There's a darkness within us all—nothing dangerous, mind. In fact, it's quite healthy.
Fray
Fray Myste, also known as Fray of the Onyx Shade, is a Hyur non-player character in the Level 30+ Dark Knight quests in Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward. Fray is found in the Ishgardian slum known as the Brume after following an Ishgardian's account of a recent trial that ended in a "demon's" demise.
History[]
Early life[]
Fray was an orphan of the Brume and was put on the Dark Knight's path when his future master found him plotting revenge over the body of a friend unjustly executed by the Holy See. He proved an inquisitive student eager to study both the book-bound and physical aspects. He took up conjury, claiming it was to keep Sidurgu Orl, his fellow disciple of the dark arts, alive when he pushed himself too far.
Fray and Sidurgu were in search the meaning of "The Flame of the Abyss" mentioned by their master on his deathbed when they interfered with the Ishgardian temple knights' pursuit of a young Elezen girl, Rielle. The two served as Rielle's guardians, with Fray teaching her conjury. Some time later, Fray was caught by the temple knights and forced into a trial by combat. Defeated, the temple knights forwent a proper burial and dumped his body in the Brume where the Warrior of Light found him.
Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward[]
The Warrior inspected Fray's body, finding a soul crystal that reacted to their touch, and blacked out.[1] When the Warrior of Light came to, Fray stood before them alive and healthy. Fray was pleased to know the Warrior heard a voice upon touching the soul crystal and explained the "changes" they were experiencing. They soon got the chance to put the knowledge to practice when they heard screams.
After bequeathing their greatsword to the Warrior of Light, Fray led them to the source of the screams where an old woman lamented that temple knights had taken her granddaughter.[2] Fray was angered, implying it was not the first time members of the Holy See had taken girls. Fray spelled out what needed to be done, and the Warrior of Light offered to get the granddaughter back. Fray and the Warrior followed the knights to the tribunal, and along the way the Warrior of Light learned to harness the darkness within. In defeating the knights, Fray hounded them, threatening to slay any who would dare stand against them. Upon helping the shaken granddaughter, the Warrior of Light asked if she had called out their name. She denied; only her grandmother had called for help.
Returning to the Brume, Fray praised the Warrior of Light's prowess in harnessing the flames of hatred within, but warned that the path of a dark knight was fraught with danger.
Asking Fray of the origins of the voice they had heard, the Warrior of Light learned it could be a beacon that guided the dark knight on their path.[3] As one's prowess in the dark arts grows, so too will their ability to hear the voice. Fray suggested training, ordering the Warrior of Light to the blazing sands of Southern Thanalan to slay a fearsome beast so they might test their mettle. "To mete out justice, one must be strong" Fray taught, and when the monsters were slain, they besought the Warrior of Light to concentrate with them. The Warrior blacked out again, hearing a voice speak just a little bit clearer. When the Warrior of Light came to, they mentioned the voice. Fray urged them to not be discouraged, and claimed the voice could be someone they were destined to meet in the future.
When the Warrior of Light next met Fray, they seemed haggard, but waved away their condition to continue training.[4] To hear the voice with more clarity, Fray had the Warrior of Light cross swords with a fearsome foe to again embrace the fires of combat. Before the Warrior could make preparations, Isembard, an old friend whom they had saved from Ifrit, sought their aid as the Amalj'aa have kidnapped some residents of Camp Drybone. Fray was angry, spouting off that the victims should have armed themselves. Despite Fray's protest, the Warrior of Light agreed to help, and Fray followed.
After slaying the encampment of Amalj'aa to rescue the kidnapped villagers, Fray told the Warrior of Light to not clean the blood from their gear for Isembard to see firsthand what they had accomplished. Isembard was relieved the villagers returned safely, but was disturbed by the sight of the bloodstains, which Fray found amusing. After communing with Fray more of the voice was heard, repeating "Serve...Save...Slave...Slay..." Fray said that sacrifice was to renounce that which binds you—and forsake all that does not. Fray suggested the Warrior of Light give up the path of the dark knight before it became too much of a burden.
