The Couple That Slays Together...

Staff Writer: S'lyhhia Loha

Last moon, I had the opportunity interview power couple Alfric Braddock and Auriadne Redwynn of The Hunter’s Mark after a tragic loss and a shining triumph. The couple, recently wed during the First Umbral Moon, was kind enough to share their perspective on bounty hunting, and how their trade ties into their personal lives. I asked, of course, about the possibility of expanding their family. Auriadne has two beautiful daughters from a previous marriage.Braddock:"Well, I'd say the first two have already been covered for him. The third... Well, someday, but not anytime soon."Loha: "How would that affect work for the two of you, or would it?"Redwynn: "It would, mostly because it will put me out of commission for nine-months. No dangerous things here and it isn't something we are actively trying for at the moment. Given I still have to do a lot of heavy lifting to get my farm back to a liveable condition."Braddock: "As for me, I'd be continuing to do what I do, but that doesn't excuse me from helping around the house or the farm, especially when we already have a couple kids under our care."Loha: “What can you tell me of the Hunter's Mark? Of when and how it began?”Braddock: "Well, The Hunter's Mark as an organization well precedes my time with it. Before it existed, bounty hunting was largely unorganized until the Hunter's Mark was founded by its owner, a Roegadyn who we know as Shotglass. These days, it serves as a central hub for us hunters and for people looking to hire us for what we do. In addition to being a place where we all convene and just kick back steam some nights by drinking, sharing info, or picking fights if people are so inclined."Redwynn: "He's (Shotglass) gruff but a big ol'softy unless you hurt him and his."Braddock: "And a former hunter, himself."Loha: "How did you come to join the organization?"Braddock: "Through my mentor; A hunter by the name of Silas Glauveford. Prior to the calamity, he made his name known throughout Thanalan as one of the few who could go toe to toe with Amal'jaa and win, rescuing people who had been unfortunate enough to fall into their clutches. He taught me the creed and helped me secure my first few contracts until I could stand and hunt on my own. When you become a hunter, you are beholden to what we call the creed; Our code of honor as hunters, and what sets us apart from your everyday adventurer. Those who don't abide by the creed don't stay hunters for long, and usually wind up with marks on their heads instead."Redwynn: "Silas also helped to raise him the rest of the way to manhood. A surrogate father if you will, even if he will not admit to it being such."Loha: "Does that happen often? A fellow bounty hunter going rogue?"Braddock: "I won't say it happens frequently, but it does happen. I've had to take down at least one rogue hunter in my career thus far. Most of us have no problems upholding and adhering to the creed, but unfortunately, there are those who, for whatever reason, choose to break it."Loha: "What is the creed, its particulars, if I am allowed to ask?"
Braddock: "The creed? Well, there's a lot to it, so be ready to write. Fair warning. To make it as simple as I can, the creed is comprised of seven 'rules' we follow as hunters. They define how we hunt, and how we conduct ourselves.

