hodosios

[hodosios]

i find myself missing dissidia. there was much to appreciate, particularly in the portrayal of vayne. he is as penned in the ultimania: analytical in thought, eloquent in speech.

in this scene, vayne is caught snooping around in jegran’s lair. he offers an apology, explaining that the crystals reminded him of the late doctor cid. it is an appeal both personal and poignant. a calculated vulnerability...

and let's not forget this scene, later on:

a person's purpose is to be chosen, not forced on them. the act of killing his brothers was forced upon him—but continuing down that bloodstained path was a choice he made of his own will. it is for that very reason he sought freedom from the occuria's strings—to reclaim agency over fate.

[hodosios]

[hodosios]

“that character is problematic” i am sick and twisted. next

[hodosios]

[hodosios]

Interpreting Vayne's Smile

At the end of his speech in Rabanastre, Vayne smiles; a moment open to multiple interpretations. One perspective suggests that the smile reflects a sense of triumph; having delivered a speech filled with insincere words meant to manipulate the citizens, the smile may have been him gloating over his success and mocking those he has deceived.

However, it is also possible that Vayne, despite his role as an antagonist, genuinely wished for peace in Rabanastre. This more nuanced reading paints him not as a purely evil figure, but as a complex character with sincere motives. Ultimately, how one interprets Vayne's smile can influence how they perceive him—and, by extension, the story of Final Fantasy XII as a whole.

Larsa Was Attending the Consul Ceremony

Although not shown on screen, Larsa was present at Vayne’s appointment ceremony in Rabanastre. He traveled from the Imperial City to support his beloved brother during the formal event. However, just before their departure, the Senate warned Larsa of Vayne’s involvement in suspicious research and provided a prototype magicite as evidence. Determined to uncover the truth for himself, Larsa attended the ceremony, then departed for Bhujerba to investigate further.

Source: Final Fantasy XII Ultimania Ω (Omega), 2006, Page 29.

[hodosios]

Shout-out to aromantic people whose lives are so fucking busy that they periodically forget what day of the week it is. today is Wednesday, June 5th. Happy Aromantic Visibility Day.

[hodosios]

[hodosios]

The Fall of the Kingdom of Nabradia

Just before the events of Vaan's journey, the Kingdom of Nabradia was facing mounting pressure from the Archadian Empire. The marriage between Princess Ashe of Dalmasca and Prince Rasler of Nabradia was arranged as a political alliance to ease the tension, but within a few months, Nabradia fell in a single stroke.

While Basch and others claim that "the Empire destroyed Nabradia," the immediate cause was actually an internal uprising by a neo-Rozarria faction within the kingdom. As such, many believe that Nabradia collapsed from within. However, since it was Vayne Solidor who manipulated the faction into action, it can be said that Archadia was indeed responsible—just in a more indirect way.

The Rozarrian Empire attempted to send military aid, but their forces were intercepted and defeated by Archadia en route. Following that, Archadia chose to wait and observe the aftermath rather than launching a full-scale invasion.

The Royal House of Galtea and the Archadian Empire

Both Dalmasca and Nabradia were ruled by descendants of the Dynast-King—founder of the Galtean Alliance over 700 years ago. Archadia, by contrast, had once been a small city-state on the margins of Galtean territory. For Dalmasca and Nabradia, the war with Archadia wasn’t just political—it was a matter of pride for the House of Galtea.

Source: Final Fantasy XII Ultimania Ω (Omega), 2006, Page 20.

[hodosios]

[hodosios]

Aerial view of a volcanic crater. Danakil Depression, Ethiopia Photo credit: Chris John

[hodosios]

by Caitlin

[hodosios]

Announcement

Hello everyone, my main blog halmarut was terminated, so I’ll be using hodosios while I wait for Tumblr Support to reinstate it.

The weekly translations will be paused until then as the sideblog ff12-ultimania is rooted on halmarut, and b101-doctor's artblog is branched there too.

Thank you for your patience, and sorry for the disruption. I shall update as soon as I know more.

[hodosios]