#but dont get me wrong shes still garlean

[minarcana]

sorry for all the ooc, things are wrong with me. anyways i was in prae for the umpteenth time and every time im there all i can picture is the gaius that lives in my brain being forced to go through prae and its him with his head in his hands like "please. dont. dont make me remember being Like This"

im going to talk about gaius, sorry

(caveat: i have a better werlyt in my brain.)

his arc is that he went from a True Believer to "ah. these are people.". me forcing him to live thru prae era again is the cringe punishment cube.

a clarification to werlyt arc rewrite: yeah he did war crimes and he did them on purpose. he was aware they were war crimes. he knew that other legions did bad things, though he consistently underestimated the amount and cruelty of human experimentation going on. he knew other legions tended to treat eorzeans as lesser

however he really did believe in Something. he believed varis's propaganda and that varis was a benevolent leader, that it wasnt just primals but eorzea's belief in gods in general that were killing their own land bc he cant tell the difference between a primal and a god. he was fully committed to "these people are savages and heres some fuckin, fantasy version of the white mans burden" which is obviously incredibly wrong and fucked but yknow, it fuels the war machine. he was a soldier who never even thought to ask questions.

all he did was believe wholeheartedly in the propaganda fed to him and therefore rationalize "torching this entire country is fine, right". cannot stress enough i am not excusing the war crimes. im just making him a consistent character with a mildly rational arc. he super did those war crimes and did them on purpose. but he also did protect the war orphans his own war caused and had no issue whatsoever letting eorzeans who wanted to join the army to protect themselves do so. equality of opportunity providing you pledged fealty to garlemald, bc being of garlemald's population made you Better and Not A Savage and therein lies the line of who it's fine to kill if they fight back and who can be treated with respect.

unfortunately, ascians. gaius got his ass handed to him and the result is [nervous laughter] oh shit the army is super not infalliable and always right and very capable of and prone to wanton destruction instead of targeted attacks specifically to claim territory, hence the depression arc. he's pissed at ascians and wants to die. two birds one stone, hunt ascians till one of them kills him. meet people who want him dead and yknow theyve got a fucking point.

though he did still believe in the last vestige of "maybe things arent completely fucked and i didnt spend my entire life believing in utter bullshit lies?" that varis was a Good Emperor and Capable Of/Genuinely Interested In Ensuring Protection Of Garleans until the black rose incident. he still had a weird loyalty towards him that maybe he could get varis to like. not enact biological warfare against his own men. if he were just able to talk to him. but twas not to be and gaius essentially just [throws hands into air] OKAY! FINE! FUCK ME I GUESS!

hed already entirely lost faith that anything in garlemald's extant ruling structure could be salvaged while they still tried to wage war, weapon series just brought into light how deeply rotten the army had been the entire time when gaius had turned a blind eye to any operations that weren't his own.

if he met himself from his prae monologue now he'd strangle one of himself he doesnt care which one just free him from whatever this is hed Rather Die

the only thing im keeping him actually genuinely 100% totally unaware of from werlyt is the weird Thing livia had for him. shes out there hollering HIS BODY IS MINE as gaius is like "[completely out of earshot every time she does that] haha livia shes like a relative of mine i guess" and thats because i think its very funny.

on a SECOND DIGRESSION ABOUT PRAETORIUM

like. look. garleans cant use aether. i desperately want the explanation for how the fuck this man is pulling shadow clones out of his ass when he repels magic. i choose to believe the X beams are either ceruleum fire or aether cartridges charged by someone else but this cannot explain fuckin naruto shadow clone jutsu going on. what the fuck, gaius.

#headcanon : gaius #sometimes i see people giving werlyt a bunch of shit and i go :(! before remembering that the Consistent Gaius Character only exists for me #me like aww it wasnt that bad-- oh wait yes it was oopsies

[semi-imaginary-place]

ffxiv is like traditional theater where there’s set of gestures each with a meaning with different combinations an different context used to convey different meanings. I am of course talking about the emote animations, characters in cutscenes don’t have unique animations and instead choose from set of gestures much like theater.