No bounty is worth dying for.
“Never, ever take any undue risks or subject yourself to harm or death in the process of acquiring a mark. After all, you can't spend the reward for a mark if you're dead.”People don't have marks, acquisitions have marks.
“People are worthy of respect, and to a degree, should be afforded some respect. But, once you have a mark on your head, you're an acquisition, meaning you're fair game. This also means we won't ever shed tears over what happens to a mark.”Capture by design, and kill by necessity.
“We recognize that, unfortunately, killing sometimes will happen in our line of work; It's part of the business. But, unnecessary killing is still murder. Unless we're directed otherwise, we will always try to deliver an acquisition alive.”A hunter will never slay another hunter.
“The moment you kill another hunter, for any reason, you're not a hunter anymore. You're an acquisition.”
Never, ever interfere with another's hunt.
“Unless you're invited to interfere by them, you never interfere. If you do, that makes you an accomplice to the acquisition.”Never to refuse aid to another hunter that requests it.
“Even the best of us sometimes get in over our heads and need help. If you're able to, you're expected to provide aid, even if it means abandoning your own hunt for the time being.”In the hunt, one captures or kills, it is never both.
“If you take a mark alive, you've got to deliver them alive. If you kill your mark while they're in your custody, while they're unarmed and defenseless, that's murder no matter how you spin it. But, if your mark tries to escape, and in your attempt to reacquire them, you end up having to kill them, that's different.”Loha: “Is there a way to know if a mark is truly guilty of aught? And not an innocent made a mark? Is this why you attempt to keep those you capture alive?”Braddock: "Partially. We tend to not concern ourselves with those details too much, generally. That said, not every mark is a capture mark or a death mark; We aren't always hired to capture or deal with criminals or dangerous threats. Rescue marks would be one example of hunting someone to say bring them home safely."
"The other is that clients generally tend to prefer live marks to dead ones and will pay more for marks being brought back alive. This is even more true for rescue marks where bringing in a mark dead isn't an option."Loha: "Like the Kugane airship hijacking last this past 2nd Umbra Moon, yes? Everyone rescued, not a casualty among them."Redwynn: "We had one recently where we needed to locate someone just to tell her to come home as her companion was reaching an age in which the end was coming and he simply wished to say goodbye and make his peace and closures beforehand. And yes, exactly like the highjacking. Though that one is more along the lines of a combination mark.
"A mark that we are actively tracking caused another mark to come to light because of the hijacking and subsequent kidnapping. Some marks take longer than others and cause us to have more marks that we must clear in order to gain any sort of footing."Loha: "Paper work and red tape? Is it a matter of jurisdiction, or something more?"Braddock: "It varies from case to case. Sometimes one mark you're hired for ends up exposing a larger threat that needs to be dealt with. Rarely is it a matter of red tape."Redwynn: "At least none that we see. Shotglass takes care of most of things. Think of marks like hunt bills. They are not delegated to the city states but rather adventures or bounty hunters. We all have a form of clearance with the city states that allows us to do what we need to within reason but sometimes outside of the law if that makes sense. When we are not on a mission, we are normal every day citizens."Loha: “Going back to what was mentioned on interference between hunters, it seems a naturally competitive business to a layperson like myself. And, while there are rules in place, I imagine it must happen from time to time anyroad. What happens if and when there is interference? From one of your own guild members, or from another organization?”Braddock: "Depends on the severity of things. I just work on the fly and adjust, the one time it has happened."Loha: "Tell me more?"Braddock: "Had another hunter chasing the same target early in my career. We were both young at the time and still learning the ropes. They ended up beating me to the mark, only to find themselves outmatched and beaten. At least until I showed up and showed that I was the superior hunter."Braddock: "The mark ended up being taken alive, and as payment for saving their life, they agreed to let me have the full payout from the contract."Loha: "Doing what you do, it has the undesirable side effect of making you a target in turn. Are there precautions a hunter can take to prevent such a thing? Is it expected? What happens if and when this sort of thing occurs?”Braddock: "For one, we built our home and moved our family into the Goblet, which is both within Ul'dah proper meaning it falls under the protection of the Brass Blades and other security forces of the state. As for the others, I think we'll keep those to ourselves for the sake of making sure they still work."Loha: "Well, I am all out of questions, lest you have aught you want me to convey to the people? Something everyone should know about you, Auri, the Hunter's Mark?"Braddock: "Eh, I don't have a lot, other than a warning to those who would violate the law; Sooner or later, your acts will catch up to you. And when they do, don't be surprised if it's me you encounter or another hunter. We accomplish what others can't, and no one is truly invincible."

