#dragoon theorycrafting

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

Dragoon armor–historical evolution (continued)

Okay. From last night.

Trueblood->Drachen->Dragonlancer->Trueblood (again)->Pteroslaver->Tiamat

-cough, adjust glasses-

(Disclaimer: Theorycrafting ahead. I typed this out on my phone, there may be errors in my post and my lore gathering.)

At this point, I feel that it’s safe to say that the proto-Ishgardians were dragon-riders. Period. Estinien’s short story (From Azure Ashes, Tales from the Storm)-

Along with an ingame line from either Vidofnir or Vedrfolnir (but based on his bio in EE1 I think it’s Vedrfolnir) proves this. It may have been highly common to see knight and dragon working as one unit to maintain the peace, and as a result it’s not that far off to assume there might have been a proto-Knight-Dragoon order.

Therefore, that means it’s time to poke at the armor!

———-

Trueblood/Drachen:

Okay. Last night I said this possibly was a bit of a difficult one, for the simple fact that Haldrath is seen wearing Drachen-mail. While this can be attributed to story purposes and DRAMA…I don’t think so. While we don’t know if Haldrath was a dragon-rider himself, it would make sense that he knew of it or even *had* training for it. Kings and princes are almost always automatically slotted in for training in the arts of war in many contexts, historical and fictional.

There’s another reason why I don’t think Square plopped that armor on Haldrath for superficial story reasons as well. And it’s very simple.

Haldrath fought Nidhogg.

You do NOT fucking tangle with any dragon, ESPECIALLY A FIRST BROOD DRAGON THAT IS RIGHTFULLY PISSED, IN REGULAR ARMOR.

You don’t. You CAN, but uh…you are not going to survive unless the gods fucking love you that day and I’m willing to bet Halone took one look at that situation and went ‘you fucking morons.  You absolute idiots!’

So now possbily at this point, we reach an interesting point.  Why don’t we see Haldrath in the Trueblood then?  Why the Drachen set?  

Honestly?  I couldn’t tell you.  But I will say this.  It’s very interesting that the Trueblood set is armor that’s forged using dragonfire, while the Drachen set is forged using dragonblood.  Dragonfire requires (ideally) a willing and active participant (insert your level of enthusiasm here) in the forging process.  Dragonblood on the other hand…you really don’t need permission to take from the newly dead, now do you?

I’m also beginning to suspect that maybe we could have had differencing armor sets.  I mean, it is possible that with the bonds between man and dragon, you could have had some dragons giving the a-ok to use their blood.  It could be that the Trueblood and Drachen sets were both actively used during that time period. But then we have this quote from the story…

While this is a direct reference to the murder of Ratatoskr, it could possibly also imply something darker.   It very well could be that the Trueblood armor was spurned for the Drachen. Dragonfire is all well and good, but blood historically irl and in fiction has always been touted as the source of great strength.

And if we're going there...who's to say that Haldrath’s Drachen was made with the blood of Ratasokr? Who’s to say that maybe some long-ago armoror got an idea in their head one day? We may never know. All of this is my own idle speculation.

But the fact that we see Haldrath in the Drachen set is pretty fucking telling, I feel.

——————–

Dragonlancer:

undefined

CAN WE JUST GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE SHADOWBRINGERS TRAILER MOVIE FOR SHOWING US DRAGOON MID-AIR COMBAT?!

(3:20-3:13)

Seriously. I know the biggest gripe about this armor is that it gives one a fat ass but DID YOU SEE THOSE MANUVERS?!

Dragonlancer was originally created by a famous Ishgardian armorsmith named Urseille the Meek. This armor was specifically designed to allow the dragoon to be more aerodynamic in the air, yet the Church rejected the design because it wasn’t old and stogey enough (aka 'tradition’).

Dragonlancer is more than likely created via the same means–hot metal and dragonblood–but given the 'wings’ I wouldn’t be surprised if there was actual dragon hide included in the design. Or at the very least, a strong leather component. There’s no details in EE1 on how the armor was made.

————–

Trueblood (part 2):

EE2 goes into detail on the Trueblood, and it is lovely. The set itself is metal and cast-off dragon scales merged in dragonfire. The greaves provide traction, and the description goes so far as to *specifically* state Coerthas weather as one of the reasons the greaves needed tractionproofing. The helm is stated to have been forged when the people of Coerthas and dragonkind lived in harmony. In From Azure Ashes, Ratasokr is only all too happy to participate in the forging of such sets, and Hraesveglr states that the original dragoons wore such armor. EE2 states that forging with dragonfire was rediscovered after the Dragonsong War, and it’s my personal headcanon that dragoons now primarily wear variants of the Trueblood set once more.

--------

Pteroslaver Mail:

Um.

So yet again, disclaimer.  Anything I say on this set and the following one, the Tiamat armor--this is strictly all me.  To the best of my knowledge, we have no lore yet on any of these.  However we do know Encyopedia Eorzea III is coming out soon, and hopefully it’ll have some detail on one, if not both these pairs.  My take however--

To begin with, Ptero.

We also have Pterodactylus, which is an extinct genus of pterosaur, which were basically flying reptiles that lived during the Late Triassic to the Late Cretaceous period on Earth.  Some people generally know a critter from this group as pterodactyls.  So...