Telejiri’s plan isn’t bad. create/exacerbate a problem and then present a convenient solution that would benefit him greatly.

I thought we already established that ramuh is back its just that the sylphs aren’t expansionist like other beat tribes. There was that whole quest chain in little solace, with the purple sylphs that occasionally kidnap the green ones so that they can e one united people again? did you all just forget or what?

ok so Y’shtola, yda, and papalymo at least was aware of the touched ones. but I thought it was the primal that caused the tempered. can there be tempered even without a primal? did yda just not report it?

ok ok let me see if I have this. the garlean presence in the shroud drove the sylphs to summon ramuh. don’t know what happened to the first one. this caused a split in the slyphs and a group to form little solace. but what the timeline for this because when we first go to little solace they treat it as a new problem not something that has been going on for 5 years. the touched ones we first see are remnants from that first summoning? and now pressure from the resent surge of refugees in the area had led to a second summoning? what is the timeline??? and when do the sylph quests take place??

i mean she’s not wrong, its a systems problem

ok don’t blame me for what the garleans are up to, but oho i still dont get the whole light dark thing. what is light? and what is dark? i mean beside evil because so far ti seems pretty evil

so we are just dropping the whole refugee plot thread? Also I want to know what’s up with Alisae but I need a group to do coil of bahamut...

i am so salty they cut fake thancred out. reminder to self to check out all the ut content

hmm an organization that operates beyond the boundaries of nations, isn’t that what the sciions of the seventh dawn were suppose to do? at present the scions are a bit all over the place though mainly the primal response team

“pave the way for a truly united eorzea”. what a very japanese thing to say. ah so tis giving the scions a military branch. good idea now but i can see things going south in a few decades. I HAVE been doing a lot of running around though.

sometimes i think about how alphinaud and alisaie are a couple of ivy league rich kid geniuses that hopped over seas as soon as was legal.

nanamo’s concerns are super valid. like if we were talking about real organizations, where the money comes from is very important. and organizations are more than one person, even if started with good intentions, they can be easily mismanaged and turned towards someone else’s ends. And I am just wary of any sort of paramilitary organization in general. who will this organization be held accountable to, what are its checks and balances because so far its a what ever we think is best and i mostly trust the intentions of the scions but the potential for misuse is huge. But we’re in a videogame, so the worst that probably will happen is we have to beat up lolorito and his goons. the writing for the most part hasn’t been terribly complex so I’m not expecting anything, but we’ll see.

we invaded castrum centri on 2.0 didn’t we? why the hell did you let the garleans have it back. i guess im just a canon for the scions now. also why is everyone letting a 16 year old order them around. like alphinaud doesn’t have any military command experience. why the hell are we all taking orders from him. his ideas do tend to be on the better side but still.

#ffxiv #2.5 #seventh astral era

[thecat-inthehat]

Death Seraph, Blight Upon This Star

Ashelia Riot: "Well met, old friend." Nivelth Ajuyn nods to her, going to stand slightly back. Her right hand comes to rest on her left shoulder. "Well met. How are you?" Ashelia Riot: "...As well as I can be." Ashelia Riot sighs, a breathy sigh that's very much her own. Ashelia Riot: "Which is why I'm hiding up in the rafters of one of the largest Garlean airships known to man." Nivelth Ajuyn advances slightly, but still a respectful distance away. "Hiding isn't all that bad, Ashe." She murmurs. "Sometimes you need to, just to collect your thoughts." Ashelia Riot: "Twelve know we've had precious little time even for that." Nivelth Ajuyn sighs, bringing her hand up to rub at her temples. "Mm. True. I'm sorry to bother you, but I ..." Nivelth Ajuyn: "I know you probably don't want visitors right now." Ashelia Riot: "No, no - if there's something urgent, I'd rather hear it." Nivelth Ajuyn: "I spoke with Zalera. Well... I had a conversation with him." Ashelia Riot senses something amiss with you. Ashelia Riot: "What did he have to say?" Ashelia Riot: "He's... the other seraph. The Death Seraph. Yes?" Nivelth Ajuyn: "A few things, some of them worrying, others... obvious." She nods again. "Yes. That's his title. From what I was able to glean, he deals with death and poisons, and other such magicks." Ashelia Riot: "I see." Ashelia Riot can't help but feel as though she already knew this somehow. Nivelth Ajuyn: "I ... recorded the entire conversation, if you wish to see it. But ... you're likely going to be mad at me."

