Anniversary (Admiral Merlwyb)
| Anniversary (Admiral Merlwyb) | |
|---|---|
| Date of Cutscene: | 21 July 2015 |
| Location: | The Mizzenmast - Limsa Lominsa |
| Synopsis: | Chief Admiral Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn leads her people in honoring the past while looking ahead to the future. |
| Cast of Characters: | 595 |
The main hall of the Mizzenmast is buzzing with the gathering of Limsa Lominsians upon its wooden floor, the outfits of various pirate, Maelstrom, and civilian peoples all mixed together. While harsh looks and words are often exchanged, not a fist or weapon is raised for fear of invoking the ire of the soldiers who stand guard around the room.
The echo of a single step on the high wooden stage is all it takes to pull attention in that direction, and the black-clad figure of Chief Admiral Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn advances to the banister separating her from her people. Her stance is straight and proud, full of confidence and military bearing, her hands at her side. "Brothers and sisters of the sea, harken unto me!" She calls. Though she scarcely seems to raise the volume of her voice above the normal conversational level, the hall immediately falls completely silent.
"We have gathered this day in remembrance. One year ago, the Calamity befell Eorzeans and Garleans alike on the fields of Carteneau, devastating lands across Eorzea under Bahamut's wrathful fires. The Warriors of Light disappeared, purged from even our own memories, and the Eorzean Alliance threatened to break beneath the onslaught. While many of us survived to tell the tale, so many more did not." Her voice wavers slightly. "Join me in recognizing those who fought for our freedom, and paid the ultimate price to uphold it. May their souls be returned to the sea." She salutes in a few moments of silence, and many within the crowd do the same as the rest bow their heads respectfully.
"But 'tis not all that day wrought." She rests her hands on the banister, her arms straight as if holding up her torso at the shoulders. "While we reeled, blindsided and taking water, we became part of something far bigger. On that day, our world merged with the Multiverse. In the first months that followed the Calamity, as we nursed our wounds and plugged the holes in our hulls, our eyes turned out beyond our own shores into the strange waters beyond."
She lifts one hand to roughly face-level. "'Tis not been without incident. Rebel pirates have sought to destroy what unity I have created under the banner of Limsa Lominsa. The Garleans have allied themselves with the Confederacy, and such allies have harried Maelstrom forces." Her hand tightens in front of her face. "Even the beastmen have recovered," she snaps that hand out to the side, "calling forth their Primals in an attempt to finish us off in a moment of weakness."
She straightens, clasping her hands behind her back as she slowly walks from one end of the banister to the other. "I reached out to the Union, joining our great nation with their alliances. While the Warriors of Light are lost to us, the outsiders of the Multiverse have proven to be worthy allies. They protected the wooden bones of the Victory from rebellious pirates and helped defeat Leviathan on our own shores. They have even proven instrumental in the battles against the Dravanian Horde and the remnants of the Garlean Seventh Legion."
She lifts one hand, seeming to point up to the ceiling. "Make no mistake. These are turbulent times, and I do not make choices lightly. While the Navigator reveals the path ahead, it is still my sworn duty and responsibility to ensure a tight ship and a united crew throughout the journey. My policies are strict, but for good reason. Why would I allow those who fly our great standard," she sweeps her hand to the crimson banner to her side, "to steal and kill indiscriminately, harming ally and enemy alike from our world or beyond? No, my brethren. We are better than that."
She stops at the center of the stage, spreading her hands out wide and palms up as if to beseech the crowd. "But I cannot do this alone. From the pirate crews to the Yellow Jackets, the Barracudas to the civilians -- we are all the beating heart of Limsa Lominsa. No matter what may yet come, no matter the technologies or magics we adapt as our own, our unbreakable resolve and dedication to freedom will drive through whatever storm is set in our path!" She drives a fist towards the ceiling as the first swellings of a cheer echo through the gathered crowd. "'Till the sea swallows all!"
The cheer roars to life and echoes throughout the Mizzenmast, all those present united in one moment under their Admiral. The Roegadyn smiles faintly as her arms fall to her sides, and she dips her chin in a nod before turning and walking away from the banister. Though she knows well that this display of unity may only last as far as the doors to the outside, it is proof that it can be done at all. That alone is a reassuring hope for the future.