Ptero = Feather/wing 

Slaver = A person dealing with or owning slaves

So...Featherowner, Wingowner?  Featherslaver, Wingslaver?

?_?

There’s also the design.  (rant on the female Drachen mail aside).  In comparison to every other set (again, aside from the female level 50 Drachen) the entire body is covered.  The Pteroslaver? Not so much--it’s not as blatant as the level 50 Drachen set on female characters, but...

(yes i’m using Reinhardt pictures do not @ me I SPENT ALL DAMN DAY FIGHTING VARIS SO I COULD DYE THIS ARMOR GODDAMN IT WE’RE USING IT)

Methinks you DO NOT want the entire underarm exposed in combat.  Just saying.  That is a big fat target zone.  

Nor do you want toes possibly exposed-yes look at the top picture.  I'm also not saying anything about the tail because the Dragonlancer had the same thing and it looks purely ornamental so you can lose it no problem in a fight.  

Honestly to me, this looks like something one might wear in a gladiator ring.  Take my words worth a grain of salt, I’m not an armor expert.  If you’re using this in combat, my thinking is you have to be fast and nimble as fuck, because again, you got two big old areas of attack.  I can see the underarm armor being sacrificed for more maneuverability, but...yeah. You have to be fast.  

-----

Tiamat:

...I got nothing. The name certainly intrigues me, as does the make. Everything is streamlined, the dragoon wearing this is gonna be fast and nimble as fuck, possibly even more so than a dragoon in the Dragonlancer armor. Considering this is of Thavnarian design, and Vrtra's involvement in the warding scales, I would not be surprised if this is metal and insert-whatever-dragon-part merged with an absolutely bonkers Thavnarian alchemical combination/compound/what have you.

Another headcanon I've been nursing is Tiamat and Bahamut basically having their own version of mail they gifted to mortals--if they ever did so. Or a thank-you gift for freeing her and her children. In comparison to the Raident Host gear, which save for the caster and healer, definitely sport dragonish motifs on the armor itself--clawish hands and feet, fanged faceplates and tails--the Tiamat gear stands out for only having the dragon image on the chest, greaves, and gauntlets.

We'll see come EE3!

[mersi-kokhavasheva]

Hello!

This is Mersi Kokhavasheva, she/her. She is an Ilsabardian Raen Au Ra diviner-turned-knight based out of Gridania. I hope this will be a repository for the fan content I write about her story, from thoughtful snippets to five-part fanfiction.

FAQ&A

It's pronounced "mare-see" — not "mercy", though she understands the confusion — "koh-hha-vuh-shay-vuh".

Her preferred jobs were originally Bard, Dragoon, and Paladin, but she has of late swapped her arms for those of the Samurai, Dancer, and Gunbreaker. Blue magic is something of a special interest. She was raised on astrology, but has sworn off the cards since leaving home. Above all else, Mersi is a talented Weaver and seamstress, and is learning goldsmithing from her love.

She is engaged! Her love, A'rhya Velore, is a Gyr Abanian Seeker of the Sun Miqo'te with gorgeous ruby hair, and eyes like sapphire and amethyst, and a lovely soft voice that's not always able to be heard, and she's more than Mersi could ever have dreamed. However, recent events leave Mersi feeling less worthy than ever, and it shows in her haunted eyes whenever she's asked about a date for their wedding.

There is a timeline under construction for Mersi, A'rhya, and some friends along the way, to see how their spin on the Warrior of Light saga might look in a world in which, logistically, not every one of forty-eight million heroes could be veterans of the same battles.

I'm on Behemoth, in the midst of post-Heavensward. Feel free to say hi if you spot me, but I'm just as happy to chat here on Tumblr, or to share what I've written of her on AO3!

I'll likely be bouncing in and out of character here on Tumblr because, while this is not an RP blog, it's just fun to write in her headspace. If anyone wants to ask her a question, I think we'd be happy to answer. Perhaps we'll crack open the ask box and find out!

Frequent Tags

the Road to Sharlayan: This is for the stories written about Mersi and friends, or for progress made toward the next. I am new to AO3, so I would appreciate honesty when it comes to tagging etiquette! I hear it's "the more tags, the better" but, stars above, there are so many tags.

the Ruby and Larimar: Any Q's-and-A's Mersi gets through the ask box will be tagged as such, as will any fanart I mock up along the way. Casual coffee shop vibes! We love it.

Lore Have Mersi: For when Mersi have lore! These will be posts that explore who Mersi is as a person, or how she came to be as such. I will likely also use it for theorycrafting, such as my thoughts on the Deck of Sixty.

an Average Day in Eorzea: Memes. Nonsense. Shenanigans. Nothing you wouldn't see in Limsa, I'm sure!

Stories So Far

the Spineless Serenade (Romance) War in the north has found peace; those who fought alone to the east have found allies. From the patrol squadrons of Ishgard comes Mersi Kokhavasheva of the Knights Dragoon; from the war rooms of Rhalgr's Reach comes A'rhya Valore. This is not a story of their struggles, but of a rare moment in between. This is the story of a chance to grasp, and of their refusal to let go.

