Main Timeline
This does not go through every bit of MSQ; it just highlights important aspects of it for Pyr, and additional events as they fit into the timeline. Very Shadowbringers/Endwalker-heavy.
Pre-ARR
Pyrciel grew up in the New Sharlayan colony in Dravania, and received a typical Sharlayan education. They pursued their interests in aetherology, alchemy, and botany, though they best took to the healing arts of the Sage. They were not the most dedicated pupil, often preferring to explore the forests, mountains, and streams of the hinterlands rather than study. Perhaps because of this, they never became an Archon.
When Garlemald invaded Eorzea, Pyrciel fled with the rest of the Dravanian colony back to Old Sharlayan. Years later—four years after the Seventh Umbral Calamity—unable to get a foothold in alchemical study or gleaning, they became restless and set off from the port on a ship to Limsa Lominsa. Simple adventuring paid his way until an errand turned out to be for Scions of the Seventh Dawn, reporting to Y'shtola. Pyr continued to take the odd job from the Scions after that, thinking those a little less likely to end with them stabbed in an alley compared to most work in Limsa.
Relieved to at last find herself to be of use, she soon entered the lower ranks of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. Though not a full Archon, their knowledge of aetherology and propensity for exploration made them a decent agent out in the field, observing the ambient aether for signs of primal activity. They're a bit distant with Y'shtola, but they come to respect Urianger, and they get along well with many of their fellow non-Archon Scions.
Their Echo rears its head from time to time, but any revealed information or impossible communication is written off as the result of subconscious intuition and a very vivid imagination. The Echo is rare, after all. What are the odds?
A Realm Reborn
This denial lasts until their return from their encounter with Ifrit—alive and untempered. After this revelation, they’re assigned a position much closer in proximity to additional summonings. It’s in this capacity that they get their first real taste of miserable, unending struggle: watching the cycle of summonings, and knowing well how the city-states, and invading Garleans, drive such desperation to begin with. But it's a struggle he’s tied to, given his Echo and general desire to not see people tempered or murdered en masse by a primal. At the very least, it does afford them a chance to witness lesser Ascians at work.
He's present when the Waking Sands is raided by the Empire, and is among the injured. It’s a sobering moment for them, both in terms of witnessing the toll of the invasion first-hand, and a wake-up call in how ineffectual they were at keeping anyone safe. Though they join in Operation Archon and succeed in keeping the invasion at bay, it's a failure that remains with them.
Also plaguing them is how little they know of the Ascians, despite their ever-increasing encounters. How they are able to achieve all that they do; what exactly are they after? And why? They're especially interested to hear Urianger's theories on rejoinings; the first real lead they have. Pyr aids his and Moenbryda's research when she can, but fails to catch onto Urianger's clandestine meetings with Elidibus.
Moenbryda's death is crushing, the loss of a new (but dear) friend, and another failure to protect a comrade. They can hardly face Urianger for a time afterwards, knowing how much she meant to him.
The bloody banquet sees them seek refuge at the glamoured Waking Sands, hidden alongside Urianger and Arenvald. aiding in their attempts to locate the rest of the Scions. They come to rely on Urianger quite a bit for direction and safety during this time, finding him a steady presence. But it cannot last; they remain the most recognizable member of the now-hunted Scions. After too many close calls, they reluctantly agree to join Alphinaud and Tataru in Coerthas, soon to make their way into Ishgard proper.
Heavensward
He has mixed feelings about the state of Idyllshire, but quickly warms to what the goblins and adventurers have made of the place. It's far more open than it ever could have been while a part of Sharlayan, but kinder than the larger Eorzean cities they found so difficult to adjust to. Charming, even. (Eventually, they come to make a second home out of a house on the outskirts of Idyllshire, though they rarely get to stay there.)
On returning to the Rising Stones, Pyr is met by Urianger and his curious guest, Unukalhai. His presence is alarming—is Urianger in contact with Ascians?—but the concerns he raises are sound. The Warring Triad cannot be left to break free. They agree to aid him in slaying the entities, all the while taking careful note of what the boy shares about the Thirteenth.
