As a young Warrior of Light, Papalymo is one of the first heroes we meet.
The decision to stay with him or leave him comes up at a pivotal juncture in the Heavensward expansion for Final Fantasy XIV, but what does it change?
I’ll start with an answer that won’t give anything away.
The tale will continue regardless of this choice. The only thing that will change is the brief scene that occurs right after the decision is made.
Do what you think is best for your character if you find yourself at this point in the story fretfully Googling.
Let’s dive a little deeper into this topic right now.
Take caution, the following contains spoilers for Final Fantasy XIV and the Heavensward add-on. You’ve been put on notice!
Possibly, you’ve reached a pivotal moment in the saga of Heavensward.
You might be second-guessing yourself, trying to figure out what other options you have.
I have some good news and some bad news.
Fortunately, it was never truly up to you to decide.
Whether you decide to stay by Papalymo’s side or abandon him, you will still meet the same fate.
Unfortunately, that’s also the bad news, so there’s that.
Nothing you can do will save Papalymo from certain death.
Why Does Papalymo Sacrifice Himself?
When you get to the end of the content added in the Heavensward patch, you’ll see that the story is already extensively establishing the world for the Stormblood expansion.
A radical group inside the Ala Mhigan resistance, headed by the shadowy Griffin, is behind this operation.
Intelligent players will recognize Ilberd Feare, the man revealed to be the Griffin, as a former ally of Alphinaud’s.
To blame the Scions of the Seventh Dawn for the attempted assassination of the Sultana of Ul’dah, Ilbert, a captain in the Grand Company, turned against them.
Ilberd is a radical nationalist who will stop at nothing to free Ala Mhigo.
Because of his extreme faith, he calls forth a primal endowed with Nidhogg’s mighty eyes, promising to unleash upon the earth an unrivaled destroyer.
It is through his selflessness that Ilberd can call forth Shinryu.
A former student of Louisoix, Papalymo steps forward to cast the same spell his mentor used to imprison Bahamut during the legendary Battle of Carteneau.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the backstory, that particular piece was the catalyst for the cataclysm that turned the original version of Final Fantasy XIV into A Realm Reborn.
Louisoix gave his life to save humanity from a huge primordial that escaped captivity.
Papalymo is just repeating his old master’s moves from the past.
A flight to safety is advised before Papalymo casts the spell to imprison Shinryu so that everyone can board a flying ship.
Then, based on what he wants, your character can decide to stay or depart.
Given what we’ve already discussed, this doesn’t represent much of a shift.
On the other hand, I’ll explain the differences that will be made below. Simply for the sake of ease of use!
What Happens If I Choose To Stay With Papalymo?
Papalymo will not permit you to remain in his company.
The decision to have him die while casting this magic is purely for dramatic effect, but it is nonetheless a sad reality that must be faced.
You have a choice: either trust your friend to do the right thing or resist.
To end things quickly, if you stay Papalymo will use his magic to blast you to safety.
What Happens If I Leave Papalymo?
If you decide to leave, you will just give Papalymo a sad look and nod, then hasten to the safety of the airship.
In other words, this event has no bearing on the tale whatsoever.