Coerthan Call (Drama/Tragedy) A sudden decision on the battlefield brings dangers unforeseen, and well foreseen. High above the Coerthas Western Highlands, two Knights Dragoon weigh the risks and put it all on the line to slay the dragon Graoully, but Mersi Kokhavasheva's past flies close behind.

The Lovers' Plainsong (Drama) In the fallout of her abduction by the heretics of Coerthas, Mersi Kokhavasheva rests with her fiancée in the shadow of war. Trauma shapes her future, worsened by the knowledge of how and why, of agency and fate. With the help of the one she loves, a woman broken must once again be made whole. All the while, the Dragon roars.

In Progress:

the Forgotten Berceuse (Romance) Two outsiders, strangers to the land of Eorzea, have found themselves sudden heroes of the realm. One misses the sands; the other, the waters. Together they find harmony, self-confidence, and room to breathe.

Ballet de Cour: A'rhya's Card (Romance) Despite two decades of training in the ways of astrology, Mersi has long been afraid to ask the cards for further guidance. With help from a dear friend, that bond may be renewed—or, by overcoming insecurity and learning unshakable trust, two diviners may strengthen their own bond instead.

A Tençon for Ishgard (Drama) The Dragonsong War has raged long enough. Both sides seek harmony, yet forces of darkness and light yet seek destruction. Caught between both worlds and asking for neither, Mersi Kokhavasheva has put down her lance; she rejoins the fray on her own terms.

[ahvie-voidsinger]

The significance of armor dyes?

Just mentally brainstorming / theorycrafting a bit here.

Ever since reforging and rewriting a lot of Reberta’s backstory to make it more Doman- or Othardian-themed, I’ve started to wonder just how much of a part of her armor color is part of her personality. Until then, I’d been using a rather vivid violet armor color to reflect her original design concept, a dragoon from FFBE, who also started out wearing a very traditional purple dragon armor. (Kain also wore purple in several depictions).

Because armor and glamour choice says a lot about a character and how they care about their public perception, I went around looking online for sources on what Doma’s national flag or national colors would be. What little sources I found replied back with wall scrolls in Lord Hien’s chambers depicting red and white, not unlike Japan’s colors.

So to properly reflect a doman native and patriot’s identifying with her nascent nation’s independence, I dyed Reberta’s scale/plate armor suit a dalamud red. Many samurai are traditionally portrayed as wearing crimson, muted or bright reds in their plating and cloth, and I could think of no better reason to reflect this national pride in her own scaled armor suit. I have had few, if any, doubt as to the correctness of this assumption so far.

Lately, after joining up with a Doma-themed FC, I’ve talked with some characters who both oocly and icly make remarks as to how Reberta’s armor looks rather Ishgardian in style (and for good reason, as it’s the lvl 60 dragoon set – you know, the one without the exposed tummy). No one has gone out of their way to remark that this might seem a little out of place for a domani naginata samurai yet. We don’t have a lot of references to go on for women samurai in doman history (in Japan, women could be samurai, but rarely wielded the katanas and were rarely in frontline capacities due to cultural restrictions on their expected roles. This is where many noble or well-to-do women and wives of samurai warriors took up the naginata and then the yari as a means of defending their home and nation.)

What do you think? Should I worry about changing an armor glamour I really like because it might be too dragon-themed?

I thought that perhaps one way to tie in a dragon theme to Othardian / Doman culture was to dye it in a manner that reflected a homage or appreciation to Seiryu, one of the four Auspice Lords we have yet to see represented in game. Seiryu is the Azure Dragon of the East, an aspect of Spring, the earth and woodlands (among other things, surely). Because Reberta so devoutly pays respects to the Kami and the four Lords, it wouldn’t be completely unusual for her to craft and wear armor that embodied the dragon spirit she so admired, right?

Do you think a Doman red dragon armor would suit a naginata lancer just fine? Or would a light blue dragon armor be more appropriate given Kami and shinto cultural references? Or am I just overthinking this?

[0huitzil]

S1: Exiled

(I am writing this is English because half the Path of Exile jargon is in english and it will be a mess if i try to write in Spanish. Also because it is my blog and I can do what I want) 

How long have I been playing Path of Exile now? Its definitely more than 2 years, I remember I first played in Legacy league, but my first real league was Harbinger, and that was at the beginning of 2017. What in the world was I playing back then? I remember I did a Reddit post about a Molten Strike Inquisitor using a staff for no other reason than the fact that an old man hitting with a staff made sense. God, my trees were such a mess back then. But it was fun in its own regard, because for me PoE was never about playing the game, it was about understanding it.

If that description of a videogame does not make much sense its because PoE has more in common with some university courses than with a videogame like Mario. PoE has a skill tree with more than 200 posible nodes and a really absurd number of ways in which to allocate your path of 121 nodes, 123 if you  killed all the bandits in Act 2, There are hundreds of unique items with unique (duh) modifiers, dozens of different skills and dozens of different supports that interact with those skills and change their behaviour.