When the Triad have been slain, Pyr stays behind to witness Unukalhai disabling the life support for the tempered still within Azys Lla. Y'shtola's firm assertion that the Warrior of Light is perfectly capable of doing the dirty work—such as killing the captive tempered en masse—lingers in their mind. It's an uncomfortable new level of abstraction of life in the business of 'the greater good'.
The Warriors of Darkness are yet another puzzle Pyrciel sets upon, furiously attempting to uncover who they truly are, what they want, etc. Urianger's mysterious disappearances, alongside his working with Unukalhai, make it clear that something is going on with him as well. Yet, they very badly do not want to assume the worst of him, and avoid speaking to him about any of it.
When all is said and done, they're not quite sure how to feel. Things are resolved, in a sense. The Warriors of Darkness, gone, their world, preserved. They even understand why Urianger acted as he did. One life for one star—math that made sense. But did little ease the pain of having offered Minfilia up as that life, nor the uncomfortable new awareness of what Urianger was capable of.
Stormblood
The raid on Rhalgr's Reach leaves them badly wounded, once again powerless to stop the Empire's slaughter. After picking up the pieces, they can only hope that the battle they seek to start in Othard will not end the same way. Pyrciel is not terribly optimistic, but what else is there to do?
From Ala Mhigo across Othard, the suffering and misery is inescapable. Want and cruelty begetting more, without end. Their march on the Ala Mhigan palace is a joyless one, simply wishing to see any of it end.
Soon after ending the Garlean occupation, a chance encounter in Ul'dah brings her to the headquarters of the Lemures. She is wary of any business involving voidsent, but Drusilla's offer to teach the art of the Reaper is a tempting one; Pyrciel is so very tired of feeling helpless when it counts. Perhaps a voidsent ally will give them the strength they need.
When the Scions start falling comatose, it's a desperate scramble to figure out what is befalling them. Worse still, the prospect of another Garlean invasion while they have so few they can look to is a frightening one.
Shadowbringers
Upon arriving in the First, he's relieved to find the Scions are doing okay, for however much 'trapped as sort-of ghosts in an alternate dimension' counts as such. They're particularly happy to see Urianger! Less so to see that he and Thancred have clearly grown closer in their time on the shard, but there's nothing to do but put that aside and move on.
Vastly more pressing is how little they know regarding, well, everything. Between the Exarch's secrecy, the shards, the workings of aether, and as ever, the Ascians, there is still much they're trying to make sense of all they've been thrown into. The prospect of slaying and absorbing the Lightwardens while so in the dark is especially alarming, but seeing the First brought back from the brink, bit by bit, is enough to push them forward. The state of the shard is grim, its reality nightmarish—but maybe they can do something about it.
Enter stage, Emet-Selch. Pyr is both surprised by and deeply suspicious of his claims of cooperation. But if a fight with such a powerful foe is not yet necessary... they believe there is little reason to instigate one. Far safer to let him do as he will, so long as he doesn't interfere. And despite all their misgivings, they can't help but wonder; what if he actually shares what he knows? That he seems familiar in a way they can't quite recall is just a curiosity, as is the sense that he is not quite as he *should* be. They approach him with equal parts intrigue and caution, cognizant of the myriad ways he might seek to manipulate or sabotage the Scions. Yet he clearly isn't too concerned with endearing himself, judging from his delight in provoking them.
His inscrutable and strange behavior invites interest and speculation, however. How is it that one moment he seems fond of them, the next, completely dismissive for no discernable reason? Why do *they* react to him as they do? Their sadness at his glib cruelty, their hurt at his dismissal, their innate desire to trust him. It's harder and harder for Pyrciel to remain cautious of the Ascian, despite this trust having no identifiable source. Just as captivating is the trickle of information he offers, pieces of the bigger picture they're caught in. Questions roll about within; what is thinking? Is he telling the truth? How much is an act? And what does he really want?
