to relieve stress. |
|
| |
| | | Chapter One: The Sacred City of Adoulin |
| | Melvien’s Personal Reflections: The Council Meeting and its Aftermath
It’s not that I find writing particularly disagreeable—it helps me collect my thoughts and spur on my memory—but all day I am strangled by official proposals, financial forms and governmental applications. Such stuffiness requires perfect precision, right down to the final stroke of each unsmeared letter.
That’s why I enjoy taking the time to collect my thoughts in a more informal manner at the end of each day—particularly those relating to colonization and pioneering.
I’ve no intention of showing this to anyone else. No, some of what I write here must never be made public. But I must record it, lest it weigh heavy on my mind.
I wonder what my reaction will be when I read this five, ten years down the line. I pray that our efforts toward opening up Eastern Ulbuka will have progressed, and inroads to the continent will have been secured.
The Pioneers’ Coalition came to me today with an update. Over the past month, their efforts have succeeded admirably; having given them free reign over the national coffers, I am pleased to see that they have not let even one coin go to waste. I must confess, though, that the majority of the burden has been borne not by our own native sons, but these battle-born adventurers from the Middle Lands who have come here to claim the moniker of “pioneer.”
There is, however, another thorn in my side—those who oppose colonization. They make quite a lot of noise, when in reality they are but a paper tiger; after all, of Adoulin’s Twelve Orders, only four growl in protest. The most effective way to silence them is to continue making inroads, to continue opening up the continent.
Adoulin is oft thought of as a big city, but its walls are beginning to burst as the population surges to previously unthinkable levels. The island is quite resource poor, providing sustenance for only a modicum of its citizenry, and prospects for securing a more stable food supply are grim. Those pitiable fools complain about living in harmony with the land and respecting the sanctity of the forest, yet they ignore the wails of the citizenry as they cry out for succor. Without the bounty provided to us by Ulbuka, how are we supposed to persevere?
Yet I must remain objective and not let my emotions control me.
Will Adoulin flourish as one of the great nations of Vana’diel? Or will it be relegated to a single footnote in the annals of history? The actions of those from the Middle Lands may decide the fate of us all.
What was the name of that pioneer whom I met at that dinner in Castle Adoulin? No matter. Of more pressing concern is that they have become a bit too close to the little witch—or rather, “Princess” Arciela—for my liking.
This vexes me, as our dear princess seems to have a strong distaste for our sudden calling—which in itself is surprising, given that it was none other than her brother Ygnas who proposed the gates be opened once more. What piques my interest, however, is that a pioneer could curry favor with the Order of Adoulin. I must let this play out as it will.
After all, the Pioneers’ Coalition is still in its infancy and requires further refinement if it is to fulfill its intended purpose.
Take the Zoldeff River, for instance—the main obstacle that impedes our advance into Foret de Hennetiel. Its waters are too perilous to ford without watercraft, and yet precious few coalition members have acquired watercrafting skills to navigate their way to the other side.
They would do well to learn more from the experiences of our new friends. Perhaps I should inform station and bivouac administrators to that effect...
Bah. These are supposed to be personal reflections, and yet I find once again my pen has turned toward duty over pleasure. I suppose it can’t be helped. There’s too much to do, and only so many hours in the day.
Suffice to say that these pioneers may yet prove their worth, and the bonds they’ve formed with each other will be the biggest source of their strength.
Pioneering, you see, is not something that can be undertaken alone. No...not with what I know about Lhe Lhangavo. For her, each day had been spent mired in regrets and what-ifs, all because she didn’t value those around her.
There is strength in numbers when fighting in uncharted lands. Ironic that it was Lhe herself who rose her voice to lecture us on what she called “the one undeniable truth of the continent” when Ygnas declared that colonization was to recommence.
She had been in such low spirits. What caused her to have a change of heart? “I’m our coalition’s Maester, after all,” she bleated out like a lost sheep, obviously trying to convince herself more than any one of us.
“Together we stand, divided we fall,” was it? Sometimes I wonder if those foreign-born adventurers will become aware of the true meaning of these words.
They must, or they shall find themselves suffering the same fate she did...
Melvien de Malecroix
|  | Melvien de Malecroix
Male Elvaan
The leader of the Order of Woltaris, one of Adoulin’s Twelve Orders. With a keen eye for economics and fiscal theory, he was appointed as the Minister of Finance at a young age. He is gravely concerned with the recent population explosion in the city and finds colonization to play a critical role in stamping out fears of a lack of housing, food, and gainful employment that accompany such an increase. |
| |
|
| |
Story : Miyabi Hasegawa
Illustration : Mitsuhiro Arita |
|
[+]
 Valefor.Sehachan
サーバ: Valefor
Game: FFXI
Posts: 24219
By Valefor.Sehachan 2013-06-06 13:05:03
"Dear diary.