And the game just keeps growing, since I started back in Harbinger league I have had to learn about Harbingers and Harbinger currency; Abyssal jewels and abyssal depths Shaper and Elder influenced items (and the new mods that can roll in those items), not to mentions the new Atlas, the new Elder guardians, the new way in which sextants work and the fact that somehow I have to get to tier 16 maps;  Bestiary monsters, nets, aspects and the four beast sets; Incursion rooms and Incursion mods (that are really powerful but somehow bricked at the same time because it is hard as fuck to isolate them and craft something god tier); Delve, sulphite, azurite, flares and dynamite, hidden walls and fossil crafting which has since then become so standard as a crafting tool Essences have become pretty much irrelevant after league start; Betrayal, Veiled items and Veiled mods and the freaking Syndicate chart which is somehow a cluster fuck with around 18 different characters and 4 possible choices for every member not counting ranks, alliances and rivalries and also boils down to make every one betray each other; Synthesis, Synthesised items and I can’t even remember how many new implicits which depended on the mods you threw in on the three Fractured items you had to give to the Snythesiser and if you every wanted to craft any of the worthwhile implicits you pretty much emptied your own market and raised prices for the stupid Dragoon sword with the bleed fractured mod I was trying to buy, and aside from all of that I had to learn to play Carcassone for some reason and deal with so much complicated shit I gave up on the league halfway through; Legion monotliths, the Domain of Timeless conflict and timeless jewels which changed the skill tree with over 9000 posible combinations that it was impossible to replicate the result from one specific jewel and on top of that 15 new Keystones that possibly opened up new builds and that I spent entire days trying to come up with something using the Tempered by War keystone and got absolutely nowhere; Blight in which we are playing tower defense for some reason, Towers, Blighted maps and Oils which you can annoint on your rings to power up your towers or on your amulet to allocate one Notable of the tree of you choice, except eveything that is worthwhile requires at least one of the three expensive oils and I have yet to see a single character that annointed Soul of Steel; finally Metamorph, Metamorph bosses and monster parts alongside the new Atlas of Worlds, Watchstones, Conquerors, Atlas regions, Hunter, Redeemer, Crusader and Warlord influences with new mod pools for each one of them and new Exalted orbs and the Awakener orb which allows you to mix and match two different influence types and that complicates the process even more. Not to mention every three months every league comes with new skills, new support gems, new archetypes, new unique items that I crack my head around to try and create a meta changing build around, and new nodes on the skill tree to obsess about and try to change the pathing around that one Cold Ignite build I have been trying to make work since one year ago. ¿What else have I obsessed about for one entire year even when I knew since the beginning that it wasn´t going to work? I didn’t even obsess that much time with my last crush goddammit.

That... came a lot harsher than I thought it would. It’s just, I have learned a lot and I have sunk way to much fucking time in this game. The worst part is, I haven’t even gotten that far. I have never done anything past a tier 10 map, nor have I ever faced the Shaper or the Guardians, I don’t think I will ever face the Awakener of Worlds either. Simply, I have never finished a build, never completed a character yet I have this drive inside of me that keeps wanting to make new builds and discover new interactions and finally cracking the code of PoE. It would not be an exaggeration to say that I have spent more time theorycrafting shit offline than I have spent playing, and I have over 500 hours online.

I feel like I am losing my mind, but I don’t have much time since the next league is coming in two months and the cycle will restart itself yet again. Back to the Explosive Arrow Raider I go.

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

Knight-Dragoon timeline (as pulled from Encyclopedia Eorzea)

Hee :D

So it occurred to me today that the possible Knight-Dragoon timeline (condensed) isn't really like...established anywhere so you know what? LORE BE UPON YE

------

360: Elezen settlers move into the Sea of Clouds, and start building what will later become Saint Thordan's Basilica on a mountainside. Small villages to support this endeavor spring up nearby, laying the groundwork for what will eventually become the city-state of Ishgard.

350: As part of the overall migration waves, hyuran tribes--along with a band of displaced elezen from Central Aldenard--come to settle in Coerthas.

370: Hraesveglr and Shiva commit consensual vore and entwine their souls together. This triggers an era of peace between man and dragon. (This is probably when a proto-Knight Dragoon order formed or at the very least, the beginnings of one)

550: King Thordan and his knights twelve launch an unprovoked attack on Ratotoskr, killing her and consuming her eyes to gain power. Nidhogg kills the king and half his knights, but is defeated and summarily robbed of his eyes by Haldrath, Thordan's son. Haldrath renounces his rights as king to become a dragon hunter. Nidhogg gains an eye from Hraesveglr and swears vengeance. He invokes the power of the First Brood to blood-curse the remaining knights twelve and their future progeny. (If there was a proto-Knight Dragoon order, this event would have KO'd it)

565: Exhausted from hunting dragons and fighting Nidhogg's influence, Haldrath passes on his mantle to Berteline Cordillelot. Subsequently he is then given a mercy kill by Berteline and her father as Nidhogg threatens to overwhelm his will. (At this point the Church is possibly brought into the loop regarding Nidhogg's eyes. Haldrath's Eye-embedded corpse is interred and probably magically sealed away, while Nidhogg's other eye is used by Berteline.)

interlude: This is probably the point where the foundation is laid for what becomes the Knight-Dragoon order we see and encounter in ARR/HW.