The View From Below - Desire

Staff Writer: Susuni Suni

He was some kind of fancy doctor in his youth. Fancy education. Fancy degree. Fancy clients. He said he spent most of his time treating people for maladies brought on by the lifestyle they led, knowing full well the only cure was to change the way they lived, the one medicine they’d never take.He’d mostly gotten away from that as he got older. He’d had a couture of friends he’d known, the important elder sons of titled Ishgardian families, and as they had fallen to time, war, or other pursuits, he slowly drifted away to leave the lying about recovery to younger and more optimistic men.He had the wealth stocked away to simply retire. To take his education and skills and spend them in his own pursuits, rather than serving others. Instead, as he got older, he began to cater to clients who were less and less well off.Having the social skills of a kobold drunk on distilled quicksilver wine I asked him what led him to take such a course of action.He paused a long time before responding. I assumed he was trying to think of an answer. Later, I realized that he knew all too well what his answer was. He just didn’t know if he should tell me.Years ago, he finally told me, he had known a young nobleman who seemed to have been apportioned a greater share of advantages than any man should have. He possessed wealth, a fine family name rooted in martial glory, and a path to the leadership of it all that only required his sire to die in the dragon wars in which the family so steadfastly fought.In the course of his education, the nobleman had courted for a wife the belle of the his generation, plotting out a path to win her hand despite a contest in which so many nearly equal to his station were also competing. He chose for the moment to suppress his normal presentation or himself as all anyone could want and turned his attention to her.He presented himself as not the prize, but to her as the prize he sought to win. She knew all too well who he was, and to see him humble himself before her eventually worked to win her hand.She was perhaps the first thing he’d actually had to struggle for, and for all his later achievements, it could be said that winning her heart away from so many other suiters had been his greatest victory.It would have been emotionally touching had it not been such a planned and considered strategy. Winning had been the goal. She was merely the prize, whatever her worth.The wedding accomplished, he went on from there to military glories, taking control of his House in a battle that saw his father and younger brother fall. His martial actions fixing a popular legend that that only slightly exceeded his actual actions of the day.This is not to downplay his talents. He was gifted as few others has been throughout history, and he chose to exercise those gifts at no small risk to himself; hazarding his body and soul to gain worldly honors denied only by chance to men only slightly less blessed by fate than himself.The full passage of time had him find success in all things, and yet grow more unsettled as he aged. His children, his family, his successes brought him no new pleasures, whatever their achievements and accolades.His fiftieth year found him bedridden by a malady none could really name, and his friend the famous doctor was brought in to help.The doctor arrived to find his wife praying fervently for his recovery at the foot of his bed. He simply stared at the ceiling, saying little other than biding her to wait outside while he was examined. Ever dutiful, she demurred to his will and slipped outside, no doubt to pray outside his door.The doctor, for all his education, found little wrong with him. Were he able to rise from his bed he could have simply walked from the room and resumed his former glorified life.He could do no such thing, he said, for he could no longer think of anything he wished to do. He had, at his relatively young age, accomplished everything he could desire. He could think of nothing to rise from the bed for.His wife was, by his own admission, a more pure soul wanting only his recovery. His children wanting their father to lead and guide them into adulthood were nearly as pure in their goals. He…could simply think of nothing more he wished to accomplish. Lacking that, he found nothing.Prompted by the doctor, he paused to think of everything that had drawn him to pursue his wife originally. He thought of her great beauty, but could not escape her face now lined by age. He thought of her dark hair, and the gentle cascade of ringlet curls blown just out of place by the passing breeze, now tinted and twisted by grey colors among the black. He thought of her taut body, now curved by years and the efforts to produce the children he craved but could scarcely call to mind as people.She desired his recovery. His children desired their father. He desired…nothing. For all the world provided him, he truly wanted none of it, and could use none of it as a reason to go on. Realizing this, he dismissed his doctor with a wave of his hand, and settled back into his bed for the last time.His story over, the doctor asked me what I desired, and I gave him the trite answers of youth. Fame, money, somebody to care about me. It didn’t seem to matter to him what my answer was, just that I have an answer.“Keep chasing that.” He’d told me. Younger from now by a handful of years I didn’t really know what he meant. He paid both of our tabs and left, failing to elaborate.I was all too aware of the view from below prior to that moment. It was, perhaps, the first time I realized that how far down you are depends as much on where you see yourself relative to where others see you as to where you are to most people. What you want but cannot have defines you more than what you have. The view from below can be independent of how far up you are when you start looking at those above you.I was once told you can do what you want, but you can’t want what you want. Desire is independent of our achievements. I suspect there is more to it than that, but I lack the education to make much more of it.Save this, to desire something is to have a future you plan for yourself. To lack desire is to have no future you can discuss or strive for. You leave yourself simply to the fates to interest you in something random and temporary.All that said and confessed, and my desires being what they are, I think I’ll settle for another drink at this point and keep hoping for the rest.