Kids at school today bullied me again cause my hair are pink. But I can't help being so fabulous!"
 Leviathan.Kincard
サーバ: Leviathan
Game: FFXI
Posts: 1442
By Leviathan.Kincard 2013-06-06 13:11:44
More than anything this reminds me that it's been almost 3 months since they last updated the story, and probably will be 4/5 months before they actually do update it, which isn't really a good sign of what's to come.
 Bismarck.Xzeikx
サーバ: Bismarck
Game: FFXI
Posts: 588
By Bismarck.Xzeikx 2013-06-06 13:14:53
Some story should come out this month i think. Well hopefully. But i think new Wildskeepers is this month and new fractures
Leviathan.Kincard
サーバ: Leviathan
Game: FFXI
Posts: 1442
By Leviathan.Kincard 2013-06-06 13:16:44
They said "early summer" for the next patch, which is probably either this month or next month. But given the recent posts I'm going to guess mid-June.
サーバ: Fenrir
Game: FFXI
Posts: 3012
By Fenrir.Leoheart 2013-06-06 13:19:47
Seriously though, that guys face looks strange.
Leviathan.Kincard
サーバ: Leviathan
Game: FFXI
Posts: 1442
By Leviathan.Kincard 2013-06-06 13:23:06
You guys are just jealous because you can only have a pink top on an internet forum whereas he has it 24/7.
Quetzalcoatl.Killza
サーバ: Quetzalcoatl
Game: FFXI
Posts: 87
By Quetzalcoatl.Killza 2013-06-06 13:24:08
I'm sitting here like.... what'll be the reward?
 Cerberus.Conagh
サーバ: Cerberus
Game: FFXI
Posts: 3189
By Cerberus.Conagh 2013-06-06 13:45:14
The reward is obvoious
"Fabulous tabard"
Charge 1/1 "turns your character's hair pink"
Fenrir.Schutz
サーバ: Fenrir
Game: FFXI
Posts: 3122
By Fenrir.Schutz 2013-06-06 15:01:23
I'm sure SE feels obligated to 'change up' the FF (and FFXI) paradigm/trope of the cute heroine being central to the story, by now. I am predicting that Melvien will end up being the good guy at the conclusion and Arciela will be shown as the devious manipulative villain in a big reveal. ^_-
I only say this because the in-game pioneering efforts (and battles and gear-collecting) have to survive the storyline's conclusion, so therefore likely have to ultimately be a "good thing" for Adoulin, so those who resist it probably have something to hide. :p
 Quetzalcoatl.Zubis
サーバ: Quetzalcoatl
Game: FFXI
Posts: 235
By Quetzalcoatl.Zubis 2013-06-06 19:03:05
One of the biggest complaints about Wings of the Goddess was that the story took four years to finish.
I assumed that SE would learn from this and have SoA planned to finish in say a year. This "last time on SoA" recap doesn't really fill me with confidence that this will actually happen.
サーバ: Cerberus
Game: FFXI
Posts: 128
By Cerberus.Wulfgarson 2013-06-06 21:09:58
next update will coincide with lottery payout ... so mid-july im guessing.
By Enuyasha 2013-06-06 21:28:33
Cerberus.Wulfgarson said: »next update will coincide with lottery payout ... so mid-july im guessing. or just before :< Im guessing its sometime this month, as June is the first month of the "summer" months.
Warning: The following page contains spoilers that may impede your enjoyment of the Seekers of Adoulin story as of the March 27, 2013 version. Proceed at your own risk.
| | | Melvien's Personal Reflections: The Council Meeting and its Aftermath |
I hereby bid you welcome to the estate of the esteemed Melvien de Malecroix. Have you business with my master?
I see. I regret to inform you that he has been called away on a matter of utmost importance.
He's a bit too busy, you say? As much as it pains me to agree, it is true that my master has been preoccupied of late. I fear that his admirable work ethic may yet be the death of him.
I advised him to consider taking a brief respite from his duties, but in response, he smiled and brandished a fistful of paper in my face, insisting that the most relaxing reprieve comes after a hard day's work.
I did manage to steal a glance at his manuscript, which appeared to be a personal journal of sorts. Fancy this: a stone-faced man, always steeped in his work, spending his evenings writing down his most personal feelings and thoughts. I would find the entire proposition preposterous had not I witnessed it with my very eyes. I shamefully admit that I would give a month's salary to steal one more glance...
Of course, I know better than to betray my master and lay hand on something so scandalous. Yet when I inquired as to the nature of the documents, he brushed me off, saying they were but personal musings on the state of the colonization effort.
