Oschon, the Wanderer, is one of the Twelve in Final Fantasy XIV. He is ruler of the mountains and god of vagrants, commands the element of wind and is associated with the Third Umbral Moon (sixth month). He is depicted as a carefree ranger wielding a bow of yew. His symbol is the walking stick. Oschon is the brother of Nald'thal, a close companion of Halone, and the divine lover of Menphina. He is the patron deity of the ancient city of Nym and the Miners' Guild.[1]
History[]
Creation myth[]
When Oschon was born, he raised a formation of mountains that blew the cold wind flow from on high down to the warm seas and back up again, carrying life that was once reserved for land and water into the skies. Those winds did bring love into the heart of Llymlaen, yet though she longed to be with Oschon, His wanderlust prevented the two from ever being joined overlong, and lo did they never beget children of their own.[2]
This was a time of great creation, but great chaos. Oschon's mountains rose and fell at His whims, Thaliak's rivers flowed hither and thither, and Llymlaen's seas ever expanded, swallowing entire swathes of land before the gods even knew they were gone. To bring order to this chaos, Nymeia prepared a powerful comet and gave it life, becoming Rhalgr. She directed him into the world so that he could destroy the excess that her children had wrought, and thus bring harmony back into the realm.[2]
Oschon invited Halone on one of his journeys. During the travels Halone's ambition slowly transformed into a lust for battle. While on the road, she challenged every creature She met, honing Her skills and methodically devising new techniques for killing. When Nophica, mother of life, learned of Halone's wanton destruction of Her creations, she was angered beyond words and swore revenge. Oschon, feeling responsible for this rift, devised a plan to calm Nophica. From within the mountains of His creation, Oschon summoned a fount of magma that spewed forth onto the land. Upon cooling, the magma took form of the Twelfth and final god—the dual aspected Nald'thal. With Nald'thal, Oschon had provided a god to oversee the souls of those who met their deaths and provide them with peace in the afterlife. Satisfied that Her creations would no longer wander the void aimlessly, Nophica agreed to a truce with Halone.
When the Twelve considered their work in Eorzea complete, they proceeded to create a realm in which they could reside and watch over their creation, thus leaving the rule of Eorzea to mankind. This realm is known as the seven heavens that were associated with each of the six elements. In the Heaven of Wind rises a towering mountain range atop which Oschon looks out upon an endless sea ruled by Llymlaen. Here rest explorers and adventurers, mountain climbers, saints, and those who rescued the aforementioned souls from peril. Rogue gusts from on high incite terrible tempests in the Pit, creating the Hell of Wind. Here mountain bandits, defilers of land and sea, and pirates suffer as the air tears flesh from bone and soul from flesh. This Heaven is represented in Sharlayan astrology by the constellation of the Arrow.[3][4]
Eorzean worship[]
The ancient civilization of Nym had Oschon, the Wanderer as their patron deity. They built the Wanderer's Palace in veneration of Oschon. But the building became a place to put those who have been mutating from an unknown disease, and was eventually flooded during the Sixth Umbral Era. This remained submerged under what became known as the Bronze Lake until the Seventh Umbral Calamity which drained some of the water level from the lake.[5][6]
Oschon has two saints canonized by the Council of Loetstym. The first is Saint Gafryde, a knight who did seven righteous deeds in gratitude to a hermit. The hermit was a former knight who regretted how he had once not taken action when he should have. The second is Saint Jerhomme, a hero who traveled with common people instead of other heroes and counted the camaraderie he had with them as the thing he treasured most.[7]
In preparation for the Seventh Umbral Calamity, the archon Louisoix Leveilleur carved the symbols of the Twelve across Eorzea and encouraged adventurers to pilgrimage and pray to the Twelve. When the Calamity arrived, Louisoix used the accumulated aether from the prayers to summon a primal manifestation of the Twelve in an attempt to defend the realm from the elder primal Bahamut.[8][9]
Characteristics[]
Appearance[]
Like his depictions in folklore, Oschon appears as a fair-skinned man with shoulder-length auburn hair and green eyes. He wears a battle suit consisting of varying shades of green with a design fittingly resembling the PVP gearset named after him. A cloud-like halo floats behind him. He wields a bow and arrows in battle.
Unlike his brethren, Oschon chose the form of a mortal instead of an animal for his disguise, assuming the identity of a Hyuran Midlander named Deryk who shares much of his physical features, wearing the Cape of Happiness with the Expeditioner's Thighboots..
