Misija Votyasch

Misija Votyasch is a character from Final Fantasy XIV. She is a covert operative of the IVth Imperial Legion charged with infiltrating the Bozjan Resistance.

History[]

Early life[]

Like so many others, Misija grew up in one of Bozja's sprawling slums. Owing to an imperial initiative, she was afforded the chance to receive an education, and through hard work won a scholarship to attend the imperial capital's most prestigious institution. Despite the injustice and indignities she suffered, Misija studied in fields such as folklore and archaeology, and attained conversance in Bozjan history and culture─where she acquired the knowledge that she is descended from the Queen Gunnhildr that saved the people in the 4th Umbral Calamity and that her noble ancestor was betrayed by her own protectors.

All of this served to deprive her of any sense of allegiance for Bozja, and she would instead pledge herself to the IVth. Since the time of the previous legatus, it has been the legion's creed to welcome all regardless of such things as race, faith, gender, and birth. What counted is one's ability and loyalty, both of which Misija possesses in abundance. Given her troubled past, it is of little wonder that she would find a home in the IVth Imperial Legion.

Once infiltrated in the Resistance, it was none other than Misija who proposed to the idea to reforge the blades of Gunnhildr as a means to resurrect the primal Save the Queen─all in the interests of her legion, whose ends she serves absolutely.^[1]

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers[]

Misijia assists the resistance in recereating the weapons and helps them prepare to retake the Bozjan Southern Front. With the preparations complete, and the news that the Blades of Gunnhildr have been reforged, Bajsaljen uses the momentum to pre-empt a strike on Castrum Lacus Litore. The Warrior of Light is deployed alongside the successors to the recreated weapons to the field to turn the tide of battle. As the fighting begins in earnest, Mikoto, Misija and Ironworks representative Lilja begin conducting surveys on the land to find a place to recharge to crystal focus, which had been drained during the excursion into Cid's mind, with the aid of the Warrior. Back at the main camp Misija is mistreated by other soldiers for being a lowborn in Bozjan society, and is defended by Marsak scolding the other soldiers and making sure Misija is alright. She shrugs it off and continues her surveys with the others. During one such survey, the machinery operated by Lilja appears to be broken, and Misija volunteers to head to the Ironworks base in Doma to replace it.

Meanwhile, the Imperial forces led by Menenius sas Lanatus have recovered Save the Queen, the holy blade wielded by the Bozjan Queen Gunnhildr herself. Misija appears captured but is in fact an Imperial spy. She confirms the blade’s authenticity before heading to Doma to retrieve the necessary components and keep up her ruse.

As the Resistance pushes forward, Mikoto finally finds a suitable location to recharge the focus. At the location, Misija reveals her true colours, taking the focus and holding the scholar hostage to force the Warrior to stand down before she makes her escape. Mikoto is beaten and questioned by Misija over her Echo abilities, while the Roegadyn reveals the true history behind Save the Queen. Originally an Allagan artefact, it was taken by the original Gunnhildr when the Bozjans first ceded from the Empire. The name ‘Gunnhildr’ itself is more a title given to the current Bozjan Queen, who is selected from the tribes of seers ‘able to read the stars’. As such, the Queen was not always Hrothgar. When the Fourth Umbral Calamity loomed, the Blades of the time (members of the ruling class of Bozja) conceived a plan to unleash the full power of Save the Queen to save their land, a ritual through which an eikon would be created. The then Gunnhildr, injured in battle with the Allagans, refused out of fear of losing herself, and so the Blades deposed her with a puppet queen from another tribe.

However, this new queen had the Echo, and was thus able to control the manifested primal, much to the Blades’ chagrin and fear. As such, after she safely saw Bozja through the Calamity, the new Gunnhildr was assassinated by her guards, and the truth of the matter covered up. Misija, as a descendant of this Gunnhildr’s tribe, and having been subjected to the blatant classism that formed Bozjan society, has thus decided to side with Gabranth’s vision of a new nation.

The Resistance eventually pushes far enough to launch an assault on the Castrum proper. Menenius withdraws from the fortress under orders from Gabranth, leaving it in the charge of his seconds Sadr rem Albeleo and Lyon rem Helsos. The Warrior, Bajsaljen and Marsak lead the other Blades and Resistance soldiers in the siege during which they manage to fell Albeleo, who had used auracite to transform into the Lucavi Adrammelech, and drive off Lyon, thus appearing to successfully capture the castrum.

However, as the Resistance celebrates its victory, Misija appears with the captive Mikoto and Save the Queen. Holding Mikoto at the edge of death, she forces the Warrior of Light to use the focus to enter the memory held with the holy blade. The Warrior and Mikoto witness the events of Gunnhildr’s death unfold, however Misija also manages to enter the memory and alters it, planting a seed of hatred in the queen and causing the Lady of Blades to awaken.

With the Eikon Gunnhildr under her command, she manages to temper the Blades, who turn on their former comrades. Misija also attempts to temper Bajsaljen and Marsak, but the Warrior of Light holds her off. Mikoto tries to take advantage of the situation to retrieve the focus but is unsuccessful, while Marsak manages to retrieve her and flee to safety. Before the contest of wills can conclude, Dalmascan Resistance member Bwagi arrives and shoots Misija, causing Gunnhildr to dissipate and allowing the remaining forces to retreat from the Castrum.