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Getting Blown Away By Dandelions

Staff Writer: Syrenead Tormelodos

Many find this plant to be a huge bother in their gardens, flower beds, lawns and other areas where it has taken root, including a crack in paving stones. However, aside from being extremely hardy, they are also very versatile. They are easily recognizable by their long green stems and bright yellow flowers and their leaves are toothy and notched, forming a rosette above the main root known as the taproot. When you snap the stem, it will emit a milky white sap. These flowers, while most consider them a weed, are actually really beneficial to have in your garden. Their roots are good for bringing up nutrients from deep within the soils to the more shallow rooting plants. They also draw pollinating insects like honey bees and this in turn helps your garden thrive. I have on good authority as well, that blowing a puffed dandelion will also grant wishes; but that said, results may vary!After a time, the bright, yellow, disc-like flower will turn into a puffball all attached to the base of the flower head. On the bottoms of these, are tiny black seeds which can be easily removed with a breeze. It will then send the seeds flying off to go land in some unknown and sometimes inconvenient location. However, the best time to harvest them is just shortly after they bloom yellow, the leaves are best when they are young, but the mature leaves are just as useful, and then you have the root. It’s usually very deep and sometimes very difficult to pull up. Once you have plucked the dandelion flowers, look at the leaves and find the center. That is the top of your dandelion root, gently tug and wiggle back and forth to loosen up the dirt around it and after a bit of time you will pluck it from the ground much like a carrot.

Now that you’ve picked them and have them in your kitchen, what's next? Well, there are many things that can be made with all parts of the dandelion. Every part of the dandelion is useful. You can eat them raw in a salad with other leafy greens or make tea from the flower or the roots. Jams and jellies are also something to be made from them; you can even make wine too! Dandelions are very healthy for consumption and good for your digestive system. When someone in my village had tummy issues and trouble moving their bowels, a healthy and strong dose of dandelion tea was given to them to aid in the constipation. Infusing an oil with dandelion flowers will aid in keeping skin moisturized and help heal minor cuts, scrapes, and burns when made into a poultice.Instead of throwing dandelions in the compost or into the chocobo feed, consider drying some of the flower heads out and infusing them with a simple oil. Olive, sunflower, and almond are my favorites; coconut is always good too! Leave it in a cool, dark area for a moon or two, shaking every so often, then strain it. You can use this oil with beeswax to make a balm or a salve. Also, with the flower heads, you can steep them in boiling water to make a fragrant herbal tea, then sweeten it with honey, sugar, or maple syrup! Adding dandelion root to honey will bring the benefits of the honey and the dandelion together in one delicious combination. You can also use dandelion root honey to soothe sore throats during the sick season.As always, remember that you should check with your local botanist guild or plant expert for identification purposes. Don’t eat it if you don’t know for sure what it is!