Ashelia Riot can't help but sigh again at that. Ashelia Riot: "We've come this far, haven't we? Let's hear it. Nivelth Ajuyn instead pulls out her grimoire, and flips to a section of pages, before handing it over.

I have fallen under possession. It lasted approximately forty seconds, and I spoke with a voice that was not my own, and burned through Ashe’s glove. I was aware of myself the entire time, but it was as if I had taken a step back, out of my body. I felt as though my body was being moved without my say so, and my vocal cords were tightened to create a voice that was not my own. But as quickly as the control had come over me, it was gone. I have spoken to Hinako, to Akhutai, and they both say that trying to speak to the stone would be a bad idea. But I -- he spoke of things, asked Ashelia questions. No, he asked the stone she carries. [the writing takes a different slant, as if from a different angle] I have meditated on this for roughly two bells. I am going to give him a pen, and record a written conversation between the two of us, with him taking control over my left hand to do so. This is not smart, but I want a record. Althyk forgive me, this is not smart. [The rest of the page is blank, and the next page starts with a completely different style of handwriting.] Foolish child. You willingly give me control simply to talk to me? You’re speaking back. And every time I’ve attempted to speak to your stone, I never hear a voice, only a woman’s shriek. A host with a modicum of a brain amuses me. My shamaness agrees. What then, do you wish to speak of, little poison wielder? Why did you choose me? Or was I simply the first to find your stone? Like calls like. You work in poison and deal with gods, therefore you were the perfect candidate for me. Mateus drove you to keep the stone, lest you set me down again. I see. Oh, how angry you are. Such sweet emotion I’ve not supped on in years. Why are you augmenting my spells? Ignorant Child. You infect the host first, and by the time they realize something is wrong, the poison has run too deep to be done anything about it. So you’re giving me power in order to take me over. Yes. Are you going to make me your new shamaness? Don’t flatter yourself, child. You are a host, as Marquis Messam Elmdore de Limberry was before you. [The paper has some illegible writing on it, and skips down several lines. It looks as though the lines were scratched out in anger.] Why did you ask Ashelia if it was enough blood? The sacrificial altar, I mean. Needs must. Our Lady has yet to rise, and requires a glutton of blood. A mere trifle will not awake her, but … You’re hesitating.

It stirred something inside that Lady you hold so dear. And I am ever so eager to see it rise. 

Ashelia’s face undergoes a variety of changes as she reads through the parchment. The moment she reaches the word "shamaness," her eyes go wide; she trembles once or twice, stares in anger, and makes a motion as though she's about to raise a hand to her mouth. Through it all, she can't help but shake a horrid, nauseating familiarity in the deepest pit of her stomach - a memory that is not hers, one that will not fully take shape but nonetheless fills her with dread at this creature and its power. Ashelia Riot stares in fear. Nivelth Ajuyn stares up at her, watching her face. "... You know the story, dont you?' She murmurs. "About the shamaness and Zalera? I've... only been able to learn a little..." Nivelth Ajuyn: "Or, at the least, it's familiar to you." Ashelia Riot: "'He seized one of the gods' servants as a hostage and rebelled against his creators. Even now, in defeat, he clutches the shamaness to him in his right arm, and with the aid of her death-wail does he summon the soul of darkness to do his bidding.'" Ashelia Riot speaks the words as though from memory. Ashelia Riot: "But I... I've never heard such a tale before." Still, the pit in her stomach grows stronger. Ashelia Riot misses her father keenly in that moment, and the sudden emotion is nearly enough to bring her to tears. Nivelth Ajuyn reaches out to touch her, seeing the anguish on her face. "A-Ashe?" She asks, worry showing on her face. Ashelia Riot steps back, remembering instinctively the last time Nivelth Ajuyn touched her.