Adamant to continue, the Warrior of Light followed the strained Fray's advice and headed to the Moraby Drydocks to prepare for another round of eldritch communion.[5] At the pier, Fray watched the waves, and spoke of a time they and their partner nearly died at sea. The reminiscing was cut short when the Warrior of Light was recognized by one of Maelstrom's officers, who had helped in the battle against the primal Leviathan. The officer mentioned a merchant in need, as Qiqirn had stolen crates of his goods. Annoyed people came to the Warrior of Light for help with trivial tasks, Fray relented that at least the giant rats could be worthy opponents. The two laid waste to the encampment of Qiqirn bandits, and afterward the Warrior of Light glanced at their bloodstained greatsword, uncertain of how long they held it. The Warrior was struck by a headache and Fray was nowhere to be seen.
Returning to the Drydocks, Fray seemed even more fatigued, but suggested they finish their task. The Warrior of Light returned the merchant's crates, some of their contents broken, others covered in Qiqirn blood and entrails. The merchant asked for recompense, but Fray demanded respect for all they had done for the people of Eorzea, claiming they should have let all of Limsa Lominsa drown instead of bothering to fight the Lord of the Whorl. Fray stormed off, and the merchant cowered, apologizing to the confused Warrior of Light, while the Maelstrom officer tried to calm them down.
The Warrior spoke to Fray in a secluded area of the docks who proposed that the two of them leave Eorzea and renounce everything to be free. After communing, Fray and the Warrior went their separate ways for a time.
In the Brume, Fray struggled to stand upright, but put on a brave front.[6] Fray told the Warrior of Light to meet them outside the gates of Ishgard when they were ready. Calling out for Fray in the snows of Coerthas, two knights asked the Warrior of Light for help in quelling an uprising of giants at Daniffen Pass. Upon felling the leader of the giants, the voice of the abyss pounded in the Warrior of Light's head, drowning out the words of the knights who gave their thanks. When the voice subsided, the knights sent word from Lord Drillemont, who wished to speak with the Warrior in Whitebrim Front regarding recent allegations against them.
Arriving at Whitebrim, the Warrior of Light was surprised to see Fray standing over a group of injured knights. Fray explained the voice was them, or rather, the Warrior of Light, crying out from the abyss, a fire of hatred to be embraced. The real Fray was dead when they first met, but touching the soul crystal had given form to the Warrior of Light's desires for a teacher. Fray became a twin of the Warrior of Light, garbed in the armor of the a dark knight, wielding their devilish greatsword. Known as "Esteem", the inner darkness challenged the Warrior of Light in combat to see who would win their shared future as a dark knight. Fray spoke of succumbing to the darkness, and how the Warrior of Light needed to let go of everything they cared for to master the dark arts. Lord Drillemont and his soldiers cheered on the Warrior, assuring they had not changed, and would always be a hero Eorzea could respect.
With Esteem defeated, they and the Warrior of Light communed one last time. Esteem was happy to stay inside the Warrior of Light's heart, watching the darkness grow with each battle, waiting for a time they were needed again. House Durendaire knights would give Fray's body a proper burial. Some time later, Sidurgu met with the Warrior of Light, who explained what became of Fray.
Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood[]
Myste.
Journal entries throughout the Warrior's journey with Myste, their emotional pain made manifest by their broken soulstone, indicated that Esteem was far from silent. This reached a breaking point when the Warrior of Light confronted Myste in the Peaks; Fray manifested to assist the Warrior by destroying recreations of Livia sas Junius, Rhitahtyn sas Arvina, and Ilberd Feare. They apologized for the events at Whitebrim, and with Sidurgu's sword in hand, Fray aided the Warrior in defeating Myste's manifestations of the Heavens' Ward and the Warriors of Darkness before finally defeating Myste. Learning that the boy desired forgiveness, Fray granted him his wish, allowing the Warrior of Light's phantoms to disappear and restoring their soulstone.
