Warden of Light

Spoilers for FFXIV Shadowbringers follow.

So, Shadowbringers is my favourite FFXIV expansion, and is in fact one of my favourite RPGs of all time. I love how it made the Warrior of Light a main focus and allowed us to have more personal investment in the events of the story. In particular, the stakes of lightwarden corruption in the last act of the MSQ were so cool to see in a MMO, and it all lead up to the greatest finale I’ve ever played (“If you could take another step…”)!

However, I am a big fan of significant struggles leaving a lasting impression on a character, and it’s even better if that impression is expressed in a change to their design. I realise of course that FFXIV could never do this, as we as players get to carefully curate our avatars and there would be outrage if the game forcibly altered them without players’ consent.

But when it comes to fanart, I am free.

So, I took the design language of sin eaters and lightwardens and applied it to Korinn’s design as a partial corruption. The fact that she was moments away from becoming a beast is now forever etched into her body and it’s something that she has to deal with as the story continues. Would the people of the first be able to look their saviour in the eye when she so resembles the very beasts that brought their world to the brink? Would Korinn, who spent the whole of ARR, HW, and SB trying to work out who she is, be able to come to terms with the fact that she is now partially non-human?