Nivelth Ajuyn blinks, and shrinks back, unable to meet Ashe's eyes. Her hand goes to rest on her shoulder again. "I ... I'm so sorry." Ashelia Riot: "N-No, I am. I'm fine, I promise you. I shouldn't have..." Ashelia Riot shakes her head. Nivelth Ajuyn: "To be fair, I'm still burning through animal skins if I don't have gloves on," she says bitterly.  Ashelia Riot: "...What does this last line mean? It 'stirred' something?" Ashelia Riot: "Stirred what?" Nivelth Ajuyn looks over the lines again. "I don’t know. I tried to get him to respond again, but he ... he just shut up. I think he's teasing me with knowledge, to try and make me give more of myself to him." Ashelia Riot: "You mustn't give in." You nod to Ashelia Riot. Nivelth Ajuyn: "I know. I -- I'm used to this, Ashe. To a degree. Of greater powers trying to take over my mind, and yet--" She shakes her head. "This is completely different." Ashelia Riot: "I imagine most beings you consort with don't take control of your fine motor skills." Nivelth Ajuyn: "I don't let them." She stresses. "But this--I need information, Ashelia." Ashelia Riot: "As do we all. But if it comes at a price, you come first. Always." Nivelth Ajuyn rubs at her face, knocking her hat askew slightly. "I know that. I just... I know what he's doing to me, I can feel that he's stringing me along with information and power, but I ..." Nivelth Ajuyn trails off helplessly. Ashelia Riot stares at her, not knowing what to say and hating herself for it. Nivelth Ajuyn: "If I throw the stone away, who else will pick it up? If I use it, will I start giving into the death that i see around every corner? If I seal it away, who's to say that someone won't dig it up?" Ashelia Riot: "I mean to see that no one need ever use the stone again." Nivelth Ajuyn: "Can the stones truly be destroyed? At all? You know what they are, my lady." Ashelia Riot lets out a little laugh.

You sense something amiss with Ashelia Riot. Ashelia Riot: "If all goes as planned, there will be no more need for stones or hosts." Nivelth Ajuyn tilts her head just slightly. "No...?" She asks, and, unconsciously, her left hand moves to the stone in her robes. "The stones are fragile creatures, which is why Lucavi take hosts..." Ashelia Riot smiles at Nivelth Ajuyn. Ashelia Riot: "And what of the resurrection?" Ashelia Riot: "From the storm of blood we shall be anointed, given form - unbound." Nivelth Ajuyn tilts her head, and a smile comes over her lips. "Ah, My Lady. I had wondered when I might see your face again. Given form again, how glorious that would be." Ashelia Riot smiles again, wider - far more sinister than ever before. Ashelia Riot: "Zalera." Nivelth Ajuyn bows, a sweeping gesture that brings to mind a cloak flaring out behind her. "Your word is my Will, My Lady." Ashelia Riot beams with delight at Nivelth Ajuyn. Ashelia Riot: "And you have never failed me." Nivelth Ajuyn: "What might I do, to make this glorious dream of yours a reality?" Ashelia Riot: "That which you do best, my old friend: bring death to those who oppose us." Nivelth Ajuyn 's eyes close in sheer delight. "Of course, my Lady, my Queen." She reaches up with her left hand, as if to cup Ashelia's cheek. || As Nivelth Ajuyn's fingers touch her face, there's a golden glow - and for a moment, Nive's skin appears healthy, utterly rejuvenated. Nivelth Ajuyn smiles at her, and murmurs a soft, "My Lady is too kind." In the next moment, Ashe steps back as though she's been slapped as a sudden wave of nausea hits her. Ashelia Riot: "The Undercity...?" Ashelia Riot: "I'm sorry. I need to rest." Nivelth Ajuyn pulls her hand back, and blinks. "Ashe, are you alright? You suddenly went dizzy..."