<Sigh>. I should simply be content with the knowledge that jotting down introspections serves as an outlet for him to relieve stress. |
|
| |
| | | Chapter One: The Sacred City of Adoulin |
| | Melvien’s Personal Reflections: The Council Meeting and its Aftermath
It’s not that I find writing particularly disagreeable—it helps me collect my thoughts and spur on my memory—but all day I am strangled by official proposals, financial forms and governmental applications. Such stuffiness requires perfect precision, right down to the final stroke of each unsmeared letter.
That’s why I enjoy taking the time to collect my thoughts in a more informal manner at the end of each day—particularly those relating to colonization and pioneering.
I’ve no intention of showing this to anyone else. No, some of what I write here must never be made public. But I must record it, lest it weigh heavy on my mind.
I wonder what my reaction will be when I read this five, ten years down the line. I pray that our efforts toward opening up Eastern Ulbuka will have progressed, and inroads to the continent will have been secured.
The Pioneers’ Coalition came to me today with an update. Over the past month, their efforts have succeeded admirably; having given them free reign over the national coffers, I am pleased to see that they have not let even one coin go to waste. I must confess, though, that the majority of the burden has been borne not by our own native sons, but these battle-born adventurers from the Middle Lands who have come here to claim the moniker of “pioneer.”
There is, however, another thorn in my side—those who oppose colonization. They make quite a lot of noise, when in reality they are but a paper tiger; after all, of Adoulin’s Twelve Orders, only four growl in protest. The most effective way to silence them is to continue making inroads, to continue opening up the continent.
Adoulin is oft thought of as a big city, but its walls are beginning to burst as the population surges to previously unthinkable levels. The island is quite resource poor, providing sustenance for only a modicum of its citizenry, and prospects for securing a more stable food supply are grim. Those pitiable fools complain about living in harmony with the land and respecting the sanctity of the forest, yet they ignore the wails of the citizenry as they cry out for succor. Without the bounty provided to us by Ulbuka, how are we supposed to persevere?
Yet I must remain objective and not let my emotions control me.
Will Adoulin flourish as one of the great nations of Vana’diel? Or will it be relegated to a single footnote in the annals of history? The actions of those from the Middle Lands may decide the fate of us all.
What was the name of that pioneer whom I met at that dinner in Castle Adoulin? No matter. Of more pressing concern is that they have become a bit too close to the little witch—or rather, “Princess” Arciela—for my liking.
This vexes me, as our dear princess seems to have a strong distaste for our sudden calling—which in itself is surprising, given that it was none other than her brother Ygnas who proposed the gates be opened once more. What piques my interest, however, is that a pioneer could curry favor with the Order of Adoulin. I must let this play out as it will.
After all, the Pioneers’ Coalition is still in its infancy and requires further refinement if it is to fulfill its intended purpose.
Take the Zoldeff River, for instance—the main obstacle that impedes our advance into Foret de Hennetiel. Its waters are too perilous to ford without watercraft, and yet precious few coalition members have acquired watercrafting skills to navigate their way to the other side.
They would do well to learn more from the experiences of our new friends. Perhaps I should inform station and bivouac administrators to that effect...
Bah. These are supposed to be personal reflections, and yet I find once again my pen has turned toward duty over pleasure. I suppose it can’t be helped. There’s too much to do, and only so many hours in the day.
Suffice to say that these pioneers may yet prove their worth, and the bonds they’ve formed with each other will be the biggest source of their strength.
Pioneering, you see, is not something that can be undertaken alone. No...not with what I know about Lhe Lhangavo. For her, each day had been spent mired in regrets and what-ifs, all because she didn’t value those around her.
There is strength in numbers when fighting in uncharted lands. Ironic that it was Lhe herself who rose her voice to lecture us on what she called “the one undeniable truth of the continent” when Ygnas declared that colonization was to recommence.
She had been in such low spirits. What caused her to have a change of heart? “I’m our coalition’s Maester, after all,” she bleated out like a lost sheep, obviously trying to convince herself more than any one of us.
“Together we stand, divided we fall,” was it? Sometimes I wonder if those foreign-born adventurers will become aware of the true meaning of these words.
They must, or they shall find themselves suffering the same fate she did...
Melvien de Malecroix
| | Melvien de Malecroix
Male Elvaan
The leader of the Order of Woltaris, one of Adoulin’s Twelve Orders. With a keen eye for economics and fiscal theory, he was appointed as the Minister of Finance at a young age. He is gravely concerned with the recent population explosion in the city and finds colonization to play a critical role in stamping out fears of a lack of housing, food, and gainful employment that accompany such an increase. |
| |
|
| |
Story : Miyabi Hasegawa
Illustration : Mitsuhiro Arita |
|
|
|