761: The Azure Dragoon Valeonyant repels an attack by Nidhogg, who has been asleep for several decades.

787: The Azure Dragoon Valeonyant leaves Ishgard to defend a small village from the Dravanian Horde, but is killed in battle protecting a group of shepherds (personal note: I fucked up on this one a while back in a previous post, I listed Valenoyant's death year as 763. ^^;)

817: 30 years after his death, Valeoryant is canonized by the Holy See.

1058: An unnamed Azure subdues a massive dragon in the western highlands of Coerthas, laying the groundwork for the dragon's corpse to become the floating isle known as the Dreaming Dragon.

1146: The Lady Dragoon Reinette avenges her lover by slaying the dragons that killed him. She then gives up her Gae Bolg and takes holy orders, becoming a nun for the rest of her life.

1189: Lady Reinette, former Azure Dragoon, dies in a nunnery at age 66.

1289: In an attempt to distract the public from corruption in the Church, the Holy See canonizes Lady Reinette as a saint. It fails as a distraction.

1380: Ursulie the Meek creates the Dragonlancer's Armor and Brionac. Following the rejection of her creations and smithing techniques by the Holy See, she leaves Ishgard.

1557: Azure Dragoon Alberic Bale forces Nidhogg to flee after his destruction of Ferndale. He then resigns as Azure, seeing to raise the only survivor of the attack--Estinien Varlienau.

-----

(more personal musings on the dates to come later)

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

dragoon theorycrafting: FRESH DRAGOON LORE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SIX YEARS (new Rising story)

SIX YEARS.

FINALLY WE ARE GIVEN A NUGGET OF DRAGOON LORE.

(I'm counting the Stormblood side story in this yes)

HERE HAVE MY STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS UNDER THE CUT

-----------

So where to begin? First off, we're setting Estinien to the side and the fact he's drinking off to the side as well. We'll get back to it, don't worry.

MOTHERFUCKING HALDRATH MAKES A GODDAMN APPEARANCE! AND WE ALSO GET A NEW DOT ON THE OVERALL TIMELINE!

Ratatoskr's death is in 545. Twenty years later puts this in 565, which means Haldrath has been witness to the gross rewriting of history that's taken place in Corethas.

(also shoutout to @mariyekos and their Haldrath -> Estinien theory let's gooo~~)

So the first Azure Dragoon's shown up, and he is not in a good way. Nidhogg's Eye (the first) has fused itself to his armor, and is now effectively corrupting Haldrath's flesh. He's beginning to have fits more frequently and intensely --moments where Nidhogg's will threatens to override his own. Haldrath has been a solitary hunter of dragons for twenty years, and he is fucking tired. His will is starting to falter.

He passes out from fighting another dragon, and wakes up a while later to find himself in a tavern. And much to his surprise and pleasure, he's among friends-- one of the original Twelve knights who survived and (wisely, I might add), fucked off once Nidhogg was robbed of his original eyes.

Ser Aureniquart de Cordillelot, who decided to open a tavern, and is insinuated in lore to have been the founder of the Forgotten Knight. It's his daughter Berteline who found Haldrath, and she's been raised on stories of him as the dragonslayer. She wishes to be a dragoon like him too!

Berteline however, admits that she didn't find Haldrath on her own, that a voice that sounded like 'storm winds' led her to him. Haldrath, who has recognized that Berteline has drive and passion, realizes that the young woman's been lured by Nidhogg's eye.

(And here is when we enter the territory of fuckery)

At this point, Haldrath makes a choice. He's doing this on the fly, but also probably had been stewing on his thoughts for a while. He's tired. On his last legs. This is probably not how he wanted to do it, but he's got no choice. And Halone seems to have merciful enough to let him be in a safe and warm environment among friends.

Haldrath tells Berteline that she's heard Nidhogg's voice, that the Eye seeks out those who desire power. That it's fused to him, that it's corrupting him, and he is in danger of becoming the elder wrym's thrall. And if that happens, he will be a mighty threat to Ishgard, which is still finding its feet. He looks Aureniquart in the eye and asks that his old friend, his brother knight, kill him before that happens.

Aureniquart refuses to pick up arms against Haldrath.

(side note: I'm wondering if Aureniquart was possibly Haldrath's First Knight/general 2IC.)

Haldrath, before the Eye tries for the final time to take him, also officially recognizes Berteline as the new bearer of the evil orb and names her his full successor.

Berteline de Cordillelot is now charged as the second Azure Dragoon. We won't have another named Azure Dragoon show up until 761, when Valeroyant fends off Nidhogg. (Valeroyant dies two years later in 763).

We are also given confirmation that Azure Dragoons essentially are on a limited lifespan once they receive the Eye. This possibly gives new meaning to this:

When searched on Google, score is equal to twenty years. Two score and ten equals 50 years. Ere means 'before'.

Basically? 'Your ass will be dead before you turn fifty.'

Which in the story, makes sense because:

Aureniquart has aged. It's possible that by this time, he and Haldrath were in their mid-40s, if they were in their 20's back in 545.