Ashelia Riot nods. Ashelia Riot: "I'm feeling like I may vomit." Ashelia Riot: "Thank you, Nive. I... I have to lie down." Ashelia Riot departs in a hurry, unable to remember most of what they discussed. Nivelth Ajuyn watches Ashelia go, her left hand tingling slightly. She brings it up to look at it, and can't stifle the gasp. Smooth, unblemished flesh. Nivelth Ajuyn can't shake the feeling that she missed something very important.

#Phantom Pains RISK #Nivelth Ajuyn #Ashelia Riot #GUESS WHO GOT POSSESSED #AGAIN

[under-the-blood-moonlight]

The Black Rose and the Adamantium Ring

Time had past since Niqesse returned to her Manor and family. In the first few days of her return they exchange words only when it was necessary. But they could not escape the promised talk about the truth. So It happend that  Niqesses father, Ser Shirrot-Ashent de Nox, and her mother, Frida de Nox, talked to her daughter about the family history.  Niqesse cursed herself, she could have researched her own family history years ago. All the answers were right infront of her but she didnt bother to look closer or question anything about their huge magical collection.

“Dear, dont understand us wrong but we were concerned about you. We saw first hand how the people reacted to our marriage and we feared that you could be targeted because of your obviouse in inheritage of my garlean blood. Thats why we had decided that it would be best to hide everything from you. Even the truth about my origin.” “Did ...did you doth one of these experiments on me? to maketh me what I am?” Both of her parents nod with a sad expression. “How am I supposeth to trust thee now?” “We wont lie about it anymore. We now see that it was a mistake and that you only get in more trouble if we dont play with open cards. We are still your parents and we love you. Try to understand, child” “All my own life ...a lie...” Niqesse still struggled with the truth, but there was no denying it. She is an experiment and one that didnt went as the old family would have wanted. “I will try but doth not expect that everything will be okay just because of it.” “Of cause my dear.” “While we’re at the old family business. I have soon a meeting with one of our contacts and now that you aware of everything would you like to join me, child?” Niqesse nods to her father. “I want to seeth with whom we deal.”

A few hours later Shirrot-Ashent and Niqesse left Nox Manor to head to lesser visited place in Ishgard. The young mage watched her father and her surroundings closely. She never set a foot in this area of the city and was quite unfamiliar with it. As they enter Niqesse had a strange feeling about this. She already dealed with some shady persons in her past but this was quite different.

Her father bowed to a huge elezen man. “Black Rose” the man also bowed slightly “Kael, nice to see you as always.” “We were expecting you. Who is that with you?” “Pray excuse, this is my daugther. Niqesse de Nox” The pale woman does a curtsy. “Good evening Sir.” “Mlady.” He nods to Niqesse. “Please follow me.” They follow Kael into another room with huge desk and a few chairs. The light was dim and the air was filled with cigar smoke. The mage had to cough lightly because of the smoke, she wasnt used to it. On the huge wooden desk sat a tall man. He seemed to very relaxed. “Ah Vossert,” Shirrot-Ashent walkes up to the man and bows “it has been to long. How are you?” Niqesse followed him but keeps a few steps back hiding behind her father. “Oh I nearly forgot again. My I introduce my daughter, Niqesse de Nox!” Her father seemed proud to interduce her to this man. But the mage want sure how she should feel about it. Nevertheless she would uphold her manners and did a curtsy. “My pleasure to meet thee.” now that she was nearer then before she took a closer look at the man infront of her and she froze. She knew this man! It had been awhile since they met in Ul’dah. Or more like she bumped into him on the street and saw him occasionally in the Forgotten Knight. Her heart was now racing.

@kael-haustefort-xiv

#ffxiv rp #nini rps #vossert celsus terentius #the black rose and the adamantium ring #wheeeeehhhhheeeee #this will be fun :D #I hope the starter is ok for you ^-^