a
a
"All warfare is based on deception."
An abandoned clinic perched cliff-side, roused from comatose state to a new clatter of azure arms and bolts by the bucket—like an ant colony crawling amidst flourishing gardens and resplendent halls only to retreat inward come night.By whose authority had such a force assembled?
Surcoats evoke the summer sky in their blues,
splashed with tumbling alabaster cumulus.
Their gilded celatas glittering, resplendent,
mark them out as well-funded and disciplined enough to maintain a shine.Yet for all that elegance in captivating colors lain across freshly polished arm harness and fine cotton coats, why is it that the faces that peer out from beneath those armored brims seem anything but?
Scar-marred faces decorated with habitually reset noses and ill-healed jaws promised violence with their paradoxically empty-and-at-once-focused stares that they might level upon any curious bystanders. These men and women are undeniably steeled, brutalist architecture covered in the thinnest veneer of tinsel and gilt.
Survivors of a Malefick Venome, the deadly push through the isthmus of Ghimlyt, and the generational strife of the Dragonsong brought to an end by a slaying, these hardened hearts gathered are experts in snuffing out the lives of their fellow men, Ixal, and monsters alike.
But a select few among them could recall older conflict yet--More turbid by far.
Come on in and take a gander; pay no attention to mischievous slander.What is there to see but the flare of cannons in the moonlight, belching fire and brimstone in swirling ember hues, the glitter of runners by torchlight and the great flaming balls of fire they'd launch to set ablaze the storehouses and homes? The thundercrack of muskets, an antecedent to the flash that was itself just a precedent to one more missed shot that pinged off of the balustrades.Much to lose. Even more to gain.
A venerated Vizier tumbling into the valley,
Devils pushing the flanks,
And beneath it all like fervid undercurrents flowing to the distant sea no longer: a dry and dusty river.
— Notice: Skilled soldiers sought ; vaunted valorous veterans valued verily —
Additionally seeking:
- Those skilled in the production, preservation, and procurement of arms and armor—smiths, weapons dealers, and engineers §
- Scouts, spies, and skirmishers §
- Caravaneers and chocobo handlers §
- Camp followers providing cooking, laundering, liquor, nursing, and sutlery services §
Regular meals, generous pay, and guaranteed pension given for grievous loss of limb incurred in service to The Company are guaranteed to all recruits.
Inquire at the offices of Captain Noyel Oszkar
Bitter hearts. Hellwind.
The First Lord looked upon his land and saw that it was scant
So a flower grew out from his throat, the Dark Lord of the PlantThe Second Lord's lands fell below, he lost his sons and daughters
So he sunk himself beneath the sea, the Dark Lord of Black WatersThe Third Lord cared not for the waves that darkened up his fountain
So he dug in deep, and forged his keep, the Dark Lord of The MountainThe Fourth Lord saw these corrupt world and thought it very pretty
So he called his guild and began to build, the Dark Lord of The CityThe Fifth Lord was quite pleased to see new prey on hunting ground
So he went on all fours and cried great roars, the Dark Lord of The HoundThe Six Lord worked day in and night, and knew he shant retire
Eager to turn through ash and burn, the Dark Lord of the FireThe Seventh Lord with his greedy horde, refused to quit his squirmin
So rats ripped through his filthy skin, the Dark Lord of The VerminThe Final Lord looked to the skies, saw Jupiter and Mars
As they fell to doom and darkened gloom, the Dark Lord of The StarsSeeking:Students of the Arcane, all schools of magic welcome
Buyers and Sellers of Information, seekers and record-keepers of knowledge
Aetheric Researchers, appealing to those in search of grants to fund their work… those afflicted with the Void and its ilk
… those bravely seeking beyond the blurred boundaries of public knowledge
… those who want to understand the world in new and potentially unnerving waysHave you reached your practical threshold, yet know you are capable of more? Have fate and circumstance delivered questions that the Ossuary and Scholars of Limsa refuse to answer? Come join a like-minded cabal that isn’t here to save the world, nor are they poised to destroy it: they simply wish to understand it.