Dandelion Tea½ cup of dandelion petals, loosely packed
8 onze boiling waterPlace petals into a cup
Pour boiling water over the petals
Let steep for 5 to 10 minutes
Strain, sweeten and enjoy.Dandelion Greens Salad2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium wild onion, sliced ¼-inch thick from tip to root
10 ripe rolanberries, sliced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
1 bunch dandelion greens (about 8 ounces)
½ teaspoon Ala Mhigan mustard
Salt and pepper, to tasteWarm the olive oil over medium heat in a 12-inch nonstick frying pan. Add the sliced onions along with a good pinch of salt.
Cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft, lightly brown, and reduced to about ⅓ of their raw volume. You may need to reduce the heat gradually as the onions shrink. This process will take about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss the strawberry slices with 1 teaspoon of the balsamic vinegar.
Wash the dandelion greens in several changes of water and dry thoroughly. Cut into bite-sized pieces if you like.
When the onions are nearly done, add the remaining 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar to the pan and continue cooking until it has thickened to coat the onions, a minute or two.
Remove the onions from the heat and stir in the Dijon mustard.
In a salad bowl, combine the greens, onions and strawberries with all their juices, scraping down the onion pan with a rubber spatula to incorporate all the oil and vinegar into the salad.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss.Dandelion Root Coffee2 tbsp roasted dandelion root, about 15 dandelions worth
1 stick cinnamon
3 cardamom pods
1 tsp fennel seed
2 cups water
2 onze sweet cream (optional)
2 tsp sugar (optional)If you're starting with unroasted root, begin by roasting fresh dandelion root at 350 for 40 minutes or dried dandelion root for 15 minutes.Place the roasted dandelion root in a pot with all the other spices. Use of a sachet bag or cheesecloth will help with the straining process.
Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil.
Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Strain and enjoy plain, or add milk and the sweetener of your choice

Starstruck Studies

Staff Writer: Ayana Rhelka

One of the hidden benefits of a somewhat checkered past is the sheer variety in acquaintances you make! Never had I thought that I would have such easy access to a Sharlayan student, let alone one whose field of study is so interesting!Greila Dotharl is a Xaela of the Steppe, and is currently enrolled in Sharlayan’s international education program. She currently attends the Studium, Sharlayan’s most prominent educational institution. Or school, if you’re a fan of less syllables.I’ve decided to ask her about what she studies, and her experiences as an international student so far!Q: “You mentioned that you’re an astrologian with a specific field of study! Would you mind going into what that is?”A: "Well, there isn't a name for it yet. It's totally experimental. But as the stars can map your fate, so can it tell your past. I believe I can map both with your time of birth, where you were born and your name day. I first thought about when I was with my tribe and talked to so many who wanted to better understand whose soul was reincarnated into them.But then!I realized it could be used for other things too. Like compatibility with others, and how generally people handle situations. Even how they spend their money.I'm also trying to incorporate it into psychology. I feel like we could really get a good understanding of people on a broad scale, and also as individuals!”Q: “That's bloody fascinating, it is! I love that idea. How does that work? Like, what kind of information would you be looking at to get the result?"”A:"It all has to do with the position of the heavens at your time of birth...and where...and what day. It changes depending on these things. And your individual birth chart is then compartmentalized into twelve houses, each representing different parts of yourself."Q: "Sounds very Astrologian-like, indeed! Can you give a few examples of what parts of yourself those would be? I know you mentioned compatibility and also money."A: “Well, it can go down to your general appearance, your style, people’s general first impressions of you, your home life, your past life, what you do to enjoy yourself. That includes sex, hobbies, and what kinds of things bring you joy. Gosh, it can get very detailed. It can even tell you about your children. Existing or not yet thought of. It’s neat!”Q: "Seven hells, that's a lot! Almost makes me wish I knew my nameday. Have you tried this out on anyone yet? I'm sure you've done it for yourself, at least, right?"A: "I have! Also, I made Driselle let me."Q: "The thought of anyone analyzing her is both inspiring and terrifying! Have the results proven to be accurate so far?"A: "Pretty darn accurate! We're besties, and our charts say so too. We're both weirdos! Yaaay!"Q: "True friendship, written in the stars! That's poetic, it is! Now, do you mind if I ask a few questions about your experience as an international student in Sharlayan?"A: Greila Dotharl: "Of course!"Q: "So, you're from the Steppe, aye? When I was pitching this article idea to our Editor-in-Chief, he was very curious as to how a Xaela wound up so far westward! What brought you to Sharlayan?"A: "Well, it was kind of a fluke, really. I met a Sharlayan-born Xaela who came to the Steppe in search of his roots. I gave him a palm reading in Reunion to help guide him, and he taught me how to read."Q: "That's bloody destiny, right there. I wonder how -his- family got there. Well, that'd be for another interview. So, he got you signed up for the entrance exams, I imagine? How did you feel when you realized you'd be going to school so far from home?"A: "Excited! Though, nervous to tell my tribe. I knew they wouldn't understand. But I couldn't pass up the opportunity to study abroad and make myself of real use to them. I'm too squishy to be some kind of warrior."Q: "Has it been worth it so far, do you think? Have you enjoyed your time in Sharlayan?"A: "It's been a once in a lifetime experience. The only thing I regret is the food is...very, very bad. Nooo offense if you're from there!”Q: "Gyahaha! No, no, you're good--I'm pretty sure the food problem is common knowledge at this point. I hope your host family at least has some decent snacks around or something. Only way I can stomach Archon Loaf is if I swallow it whole. Now, to wrap up this interview: is there anything else you'd like to say? A few words for our readers?"A: "I do that when I gotta eat bugs! Crawly little legs–
–only that the Heavens hold far more secrets than just the fate Astrologians have a hand in influencing. The Heavens weave us into who we are and influence us in ways you could never expect."—Greila was an absolute delight to speak to, and I look forward to seeing where her discoveries take her!Here’s hoping I can convince her to do a horoscope column for us! That would be fun.