Personality[]
Much like his title, Oschon is a wanderer and likes to explore wherever the wind takes him. Like the rest of his brothers and sisters, he is a kind-hearted and friendly person and not afraid to ask questions on things he may not be familiar with such as speaking aloud regarding their divinity in places of worship.
Gameplay[]
After creating a character and choosing a birth date, players must align to one of the twelve deities. Originally, this slightly raised the character's elemental resistances based on the element of the chosen deity. As of Patch 4.2, elemental resistance stats were removed, leaving this decision with no in game effect.
Miscellaneous[]
Stone with Oschon's symbol in A Realm Reborn.
The "Living on a Prayer" quest in version 1.0 required the player to visit all the Twelve symbols throughout Eorzea. Once completed this rewarded with the ring of one of the Twelve, this included the 
Oschon's Ring. Although the original quest was removed with the re-release of the game, in patch 2.45 the quest 
The Ties That Bind was added, which repeats the same pilgrimage through the marks of the Twelve. The mark of Oschon is located at near the Floating City of Nym in Outer La Noscea. Prior to the Calamity, it could be found in the Iron Lake area of Upper La Noscea.
The Bard action 
The Wanderer's Minuet alludes to Him. The Astrologian card 
The Arrow represents the Heaven of Wind, the card artwork depicts Oschon shooting his arrows loaded with wind, with one of his mountains and the sea of Llymlaen in the background, the symbol of both can also be seen in the background.
Behind the scenes[]
Oschon's Torch is a lighthouse at the God's Grip in Lower La Noscea. It is opposite a lighthouse called Llymlaen's Ring. After the Gods's Grip became separated from the main island of Vylbrand in the wake of the Calamity, a bridge named Oschon's Embrace was built.
Oschon Roselle is a plant that when prepared as an herbal infusion will color water bright red. This tincture is often sold in apothecaries under the name 'Wanderer's Blood' and is supposed to cure everything from gout to bunions.[10]
There are stories that mention a curious Oschon sneaking peeks at a bathing Llymlaen, to which the goddess replies by throwing a knife at the peeping Wanderer. The incident led Oschon taking Menphina as His lover.[11][12]
There is a legend that the Moraby Flounder was once a normal fish, the flounder was stepped upon by the Wanderer during one of His journeys, and left for dead. Upon finding the fish, the Navigator succeeded in breathing life back into the denizen of the deep, but could not restore it from its new flattened form. Among the Moraby flounder species, because of the size of the Oschon's Print, it is believed to be the very fish that was stepped on by the Wanderer.It is believed that once Oschon threw a stone into the ocean, that stone would have gained feelings and become the fish known as the Oschon's Stone. The Mudskipper, is another fish that is associated with Oschon due to its characteristic of wandering on land in search of shelter. There is also a legend that states that the Wandering Sculpin is one of Oschon's favorite meals, and that the god dines on this fish during His journeys through the realm of man, for they are said to point Him in the direction of His next destination.
When a thief is caught, a common punishment is to remove a number of fingers proportional to the value of the items stolen. These fingers are then taken and blessed by anointed priests of Oschon, the Wanderer. It is thought that, when carried on a journey, these fingers will point out the safest routes, and are therefore cherished by caravan drivers and traveling merchants throughout Eorzea.[13]
The Twelve's Aiming Set sold at Wolves' Den Pier for Wolf Marks is inspired by Oschon.
Gallery[]
Citations[]
- ↑ Final Fantasy XIV, In-game description.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Encyclopædia Eorzea: The World of Final Fantasy XIV, p. 18
- ↑ Encyclopædia Eorzea: The World of Final Fantasy XIV, p. 19
- ↑ Final Fantasy XIV, Astrologian Quest
Slings and Arrows.
- ↑ Final Fantasy XIV, The Wanderer's Palace.
- ↑ Final Fantasy XIV, Scholar Quest The Beast Within.
- ↑ Encyclopædia Eorzea: The World of Final Fantasy XIV Volume II
- ↑ Final Fantasy XIV, Sidequest "Living on a Prayer" in version 1.0.
- ↑ Final Fantasy XIV, Sidequest The Realm of the Gods.
- ↑ Final Fantasy XIV, Bleeding Them Dry.
- ↑ 2015 14-hour Anniversary Broadcast Lore Panel Wrap Up
- ↑ Final Fantasy XIV, Navigator's Brand.
- ↑ Final Fantasy XIV, Oschon's Finger.