Becoming the Azure Dragoon is a death sentence. And now your mileage is gonna vary, because not everyone's gonna have the same mindset regarding power and duty and protection of Ishgard. We have the door open for some high level shenanigary here! An Azure Dragoon who may not have wanted to pick a successor? An Azure Dragoon who might have been forced into the job?

(No no we're not discussing Alberic don't @ me I'm typing this out on my phone and it's taking me forever WE WILL POKE AT HIM LATER)

Anyroad.

Haldrath feels one final fit coming on, and knows this is the one that he can't fight against. Nidhogg will claim him. He needs to die. He realizes almost too late that Aureniquart can't kill him, because of the bond of love/friendship/battle blood/loyalty to my liege and he's cursing him to suffer another sin. But Berteline steps up to the plate, puts her hands on the spear, and helps her father perform the mercy kill.

Shoutout to @autumnslance for this spot on commentary on THAT:

Aureniquart: Perma-traumatized now. Man gets like twenty years of peace and then it just gets blown outta the water. Had to kill your leige-lord as he lay dying on your floor, under your roof, violation of sanctuary and hospitality and your sworn oath to protect him, to spend your life before his own so he could be safe...

What?

Anyroad. We have one final interesting tidbit.

This...is interesting. Sovereignty has various meanings, but the one that stood out the most to me from Merriam-Webster was 'freedom from external control'. There was also 'supreme power over a body politic', 'controlling influence' and then 'one who is sovereign, especially: an autonomous state'

It's said in lore Nidhogg was dismissive of mankind. And at that point can you blame him? He's lost three siblings to Allag, his other brother's lost his damn mind mooning over some elezen before consensually participating in voreplay, and his sister drank ALL the mortal Kool-Aid.

Oh and baby brother? Is hiding somewhere.

That also possibly has Ascian fuckery hiding somewhere in the depths. What exactly, I don't know what to say or imply. But a good friend of mine pointed out that Nidhogg's attitude towards humans could have been a rather toxic ingredient that could have maybe been added to a growing resentment of dragonkind that had been festering. Maybe old grudges that had been settled by Shiva's sacrifice were coming back from the dead. Maybe mankind was growing too much in the region and was straining natural resources.

We don't know.

Last but not least, Estinien. Nevermind that this man decided to hit up a bottle of Raz-at-Han alchemist-made liquor.

Estinien. Pls.

However there is real world historical context for alcoholic spirits being used to help a body and mind relax so that one can see visions/perform magic. And as I stated one time, we don't know fully about all the changes Estinien has undergone ever since absorbing the remnants of Nidhogg's essence. This could be a random fluke--brought on by unpredictable draconic magic mixing with whatever unholy abomination against the gods concoction this particular Hannish alchemist thought to brew.

(listen Raz-at-Han alchemists fear neither gods, nor man, nor dragons, nor aliens. YOU KNOW I'M RIGHT)

But it's definitely interesting to see more of a solid connection between the first and the last Azure Dragoon. Especially since Haldrath hasn't shown up in anything dragoon connected since the level 50 questline, in which he helps you violently snap Estinien out of a Nidhogg-induced frenzy.

Hoping this story leads us to more dragoon stuff, especially considering the class is getting a revamp in 7.0!

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

back on my dragoon bullshit

(theorycraft for level 92 ability, Rise of the Dragon)

A technique that varies depending on the dragoon who uses it. Rise of the Dragon permits the wielder to summon a remnant shade of the First Brood they have partaken of blood from, dealing major damage to/or annihilating groups of enemies. Dragoons who have ingested Nidhogg's blood will summon a shade of Nidhogg, while those who have partaken of Hraesvelgr's blood via his brood will summon a shade of Hraesvelgr.

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

dragoon theorycrafting: how to fite

(a live image of me back on my bullshit)

---------

So it's pretty safe to say that the Knight-Dragoon order has been forced to constantly evolve their fighting style. My headcanon has them returning to their roots not only as dragon-riders, but as highly specialized monster and demon hunters. Fortunately given both Coerthas and Dravania's location, there's no end to said fiends, which means there's more than enough for both Clan Centrio and the Knights Dragoon.

HOWEVER. It should be noted that the Order is probably still learning how to, if not starting to master by this point, fighting actual humanoid ground troops. And yes, I can hear the commentary "well they should already know how to do that!"

Nah-huh. Remember that these guys turned into a hyper-specialized shock-troop force. Now they probably were ordered into combat against heretic forces at the very beginning of the Dragonsong War, but as time went on fighting heretics more than likely eventually fell to the Temple Knights and the infantry units of the High Houses' private armies. Maybe occasionally you'd get a dragoon or two in on that, but otherwise? The Order's fighting style switched to solitary, how-to-kill-dragon only combat. It's a major point of the HW Dragoon quests that the WoL is teaching the Order how to fight with partner/partners.

Now in current time, the Order has to learn not only how to fight ground forces once more, but also remaster dragon-back combat. And there's a lot of challenges with the former. The Temple Knights have probably tried and true methods to Stop Dragoon Bullshit, Stephanvian's probably got a few tricks up his sleeves. We have the Monk class also having the skill set to Stop Your Dragoon Fuckery, the Garleans...well...it's not that hard to imagine. Seriously.