Birthing Traditions Around the Star

Staff Writer: L'ihr Iahe

The birth of a child is a time for celebration, no matter what culture one comes from, though the ways they are celebrated and the traditions surrounding them differ. From ensuring a child receives good luck throughout their life, to some downright weird consumption to aid the mother after a delivery, these traditions range as wildly as the cultures themselves from one another. This writer spoke to various members of different cultures, asking how they celebrate or mark the occasion of a child’s birth and was given a wide variety of insight into their lives.Doma
After the birth of a child, Doman mothers will enter a thirty two day period called zuo yue 坐月 in which they are confined to their home in order to recuperate. Family members prepare traditional dishes, such as braised pig’s feet in vinegar and ginger, to aid in the shrinking of the womb and to help bring on the mother’s milk. Instead of bathing in regular water, once a sennight, the new mother will bathe with ginger water. Most of these traditions are done to “warm the mother up” and elevate her yang, bringing her back into balance from too much yin during pregnancy and birth.After the confinement period has passed, the child may be formally introduced to friends and family in a celebration of man yue 满月, the child’s first moon. A large dinner is prepared with many different foods, such as red dyed hard boiled eggs, each to symbolize a wish for the child and their family of harmony and unity.Hingashi
In Hingashi, the confinement period after the birth of a child could sometimes last up to a hundred days, depending on how strictly the family follows tradition. The new mother will stay at her family’s home for the first twenty-one days, where she will be taken care of and learn to care for her newborn. Visitors are welcomed and given a special red bean and rice dish called osekihan to celebrate the newest addition.On the seventh night after the child is born, the parents will hold a celebration and present the child’s name to the family, with the father having written out the child’s name and birthdate on white paper. After the child’s first moon, the newborn is taken to the family shrine to be presented to the ancestors, dressed in red and gold for luck and prosperity.Sea Wolves
While the birthing traditions of the Sea Wolves aren’t much different from the rest of Eorzea’s cultures, they do carry one particular tradition; the silvering of the baby. It may sound a bit concerning, but it is no more nefarious than presenting the child with their first silver, a token of future luck and prosperity in all their endeavors.Ishgard
Not universal within the Halonic Orthodox Church, some members choose to have their child baptized once mother and child are healthy enough to venture out into the world. The child is blessed with snow and their name is announced to the congregation as the newborn is presented before the Fury, a new member to follow her righteous path.Miqo’te Tribes
Many miqo’te tribes dwell in the vast lands of Hydaelyn. While there are a plethora of differing traditions for each different tribe, there are few of note. The Drakes, living at their splendid oasis, strip the soft bark from a local tree and soak it in water to make it even softer. The fibers of bark are then made into string which are tied on the wrists, ankles, waist, and neck of a newborn to ensure good luck and ward off any evil omens.For the Lynx tribe, a good luck necklace is secured around the baby’s neck immediately after birth to ward off sickness and bad luck. If not secured at birth, the child will allegedly be a sickly one and bring bad luck to the tribe. The elders don’t remember where the tradition started, but decide not to risk any chances.The Vipers, who live among the shifting sands of the Sagolii, traditionally apply kohl on the eyes of their babies to protect their delicate eyes from the blinding sun and believe it will prevent sickness as well.Xaela Tribes
Just as with the miqo’te, the xaela of the Azim Steppe have traditions differing from tribe to tribe, though in this section, the identifying tribe will remain nameless for legal purposes. One tribe of fearsome warriors will consume the afterbirth raw within a few hours following the birth, believing it will restore the mother’s strength. It is prepared with spices and herbs symbolizing strength, prosperity, and renewal of life.Hearing what all these cultures offered to their newborns educated me in what people hope for most for their children. While the methods are clearly different, the messages are all the same. Families wish a long life, strength, and luck to their little futures, sharing traditions passed down to them from their ancestors, continuing to honor them through these rituals.

