I couldn't miss the chance to practice my drawing!
Heaven-on-High is a Deep dungeon in Final Fantasy XIV introduced in patch 4.35. The second deep dungeon, it consists of 100 floors, with the first 30 dedicated to story and the remaining 70 floors acting as a further challenge.
Like Palace of the Dead before it, Heaven-on-High is an ever-changing dungeon whose architecture is never quite the same each time players attempt the ascent. All players will begin at level sixty-one, and only by fighting the enemies within will they be able to gain the strength and experience needed to reach the final floor.
Profile[]
Rising high above the Ruby Sea from the island of Onokoro, Heaven-on-High is said to be the stairway traversed by kami descending from their empyrean home. Following the discovery of a secret entrance, the Confederate leader Rasho asks you to investigate the tower and brave the hordes of vile fiends that lurk within.
Gameplay[]
On top of the gameplay similarities it shares with Palace of the Dead, Heaven-on-High consists of several further enhancements to differntiate itself.
Magicite[]
Players have a chance of obtaining and storing upto 3 Eikonic magicite from Silver Coffers. These items allow the party to summon an instance of an eikon which will then perform an attack. The eikons available are Ifrit, Garuda, Titan and Odin. Utilising magicite of the former three will kill all enemies currently spawned on a floor. Utilising Odin will allow players to oneshot a boss enemy.
Blessings[]
Randomly, players may encounter auspices wandering the floors. These auspices will grant players a buff to assist with their climb.
Open Floors[]
A new floor template specific to Heaven-on-High. It consists of a large giant room the size of 6 regular rooms. Patrolling enemies are more frequent in this iteration as well as traps.
Lore[]
The Pillar Of The Kami[]
Rising from the isle of Onokoro on the Ruby Sea and disappearing unto the heavens, this monumental and mysterious tower has been the subject of rife speculation since ancient times. Be it a ladder by which the gods graced their creation or a lift by which the ancients reached the moon, its legends are as diverse as they are plentiful. Despite the abundance of interest, however, there has been a dearth of discoveries pertaining to Heaven-on-High. For the pall of superstition has ever lain thick about the isle, promising divine wrath, and its occupation by Confederate forces in recent years has added a very tangible deterrent to investigation.
Amidst this benighted state of affairs, a member of the Confederacy has come forward to shed light upon the truth of Heaven-on-High. Speaking, on condition of anonymity, the individual claims that the tower was built in the distant past by an advanced people. That it serves as a proving ground for heroes who may one day deliver the world from calamity. That its interior teems with fell fiends, and by striving for the apex, one might hone body, mind, and spirit. While it indeed makes for compelling storytelling, for want of any evidence, for now we can but regard it as another myth among many.
Hiruko[]
According to myth, an unfinished kami named Hiruko washed up on the shores of Onokoro. who may have taken up residence within Heaven-on-High.
In actuality, Hiruko was the founder of the Onishishu. A survivor of the Fourth Umbral Calamity, upon making his way from Eorzea to Othard, he used his knowledge to found the Onishishu and construct Heaven-on-High to be used as training and testing ground for future heroes. His ultimate goal to ensure that another calamity would not come to pass.
With his task complete; Hiruko offered up his soul and imbued it into an aetherochemical creation in order to act a guardian and guide for heroes to come.
The Truth Revealed By The Onishishu[]
Kyusei reveals that he and his companions are in fact members of the Onishishu, a clandestine organization that researches ancient relics and maintains the aetherytes of Othard. He goes on to explain that Heaven–on–High was built thousands of years ago by his predecessors as a proving ground for warriors who would one day become protectors of the realm.
The Onishishu had initially spread rumors to all the peoples of the surrounding islands in order to deter others from venturing to the island. This lasted until the Confederacy arrived on the island and established a permanent settlement.
The founder of the Confederacy was one such warrior and succeeded in besting Hiruko, the guardian of the thirtieth floor, before devoting his life to protecting the Ruby Sea. The Confederacy and the Onishishu have shared close ties ever since, and each Confederate leader must follow the founder's example by battling Hiruko. Kyusei hints at further mysteries involving Hiruko and the tower itself, the answers to which can be found at the Ten–thousand–year Pine.
The Ten-thousand-year Pine[]
The Ten–thousand–year Pine conceals a device that projects images recorded in the days following the fall of the Allagan Empire. The Warrior of Light witnesses a conversation between a man who appears to be the founder of the Onishishu and one of his apprentices. It is revealed that he gave his life to activate Hiruko, an artificial being created to face those who would challenge Heaven–on–High. Following the noble scholar's final soliloquy, the recording comes to a close and the Ten–thousand–year Pine falls silent once more.
Enemies[]
Enemies in Heaven-on-High on the lower levels mostly resemble more common enemies found in Othard and Hingashi , but as one ascends further, the enemies will begin to resemble creations and constructs of the Allagan Empire