(Riven has used Garuda quite a few times to ground a certain derpgoon).

You all get the picture.

Dragon-back probably depends on the type of dragon and what opponent, plus if said dragon is willing in the first place. We see Estinien doing jumps and leaps off Vrtra, but given the many evolutionary paths the children of the First Brood can take...

Now there's probably some basics--jumping, diving, but otherwise? Tactics more than likely will depend on the dragons. There's also learning how to get along with your dragon-partner, not to mention certain aspects of a long-lived race teaming up with a shorter-lifespan race. I have a headcanon that many in the proto-Knight-Dragoon order actually passed on their mantles from parent to child, due to the partner-dragon having made a bond with the entire family.

At current, dragon-riding is still very new and still in it's infancy, as Ishgard's still got a lot of work left to fix itself. (let's be honest it's going to take generations for them to get to a relatively stable point).

Side tangent: FFXVI Dragoons

These guys are a little bit more tricky. CBU III not only went with the traditional FF dragoon, but also for the IRL version. I kinda wish they hadn't, or at the very least given us more differentiation. For those of you who don't know what a dragoon is in real life:

(do you see why I'm making the face shown above)

I'm very hesitant to offer any other theorycraft because there is a lorebook for XVI coming out (Japan this month, US next year). We don't have any idea of how many actual jumpy friends made up the dragoon ranks.

But regarding the fighting style:

Did Valisthea have anything/anyone capable of Stopping Dragoon Bullshit? More than likely, yes.

(also let us take a few moments to appreciate the masterclass that is Dion Lesage in a Jump and Elusive Jump)

There's also one more bit, and it was brought up one night from the brilliant @driftward . It's quite simple, which is that dragoon fighting-- much like any other art--becomes personalized to the dragoon. I know I have Reinhardt incorporating various movements from different polearm fighting styles, and in the clip underneath this, Dion Lesage basically flexes in a controlled fall.

(listen do you see this man smirk when he made that landing? he is a dragoon. there is a little shit that is waiting to come out. he needs tomfoolery.)

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

lore lamentations~~no new DRG tidbits

Alas, nothing on our favorite jumpy class. But considering the amount of stuff needed to be covered from ShB and EW, can't blame them for taking stuff to the cutting board. We get information on the Dragonstar and the dragons of Ultima Thule but that's effectively it.

So what does this mean for those whom like myself were wanting lore on these two armors?

Honestly? Time to homebrew it. As @autumnslance pointed out last night, it's a verifiable fact that drachen mail is some flavor of dragon merged with metal. But if you're wanting to get canon specific..

Pteroslaver more than likely is leather/other parts from the scalekin of the First.

Tiamat...is more than likely made from Vrtra's own scales, merged with whatever absolute batshit 'what the fuck' alchemical compound the Raz-at-Han alchemists came up with. It's probably a decent call that Tiamat herself could have contributed to the construction, but I don't think so. If you really want to go off the wall, Midgarsomur did offer some of his own scales to the Ragnerok, who's not to say one or two got offered to the armor?

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

fanfic writer day

Here's some works I've done previously;

Unorthodox, (finished) where the dragoon madness began. This was a fic I started to write when things were in a super dark patch for me, and how I met my wonderful friends @autumnslance @dragons-bones and @chysgoda . It also showcases far earlier incarnations of Riven, Reinhardt and Mathye. Currently I'm looking at overhauling it again.

Two Young Men (in progress), a look at Jullus via the lens of Reinhardt as primary WoL

the four-letter word (in progress), Estinien realizes that he wants to hear an 'i love you' from Riven. The problem is, his behavior years ago has ensured she'll never say it.

Fall (one shot),a look at Estinien rescuing the WoL at Ghymlit Dark.

The Last Prince of Ishgard, (currently no plans to update), my attempt at horror/theorycraft regarding Haldrath and the start of the DS War.

Aftershock, (finished) which was a look at possible events following the WoL winning the trial by combat in HW.

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

wip-fault lines

based on some 'what-if this' theorycrafting @autumnslance and I have been throwing around.

------

"Who told Shiva that for her to stay with Hraesvelgr, he had to eat her? Why was that even necessary?" Reinhardt asked. "Hraesvelgr commanded great power over that portion of Dravania. You're telling me that he couldn't have created a body for her soul to transfer to as she aged? Or turned her into a dragon? I mean..." He gestured. "Granted we don't know the full situation but eating your loved one would have been like...the very last on the list of things to try!"

"They were in love, and love makes you do dumb shit. Not to mention their peoples were warring with each other." Mathye pointed out. "But...I do see what you're getting at, especially with what we now know, and what Vrtra's accomplished."

"Or if anything--he could have cast himself into a mortal form." Augustine mused. "Multiple options..."

<Ascians?> Hrist ventured aloud. She shimmered into existence, coiling around Mathye's neck before hovering over his head. <They did whisper into Tiamat's ear after all...>

"I could see it." Augustine answered. "I remember overhearing Riven and Estinien talking once about the possibility that the Unsundered targeted the First Brood. Any chance to get rid of them, they took. And Hraesvelgr consuming Shiva--then isolating himself--effectively left Dravania under the rule of Nidhogg and Ratatoskr."

