Final Fantasy XIV Arcadion raid story explained

Dawntrail’s raid series for Final Fantasy XIV has finally been released to the excited player base. Here’s what happens in the story for the first four fights, and what we know so far.

Final Fantasy XIV’s Dawntrail expansion has been out for quite some time now, with hardcore fans of the title finishing up the main story questline, picking up the new jobs and even tackling the extreme trials.

The newest patch introduced the Arcadion, the raid series for Dawntrail. Patch 7.01 included the first four fights of the raid series, introducing us to many new faces and giving us new challenges to overcome.

Want the ‘too long, didn’t watch’ on what happens in the Arcadion? We’ve got you covered.

The Arena Reopens

After you complete the main scenario of Dawntrail, we get a teaser of what’s to come. That’s the reopening of the Arcadion arena in Solution Nine. That’s where we come face to face with a mysterious Lalafell, who wishes to reopen the Arcadion to lift the spirits of the people of Alexandria.

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There the fans of the Arcadion begin spinning once more, with the lights ready and rearing to go. Excitement is swiftly being built to see the fighting recommence, building up hype for the upcoming raid series.

A new challenger

Cut to Patch 7.01, where our character is walking casually through Solution Nine. That’s where we meet Metem, the Lalafell shown in the original teaser. He implores us to join the Arcadion’s roster as the fabled hero who had defeated Zarool Ja, and we’re enticed to take a look inside. He explains that the competition within the Arcadion is called the Ascension Arcadia Championship.

There we meet three contestants, a pink-haired Mi’qote, a blonde Hyur, and a red-haired Hyur. Each of them says their piece and states how keen they are to fight you in the arena.

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Metem explains that the Arcadion is divided into three tiers, light-heavyweight, cruiserweight, and heavyweight. These will be the various raid tiers that will be released throughout Dawntrail’s post-patches. Metem says that as a rookie, we have to face off against the other three contestants to rise up through the ranks.

The Lalafell explains that the Arcadion has a repository of feral souls that the fighters utilize in battle. Hence we won’t be fighting them in their human forms, but rather their altered form that massively increases their combat capabilities.

To counteract this, since we don’t use regulators like the other fighters, we’re instead allowed to call upon the souls of seven other previous champions. This is the explanation as to why we have eight players in a party.

The Black Cat

With the explanation out of the way, we face off against our first opponent, the Black Cat; the pink-haired Mi’qote from earlier. Metem explains that each arena will complement the opponent we fight.

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After a grueling battle, we take down the Black Cat. Metem then explains to us the history of the Ascension Arcadia Championship, saying that the competition existed well before any of the Turali people arrived in Alexandria.

Then Black Cat herself comes in, frustrated that she had lost to you. She explains however that she wishes to learn more about your strength, and asks to stick with you so she can observe your progress throughout the contest.

Honey B. Lovely

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Our second opponent is Honey B. Lovely, the blonde Hyur woman who utilizes the power of bees to attract and slay her opponents. Like the Black Cat, we’re able to take her down.

With just the top fighter of the light-heavyweight remaining, Metem suggests we find ourselves a “second”, someone who can back us up. Black Cat steps up to the opportunity and invites you to her gym so you can rest up before the next match. She also reveals that her real name is Yaana.

Inside the Gym

Yaana introduces us to Neyuni, her younger sister. The pair explain that both their parents were hunters who had died during an expedition, so their eldest sister Eutrope had taken care of her.

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Eutrope had joined the Arcadion and eventually rose to one of the top slots, but mysteriously disappeared right before she was immortalized. Immortalized fighters are given a priority home in the best housing of Solution Nine, allowing them to retire peacefully.

The Brute Bomber

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We’re finally introduced to the Brute Bomber, king of the light-heavyweight tier. Yaana warns us that he likes to play dirty, and will use any tactic he possibly can to take you down. Regardless, we’re still able to defeat him.

Frustrated at his loss, he storms back into the Arena, right as we’re about to receive our championship belt. He uses his regulator to power himself back up, but right before he leaps he is struck down by a mysterious lightning, who we discover is Eutrope returning.

Eutrope immediately challenges us to a battle, which Metem cannot adhere to, as it breaks the rules of the Ascension Arcadia Championship. However, at that moment, the President of the tournament’s voice rings out over the arena, sanctioning the match and allowing it to proceed.

Wicked Thunder

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We now are faced with our toughest opponent yet. Eutrope, better known as Wicked Thunder. And while Yaana is conflicted with the new challenger, she amidst that she is still your second, and continues to help us prepare for the battle.

Despite Wicked Thunder’s sheer strength, we defeat her, truly claiming victory at the top of the light-heavyweight tier.

A dark mystery

Once completed, we return to Yaana’s gym, where we surprisingly run into Eutrope. She speaks to both Yaana and Neyuni, who are no doubt confused as to why she has reappeared after her sudden departure.

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Eutrope says that she’ll explain everything in time, but warns Yaana to not partake in any more fights at the Arcadion. She explains that when you repeatedly transfigure your flesh with a feral soul, you’ll develop a disease called psychonekrosis, in which your own soul degrades.

Eutrope reveals she herself has contracted this illness, and the only thing she can do now is wait for her death. Yaana, confused, asks about being immortalized, saying that she thought that they were immortalized so they could get out before the disease fully took effect.

But Eutrope tells her that the immortalization process is a lie that’s used to exploit the champions and cover up their deaths. Eutrope explains that the people of Alexandria can still remember the past champions because they have their regulators removed, meaning their memories cannot be erased from the citizens.

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That is why she suddenly disappeared after discovering the truth, and she began to search for a way to cure her illness. Eutrope explains that there is one cure, and it involves taking another person’s soul, but the soul has to be surpassingly dense, like our own, hence why she wanted to fight us.

Eutrope says that we’re her only hope of survival and that she will have our soul. Yaana disagrees, saying that it’s not right to take the soul of another, even if it is to save yourself.

Suddenly Metem enters Yaana’s gym, forcing Eutrope to retreat into another room. Metem explains that he also didn’t know, despite his position in the Arcadion. Yaana pleads to Metem to stop the fights but he is powerless against the president.

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Metem implores us to rise up in the ranks of the Arcadion, as the reigning champion has access to all the souls in their repository, meaning that we would be at liberty to release them. Getting rid of all the feral souls would mean the fighters are no longer at risk, meaning the Arcadion would be far safer for those involved.

From there Yaana, Neyuni, and yourself devise a plan to rise up in the ranks of the Arcadion, and also search for a cure for Eutrope’s psychonekrosis. With the plan settled, now all we can do is wait for the next tier of the raids to be opened to us.