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers[]
The Warrior of Light received an anonymous letter addressed to them from Sidurgu and journeyed through Eorzea to trace it to the sender, learning from Lunnie—the girl they rescued from the corrupt Temple Knights long ago—that the letter was given to her by Ser Patrounade, who was present at Specula Imperatoris' fall and the battle of Ghimlyt Dark. The knight directed the Warrior of Light to Orella in Rhalgr's Reach, who was given the letter from a shipment of supplies from Little Ala Mhigo. The Warrior headed there and learned from Gundobald that he sent it on the author's behalf, telling them to seek a man named Godeheard at Red Rooster Stead. Godeheard revealed himself as the merchant who demanded recompense from the damaged shipment long ago, telling them since then, his life was nothing but a succession of failures, until one day he looked through his possessions and found a bloodstained package of flower bulbs. He had resolved to start anew and become a botanist, and gave the Warrior of Light a flower that bloomed from his yield.
The Warrior of Light took the flower to the Coerthas central highlands, just outside of Whitebrim, and placed it in memory of Fray, whereupon Esteem manifested behind them as a doppelganger of the Warrior. Reflecting on their adventures and finally having found closure, Esteem ceased to be and merged with the Warrior's soul, but not before noting "that little trick" they learned was not truly them.[note 2]
Characteristics[]
Appearance[]
Fray appears to be a Hyur Midlander based on his stature, but is covered head-to-toe in the black and gold Adamantite Pauldroncoat of Fending and related armor, with only his eyes visible behind the helm. His skin is dark gray, and his eyes are white. The manifestation which serves as the Warrior of Light's job tutor has their eyes glow red when speaking of the darkness their vocation controls. Fray wields a Steel Claymore before his death, which the manifestation gifts to the Warrior of Light before assisting them in combat with a black Gridanian Radical conjurer's arm and healing magic.
In the last battle of the Level 50 job quest Our Answer, Fray's manifestation transforms into a duplicate of the Warrior of Light wearing the Dark Knight's Chaos armor set (sans the Chaos Helm) and wielding the Deathbringer, similar to Sidurgu. This duplicate uses the player's name in dialogue boxes, but is referred to as "Esteem" in battle. Fray's manifestation also wields Deathbringer during the Level 70 job quest Our Compromise, being lent the greatsword by Sidurgu to fight Myste. Esteem appears again at the end the Lv 80 job quest Our Closure, this time wearing Fray's Adamantite Paldroncoat of Fending without the helmet.
Personality[]
They'll either attack us or flee. I don't know about you, but I'm eager to find out which.
Fray
Fray's manifestation seems calm, but angers quickly whenever temple knights are involved, and is not above expressing frustration, regardless of who they might insult. Fray relishes in fighting, particularly when facing the temple knights.
According to Sidurgu, the real Fray was a "frozen lake" compared to Sid's "smoldering campfire". He is described as having an "unquenchable thirst for knowledge", and appears to have had a wry sense of humor, as indicated by his reason for studying conjury.
Gameplay[]
Fray fights alongside the player as a guest character in the Dark Knight job quests from Level 30 to 45, acting as a Conjurer and supporting the player with healing magic. He again accompanies the player character in the Level 70 job quest, this time acting as a Dark Knight.
Esteem is fought as the final opponent in the Level 50 job quest Our Answer, acting as a Dark Knight.
Behind the scenes[]
Because of Fray's true nature as the player character's repressed darkness, Fray's gender in the quest journal changes to match that of the player character, being referred to as a man for male characters and as a woman for female characters. However, the original Fray was male, as mentioned by Sidurgu when he meets the Warrior after they subdue Esteem.
Although Fray's conjurer's arm shares its model with the Gridanian Radical that can be purchased by the player as a member of the Twin Adder, its black coloration cannot be imitated by the player, as the Gridanian Radical cannot be dyed.
Etymology[]
"Fray" refers to when a fabric has become worn and unravels, seemingly a reference to how Fray's personality and demeanor becoming more and more unhinged over time.
A fray also refers to a fight, something the character finds delight in.
Lastly, "fray" is Spanish for "friar": a wandering monk who forsakes cloistered life to pursue public service. Possibly relating to Fray's use of conjury, mission to serve the downtrodden, and opposition to the ordained clergy of the Ishgardian church.
Notes[]
Annotations[]
- ↑ Fray's gender changes to match that of the player character.
- ↑ Journal entries from Fray/Esteem's perspective throughout "Our Closure", appearing only when the Warrior of Light has the Dark Knight soul crystal equipped, offer commentary from Fray and reveal that Fray wrote the letter, as they mention writing text which appears in the letter.
