Reminiscent Memories

"This artwork I chose to create for the 20th anniversary means a lot to me, and has a lot of little hidden notes and "easter eggs" of my many years in FFXI! It was a tough choice between a Treasures of Aht Urghan or Chains of Promathia theme, as these two were where I spent most of my time helping, leveling, learning, and making friends. However, after looking through my myriad of screenshots for inspiration, I remember how often I had to travel through the Aydeewa Subterrane while completing the story or leveling, and just how stunning it was. ToAU was the first real expansion drop that I was a part of and where I finally hit 75, got to wear my beloved Igqira Weskit, saved up for my HQ Staves, and had some of the most breathtaking places and stories to traverse through. It taught me how to really understand being a Black Mage, where I’d work together with close-knit friends and strangers to make incredibly challenging fights happen. The energy, the love, the friendships, the tears, the adventure around every corner, the tough fights, and the insanely rewarding feeling of finally finishing a story arc... I wanted to reflect on that. I felt that my character, sitting in the Subterrane, thinking about the world that has come to her in this space felt correct: A sense of accomplishment and wonder, of friendships come and gone, and the beauty and unique memories that we still share together that this game has offered us."