For his part, Emet-Selch flits between smug supervision, deliberate provocation, and most curiously, earnestness. Despite the gears in his brain turning–plotting every hour of every day, he assures–his approach is largely genuine. He truly does grow fond of Pyr, and the Scions as a whole, and would like to simply convince them of the necessity of the rejoinings. Pyr is not yet a sympathetic ear to this, but is giving what he shares due thought and consideration. That Emet-Selch made no secret of the methods he would turn to should this olive branch wither makes his overtures feel surprisingly honest, if still concerning.
Rak'tika is the true turning point of it all. They're thankful for his rescue of Y'shtola, but the strange sense of familiarity at last provides Pyrciel with something definitive: Emet-Selch's complaints about saving her are all for show. He enjoys helping people. It's something they counter him with privately after the fact, not knowing *how* they know, yet completely sure in their accusation. Emet's reaction says it all: surprise, interest, and a quick smothering of the above, with an insistence they do not know what they're talking about. Pyr remains unconvinced.
Soon after, his revelations in the cave dispel whatever doubts Pyrciel still had of his words. They feel that connection with the murals, and conviction when he confirms what they had long suspected: Hydaelyn was a Primal.
Back in Slitherbough, they're stunned to overhear Urianger's blatant deflection of Y'shtola's concerns for their wellbeing. It's clear that, once again, he's hiding something, and it's an unwelcome addition to the pile of unknowns surrounding the First. But absorbing the Lightwardens is without doubt harming them, and it can only get worse.
Yet, they cannot afford to slow their pursuit of the remaining wardens; their window to figure it all out is limited. Frustratingly, the Exarch and Urianger seem in no hurry to come forward with answers.
The best they can do with Emet-Selch is surmise just enough to ask the next question, something he is all too pleased to reward. Bit by bit, he surrenders scraps of information about the Unsundered world. The peace. The plenty. That an extended life such as his was once the norm, not an aberration. After all Pyr has seen, the idea of a life not driven by suffering is captivating.
They come to hang on his every hint, seeking his good favor–neither of which escape his notice. It's obvious to Emet-Selch that he's gained some sway over the Warrior of Light, and he's hardly blind to the opportunities this presents. (He only need remove them from play and the Scions are dead in the water, after all). Yet his approach to Pyr remains largely genuine, at most tailoring what he shares to appeal to their sympathies. His *toying with* them is in what information he holds back, and how 'deserving' he claims to see Pyrciel of his time on any given day.
His most overt maneuvers are wholly instinctive; when he lashes out so they (he) doesn't get too comfortable. When he reminds them of his callous disregard for them as a living being, of how little they are in his eyes. But as much as this wounds Pyr, he can't really stay away. He continues to play Emet's little games, trying to live up to the 'tests' the Ascian sets before him, frustrating as they are, hungering for the glimpses behind the facade.
When it comes to the reality of the First, the Scions, and the Ascians, Pyr runs into nothing but walls. She cannot stop fighting the Lightwardens, but cannot handle absorbing their light indefinitely. She wants to see the kinder, easier world the Ascians evidently seek to bring about, but cannot condone the rejoinings. The Exarch is hiding something, Urianger is hiding something, Emet-Selch surely has not yet shared *all* he knows. Hydaelyn lied to them. They're left to continue blindly, endlessly turning over incomplete pictures in their mind. Pyrciel wants nothing more than to get the Scions and Emet-Selch, at least, to truly communicate. But who can be approached, and how?
Something finally sticks out among the mess: Urianger is the only source corroborating the tale of the imminent Calamity. The only one to have witnessed such a thing during their travel through the Rift. They cannot surmise his motivations beyond spurring their actions in the First... but it might be enough to confront him with. Beyond that, he is the Scion most familiar with the Ascians, and the most willing to accept what must be done for the greater good. If he can be convinced to share what he knows, perhaps he would also be willing to at least hear what Emet-Selch has to say? They may all be pawns in the eyes of the Ascians, but they are pawns with enough leverage to be addressed directly and carefully. A rare position they should make full use of.
Urianger reminds them of the obvious: Emet-Selch can only be doing this with the intent of aiding the Ascian cause. Even if some of what he has shared is the truth, it is not the whole truth; only what might serve to further the rejoinings.