Meanwhile, Menenius has returned to Lacus Litore, congratulating Misija on her success before ordering her to recuperate. He then discusses with Lyon Misija’s usefulness, the state of the Empire, and Gabranth’s plans for his new nation.

Delubrum Reginae[]

Following the failure of Operation: Eagle's Nest, the IVth Legion has caught the Bozjan Resistance on the back foot. However, though their forces are bolstered by the presence of Misija and her control of the Eikon Gunnhildr, they have not made any decisive moves, leaving the forces in an uneasy stalemate. Bwagi relays news to explain the Legion's apparent lack of movement: they are now starved for resources, which has prompted allied forces from Dalmasca and Nagxia to launch an assault and thus slow the arrival of reinforcements to Bozja.

Word reaches the party that Gunnhildr has been seen on the battlefield, prompting Mikoto, recovered from her ordeal, to rush off. The Warrior pursues and catches up to her on the Southern Front spying on Misija using the power of the Queen, however the vision itself seems to be diminished. An Echo vision on Mikoto's part seems to reveal the cause, the crystal focus is running out of power once more. The duo return to Gangos to relay the discovery to Bajsaljen. Mikoto also goes onto explain her belief that the apparition Misija has used to drive back Resistance forces is born of the memories of the late Queen Gunnhildr. She goes on to explain the fabled blade Save the Queen was likely designed to function in a similar fashion to the auracite created by Ultima. Assuming this is true, Misija's plans cannot come to fruition without a substantial cache of crystals, meaning there may yet be time for the Resistance to strike back.

Trusting in Mikoto's vision, Bajsaljen gathers a contingent of troops to apprehend Misija. They find her with some other soldiers examining ruins in the Last Trace, however it turns out to be trap, Misija's Resonant also allowing her the ability see future events. As the party fights off Imperial warmachina, the tempered Blades comes to the defense of their master, who flees further into the ruins, ostensibly to find a new source of aether for Save the Queen. A break in the imperial forces made by Gunbreaker Rostik allows Mikoto and the Warrior to lead a contingent of troops to follow Misija.

As they traverse the ruins, they encounter the Blades, transformed into grotesque monsters, that the Warrior is forced to put down, before they reach Misija at the heart. There, she uses the crystal cache to recharge the focus and take the power of Save the Queen, turning into the Eikon herself. She engages the Warrior in a long and protracted battle, but when it appears that she will lose, she instead attempts to bring down the ruins on top of them. However, the memory of her ancestor appears, stopping and forcing her back to normal. Bajsaljen and Marsak soon catch up to the party, and upon confirming that Misija lives, take her to be put under isolation.

Zadnor[]

Misija was put in a cell in Gangos waiting to answer for her crimes against the resistance, but is approached by Save the Queen as it appears in her cell giving her the chance to fight for Bozja one last time. The blade teleports her out of her cell and into the skies of Zadnor where she witnesses the Diablo Armament charging up a massive attack that will destroy both armies. She transforms into her Primal form with the spirit of her ancestor at her side, and they both rush in to defeat the armament in a single blow. Save the Queen and Misija plummet from the sky with her being mortally wounded and is being healed by a resistance soldier. Unfortunately her wounds are too great and she tells them to not spare her any medical attention as she is a traitor and only wanted to serve the queen. Bajsaljen states that he wants to fulfill his promise to her of being able to see a new Bozja, but she says the people demand justice for her crimes and pulls out a knife, requesting the Warrior of Light to put her out of her misery. The Warrior declines, but Bajsaljen offers to do it in their stead. He takes the knife to her throat as she smiles at him one last time before he wishes her farewell and ends her life with a merciful stroke.

Characteristics[]

Appearance[]

Misija is a Sea Wolf Roegadyn with pale skin, silver eyes and short ash blonde hair. As a member of the Resistance, she wears the Alliance Fender gear set. Following her reveal as a spy, she wears a red Garlean acton, the standard uniform of IVth Legion. In battle, she uses a pre-imperial Garlean revolver. Assuming the primal form of her previous ancestor, she wears white revealing clothing and her eyes glow a bright green color with pupils similar to that of a feline.

Personality[]

Misija first shows herself to be a soft-spoken and kind-hearted individual fighting for the freedom of Bozja. In reality though, she harbors an unrelenting, venomous hatred to the Blades of Gunhildr due to their betrayal of the last queen and her ancestor, causing her to commit heinous acts following her reveal. She not only gleefully poisoned the memory of her ancestor to make the queen embrace her hatred, but even tempered and twisted the bodies of several Blades into horrific amalgamations.

Upon becoming the Queen herself, she becomes totalitarian, believing her will and rule is the only righteous and just path and claiming Bozja as her own, even going so far to destroy it if she couldn't rule it. While she claims to fight for Gabranth and his vision, her actions seem to indicate a priority towards vengeance for her ancestry despite no love lost for Bozja.

Gameplay[]

Misija is fought twice during the Save the Queen storyline, once in a solo instance during the quest Fit for a Queen, and again while under Gunnhildr's possession during Delubrum Reginae, as well as its Savage mode. In the solo instance of Fit for a Queen she fights as a Machinist, using some skills that are no longer available to players.

Citations[]