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Lessons From Dalamud - The Rapid Proliferation of Allagan Technology

Editor-in-Chief: Sima Qian 司馬遷

Nearly six centuries ago, a determined young man in Ul’dah by the name of Coinach stumbled upon what would prove to be the greatest archaeological find of the Sixth Astral Era - relics of the great Allagan Empire. Over the last few centuries, the rediscovery of the technological wonders of Allag have begun to impact our lives in increasingly bigger ways. The Garlean’s usage of reverse-engineered Allagan tech to conquer most of our Star being one particular example which comes to mind. Even now, Allagan technology is being reintroduced back into our societies with remarkable speed. Automatic food dispensers have been common, we are using ancient information nodes to digitally catalog books once preserved in print, and tomestones, used to transmit messages instantly over long distances, are a common sight in the palm of many a prosperous adventurer.As a historian, I have long wondered what the implications of this rapid advancement will have on our lives. After all, it was the endless ambition for growth and power which ultimately led to Allag’s downfall. Now, as we reapply the machine comforts, magical wonders and artificial intelligences of that ancient Empire back into our ancient lives, are we on track to share their cataclysmic fate?To answer that question, among others, I was fortunate enough to be able to sit down with Lithsithian Bethoir, a noble Elezen of Gelmorran lineage, a talented Thaumaturge, and a self titled “Extraction Expert”, ergo, someone who delves into Allagan ruins and salvages the technology lying therein. I sat down with him under a pleasantly shaded pavilion on a Shirogane beach, over a pot of the local cha. There, I began my questions by asking: “I would start by asking your name and your job title, just for the record.”He replies: “My name is Lith-slith-an Bethoir. It's spelled…” (Here, he walks me through how to pronounce his name. Fortunately, due to working alongside Misses Velanie, Rothbart and Charbonneau, I’m very well versed in Duskwight nomenclature at this point). “My title is 'Extraction Expert', a role that wears a few hats.”“For the benefit of my audience,” I go on, “could you summarize your job for me? Your duties and such?”He replies proudly: “My areas include everything from efficiently extracting ores, to disassembling ancient civilizations by the brick, dismantling Garlean death machines and disabling, battling and dismantling ancient Allagan finds. I also employ a fair number of namazu and their children in these efforts. All imported from Doma, fed and housed in the Abalathian branch of the Ironworks.”This causes me to blink, and I proceed to derail the interview asking Monsieur Bethoir about his aquatic employees, who he assures me are well cared for, paid, and equipped with all necessary safety measures. He even elucidates that one Namazu even got it in their head to participate in a knightly joust in Ishgard, where Monsieur Bethoir is based. Apparently… It didn't end well. Anyways, back to the topic at hand.Next, I ask: “What, would you say, are some of the main challenges in deconstructing and salvaging Allagan technology?”At this, Lithslithan bellows out a laugh. “Why, their many and varied attempts to kill you, of course! But once you understand the pattern of their attack, they are only advanced automata of course. It's easy to spread out one's casting when the precise dancing steps are understood. Once in position, I activate the leylines, plan my strikes and in three to four, the construct is in neat pieces. Also, my pickaxe is altered with thaumaturgical enhancements! One blow is like a hundred from any other man!”Pieces? This causes me to tentatively ask: “So, just to clarify, you deactivate and deconstruct Allagan machina for the primary purpose of allowing for its study and reverse-engineering, and not, you know, destroy it, right?”He nodded, happy to explain why blowing ancient machina into pieces isn’t as wantonly wasteful as I originally assumed: “Indeed. In some cases the parts are worth more separated even further, which I will do if required. However, I often leave the fine dismantling to the engineers. One must also understand that even if the innards are damaged in a fight or otherwise, they're still useful as parts to repair already existing machinima. Especially valuable considering many Allagan constructs are made in ways we have yet to fully understand.”I move on with my next question: “So far as you've observed in your role as an extractor, what are some ways, if any, that the reverse-engineering of Allagan technology has improved the lives of everyday Eorzeans?”This query seems to perplex him, and he replies hesitantly. “I don't really concern myself much with the everyday existence of Eorzea… From my own perspective, these benefits are likely to be seen in decades, if not centuries down the road but are still worth pursuing in the now. Goodness knows when we might have to stave off a calamity!”This is not the answer I was expecting, surely he has noticed all the glowing tomestones on the streets, at the very least? We are not going to see the benefits of Allagan technology in a few decades, we’re seeing them now! Well, maybe he considers the tomestones and the information nodes small fry, one can only wonder what grand technologies he is planning to help reintroduce to the world.In any case, I follow up with my next question: “Speaking of calamities... There are many who say that the Allagan’s technological advancement, and the hubris that came with it, was what led to their ultimate downfall. Because of this, do you believe that the salvaging and subsequent rediscovery of Allagan technology in our modern age will have dangerous implications for our society?”This question seems to provoke something in Monsieur Bethoir. He begins to snicker, then cackle… “If anything we could benefit from the inclination of the Allagans to innovate first and ask questions later! Not that I'd enjoy seeing Eorzea turn into a machinima or the like, but their adventurous spirit is certainly inspirational. Why, I once saw a single stray machinima ray vaporize half an excavation team! And on another dig, we unearthed a great heap of aetherically charged crystals that took the form of vicious golems! The depths of their discoveries truly seemed limitless! Raw power! Destruction! Incredible to think how they came up with it!”All I do is nod mutely. I suppose not everyone is as trepidation about the re-emergence of Allagan technology as I am. So, to cap off the interview, I ask my final question: “Monsieur Bethoir. If we continue rediscovering Allagan technology at our current rate, what will Eorzean society look like in the near future? Ten years from now perhaps? Fifty? A hundred?”This he considers with a bit more sobriety. “Perhaps a nightmarish land of roving voidsent and gruesome mutants aetherically distorted beyond all hope. Or a grand utopian ideal, with death and darkness banished from collective ken. Or maybe, a nourishment dispensing node will finally learn how to make a decent bowl of mun-tuy bean soup.”That’s as good a note to end on as any, right? Ultimately, as unsatisfying an answer as it is, Monsieur Bethoir is right. We truly do not know what the future holds, and what the long term impact of Allagan technology will have on our modern societies. Let us hope that, as a collective people, we can proceed with the equal parts determination and temperance needed to secure the best possible result for us all.