Pyr knows this is likely, but cannot abandon the hope of finding a better outcome, a better world. Neither can they let his assertion stand unchallenged when Urianger has also manipulated them thus. What if, with truths laid out, they can find another way forward? One that doesn't end in another round of secrecy, violence and sacrifice, like what sent Minfillia to die on the First?
They reach no accord, Urianger refusing to break his secrecy. It's a moment of supreme frustration and helplessness for Pyr, unable to get anyone to speak wholly and truthfully. They abandon the idea altogether, so far as Urianger and the Exarch are concerned. He's not happy with anyone's games, but at least Emet-Selch isn't lying to them. The right questions get answers, even if they are but pieces in a much larger picture.
By their return to Kholusia, the pieces come together just a bit, the glimpses into his true thoughts clearer. He knew them, without a doubt. Somehow. They're so very close to something, they know it.
The aftermath at the Crown of the Immaculate is a terrible thing. All the hope they'd dared to have given Emet-Selch is turned upon them as volatile, mocking cruelty, a punishment for their failure. Pyrciel, succumbing to the light, is scarcely aware of anything beyond the shattering pain. They are dying, they know. Names and memories escape them, but they know the man they lay at the feet of, know he will *help*. When their reaching hand is met with the heel of a boot, they simply cannot understand. Why, they think, as their world fades to white.
With no choice but to wait until the light overtakes them, they walk into the Tempest alone. Dying as they are, the bizarre familiarity of the constructed Amaurot is distant, their focus on finding Emet-Selch. In the Capitol, they plead with him; whatever it was that they could not do, having failed to contain the light, he had seen the incredible things the Scions were able to accomplish! Surely they could find a way to do it, if they could just reason with him. If he would just tell them what it was.
Emet-Selch will hear none of it. To him, Pyrciel is nothing more than a monster-to-be, not someone worthy of demanding something from him, as he tells them in no uncertain terms. They have failed—again.
Defeated, they're left to wander the streets of false Amaurot, coming to speak with Hythlodaeus until they hear signs the Scions have made the descent. Unwilling to leave them to face the threats Emet-Selch summoned, Pyr at last raises their weapon.
Post-Shadowbringers
Much of the work to bring the Scions home is done in a daze, following the Scions wherever they lead. The Amaurotine ruins are all that truly interest Pyr, as are any secrets they yet hold. The reasons for his stupor and obsessions are obvious, but neither they nor the Scions broach the subject. What is there to say, really? Any expression of his turmoil would surely garner judgement. All that's left is to keep going and hope that something more than conflict lay on the horizon, for them and the worlds they love.
Elidibus's challenge in the Tempest forces all they'd buried to resurface. Theirs is a journey of violence, in service of more violence; his assertion they are death one that rings true. What do they hope to accomplish? The only way out they'd ever seen was in the world the Ascians worked for—one without such cause for sorrow. Pyr wasn't a complete fool; no world could be perfect. Free of suffering. But to remove the threats to the peoples' very survival... surely that world would be a far kinder one.
To fell Elidibus would be to sentence all worlds to the misery of the worlds as they are, for as long as they yet exist. To anguish and hardship without end.
The rejoinings were unconscionable, but... finite. If the choice was between suffering for a time, and suffering forever? It was not a choice, but a matter of cruel, cruel calculation.
They could not face Elidibus. They could not bear to aid him, either. He sought a test of strength; they sunk to their knees before him, and waited for the axe.
Y'shtola intervened before the axe could do more than a surface blow, though she'd seen enough. She left, quick to prepare to quit this place. Pyr, as if pulled, picked up the curious trail of stones outside. It's Emet-Selch's will that they live, spoken through the shade of Hythlodaeus, that allows them to continue.
Even after the Scions are safely returned, Pyr shares nothing they've learned of Azem, Emet-Selch, or the crystal now in their possession.
Endwalker
To do!
Post-Endwalker?
Pyrciel's story from here is still up in the air; Evercold will hopefully help determine if they have a mostly canon-compliant life post-Ultima Thule. It's possible, but I'm still deciding between that, focusing on a timeline where Hythlodaeus and Hades live, and/or going off the rails entirely.