3.0 -> Up to "The Vault"
Eithne is shaken, but within the cold she finds the warmest of embraces. With a kindness to rival that of Her own, the gentle knight at Camp Dragonhead provides her and her dearest friends with the support they need to brave the tempest. With resolve welling up in her heart, Eithne carries Ishgard's struggles as if they were her own. As those cheering her on grow in number, there is always one voice that remains crystal clear amongst the crowd.
Who would have thought she would have found so much treasure amidst the ashes. Although her missing friends weigh heavily upon her heart, she is able to stand up again. Were she to look back, she would see the smiling faces of new allies, helping her achieve that which she could not reach alone. Perhaps Hydaelyn's light still shines upon her. Perhaps it was a test. All she knows is, that she cannot not fail them again.
As Ishgard opens its arms to her, so to do its shadows reach out, and amidst the rubble of The Brume she finds a peculiar job stone. In her ear Fray speaks aloud all the things she has been too fearful to say, and despite the guilt, she plunges deep into the darkness in search of answers. Still, Haurchefant's light keeps the dark at bay, and Eithne still finds her way home, much to Fray's frustration.
During her adventure, Eithne sees shades of herself in those around her: Y'sayle's passion, Alphinaud's resolve, Estinien's rage, Aymeric's righteousness... However, Haurchefant seems to see something else in her eyes, though what it may be is still a mystery. All she knows, is that the warmth his gentle gaze brings her could guard her through the harshest winter.
3.0 -> The Vault
She thought she had experienced her lowest, but Haurchefant's loss shows her how deep the pits of despair can go. How foolish, to not have noticed the fire in her heart, until the one who lit it was extinguished.
Haven't I done everything that was asked of me? Have my crimes truly deserved such punishment?, she pleaded to Hydaelyn. No matter the answer, Eithne knows, that he certainly deserved better than to have crossed paths with her.
The stone of the Dark Knight burns like coal in her pocket. The call of the darkness grows to a fever pitch, and Fray seems to speak with a fury that Eithne could imagine to be her own, were her heart not so numbed, had her voice not weakened to a whisper. Unbeknownst to Eithne herself, the dull gold of her eyes house an anguish so terrifying that the whole of Ishguard cannot but believe the rumors; of heresy, of murder, of a sword tainted with forbidden magick.
It doesn't take long before her friends become aware of her outings under the cover of night, her conjurer's cane still by her bedside. Still, Aymeric and Alphinaud know not how to confront Eithne, especially when they find her each dawn back in her room, her vacant gaze looking out far beyond the horizon.
End of 3.0
There is no longer any reason to hold back.
She will end this war. The tendrils of treachery run as deep in Ishgard as they did in Ul'dah, and she would no longer suffer their blight. If her losses have been due to her weakness, her hesitation, then she swears she will bring her all to bear with each swing of her staff.
Eithne has never felt more monstrous than now, her heart filled with the light of Hydaelyn's will. Thordan shall pay.
Fray would love nothing more than to revel in the sweet release of Eithne's inhibitions, if she did not know better than anyone how brightly the light still shone within the Champion's heart. It filled up the cracks, consuming it in blinding radiance. For all the anguish and fury, Eithne remained in stasis, her emotions unable to change, to grow. Fray makes a final attempt to free her from its chains, leaving her with a choice, one Eithne is welcome to make whenever she's able to take the first step.
"But know that when you tire of this charade, I shall be here... waiting to take the reins..."
3.1 -> 3.56
After the events at Whitebrim Front, Eithne cannot bring herself to carry the Dark Knight job stone, though she also cannot bear to leave it far from her reach, should the need arise. It was also at this point when Aymeric and Alphinaud found a way to support their beloved champion, each to varying degrees of success. Aymeric would share his efforts to root out corruption, hoping to become a pillar of support for Eithne, while Alphinaud would encourage her to begin crafting, making sure she did not spend what precious free time she had in her inn room, gazing out the window. Whatever the reason, after her battle with Esteem, she ceased to run off once night came.
She sees how they look at her, how gently they handle her, their gazes filled with pity and concern, but there are no words Eithne can muster. Instead, she continues working, aiding Aymeric and the people of Ishgard in any way she can. There is still much to do, there are still people she can save, debts she must repay. No matter the cost, she cannot continue to fail. Alphinaud and Aymeric's tenderness is wasted on her. Still, she humors them, should it cause them more stress to do otherwise, and, in hindsight, perhaps they did make those dreary Ishgardian days a bit brighter.
The encounters with the Warriors of Darkness are perplexing, but Eithne is finished with hesitation. She will strike down any threat to those she loves, no matter its scale. She will never hesitate again. Where they failed, she will succeed; she will be better, stronger. Minfilia's strength and all-consuming service towards Hydaelyn only bolsters her resolve.
DRK Questline Lvl.50 -> 60
(Somewhere within 3.2 -> 3.4)
Despite not yet being prepared to give into Fray, it seems that she cannot shake off her duty. After running across Sidurgu, and learning of Rielle's plight, she decides to support them in any way she can, even should she be forced to wield that all-too-heavy blade once more.
Rielle deserves better than this, than them, but there is no one else.
In the pair, Eithne finds a comraderie she could not have predicted. For the first time since his death, she feels as if she is not alone, if only while in their company. Still, she cannot bring herself to bear the job stone on her own once the Countess is slain. Should Sidurgu call upon her again, however...