"Nidhogg not being too partial on humans, fucks off to some degree, leaving Ratoskr possibly in charge of everything." Mathye mused. "Big brother's left alone to nurse one hell of a grudge--lost a brood-brother and two sisters to the Allagans, his other brother's seemingly lost his damn mind over a lover, and the last one is in hiding and won't come out at all. And favorite sister is being entirely too nice to the mortals--many of whom are responsible for the loss of their family."

"And their sire's more or less out of it while he heals, so there's not much help coming from that quarter." Reinhardt finished. Paien slithered up his spine and into reality--balancing himself carefully on his dragoon's shoulder.

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

lost children of the fury

Reinhardt's lips parted in surprise as he flipped through the book's pages. He'd seen reference journals before--but the one he was holding in his hands put what he'd seen so far to shame. Names, dates, even details.

"How did you get your hands on this?" He breathed. In front of him, Count Durendaire grinned.

"It is...nothing to be too proud of, given the revelations of our history, but a notable ancestor of our House was among the first high-ranking Inquisitors when the Church began to form." He said. "He was disabled by an attack during the civil unrest caused when the High Houses took power, but it didn't stop him from learning and gathering information on the Church's enemies." He said, sobering.

"My family name comes up a lot in these notes..." Reinhardt breathed. "I knew my ancestors weren't happy about the High Houses taking power, but I didn't know they were this vocal!"

"There were many who were unhappy with Haldrath's decision." Charlemend replied. "But flip ahead to where the bookmark is." Reinhardt obeyed, turning the pages to where the ribbon was. His eyes roamed over the list--and then he gasped.

"Missing dragoons!"

"Ratotoskr's death ripped the Knight-Dragoon order of back then apart." Charlemend explained. "Haldrath issued orders for the knights to turn on their dragon allies--and many did not. They either died trying to protect their friends, or killed themselves. There were some who did obey Haldrath--but there were others--"

"Who escaped." Reinhardt finished. "With their dragon-partners...and...other knights? This isn't a squadron, this is a entire platoon!"

"With some rather notable last names." Charlemend added.

"Jervaint, Daimbaux, Valeroyant?!" Reinhardt exclaimed. "Holy shite!"

"I do not know how good the records of your Order are, but this hopefully will give you a point of reference in your research. Mathye told me a little bit about the soulstone that's now in your possession." Reinhardt looked up at the elezen.

"This...I don't know what to say, ser."

"There is nothing to be said. You've served this city--the entire star--far and beyond above the call of duty. This is barely a drop of what is owed to you." Charlemend declared. "I did some asking as well amongst the martialists of my House. A few mentioned they'd heard rumors of a secret style that was an offshoot of the Fist of Halone, but there was never any way to confirm."

"Until now." Reinhardt muttered, feeling Paien agree in the back of his mind. The blue-green soulstone pulsed softly against his chest.

"I'll have to take this to Brucemont, he'll want to see this." And would probably immediately claim it, Reinhardt thought. He made a mental note to stop by Riven first so she could spell-copy the tome.

"We have our own stories of dragoons that went missing during the start of the Dragonsong War, but there were never any names listed until now." He said aloud.

<And we're still missing the name of this soulstone's bearer.> Paien added.

"Hn." Reinhardt murmured. If that martialist that was taken up by the Inquisition was of the same school, then that possibly means that the soulstone was taken into their custody and locked away. He thought.

<Or destroyed.> Paien hummed.

Given the amount of 'heretic' books and items that have been tumbling out of the Inquisitorial closet since the ecumenical council I'm leaning towards the soulstone still being intact. Reinhardt shut the journal, tucking it under one arm.

"You have my thanks for this, Lord Durendaire." He said formally. The older elezen shook his head.

"No thanks are needed. Or if you feel you must thank me, do what you can to solve this mystery." He countered. "Especially if one of my ancestors contributed to this situation. I feel honorbound--even though their sin is not mine--to offer some sort of recompense."

----

taken from here: reinhardt monk theorycraft

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

dragoon theorycraft headcanons: Azure Dragoonage

Posting in response to @mariyekos 's most excellent analysis of the new Rising side story (i hope you don't mind a small stream of consciousness xD)

Lifespan of Elezen, Estinien and Haldrath

You hit some really good points with these. I feel that you're right, the Eye probably stopped Haldrath from aging. And it probably could have an effect on Estinien.

However, when it comes to the aging aspect--and I'm applying this to not just Estinien, not just Haldrath, but I'm applying it to everyone--I'm choosing to be leery right now. And I've got one big reason for that.

The Source has been Rejoined seven times. Hell at the start of the Dragonsong War, it had already gone through the 6th! To this day, we do not know what effect this has had/will have on the people living there. If we go by the Ascian's planning, it was basically them putting a puzzle piece back together and everything was gonna go back to the way it once was. We don't know if that would have happened or not.

What we do know? Those Rejoinings have resulted in the people of the Source--many of them probably reabsorbing their Sharded selves. They're unaware of it, but it's happened. What kind of effect are you gonna get out of that?

Are you gonna live longer? Are you going to stay healthier? Are you going to age but still be in your prime? We have a LOT of cases of people well past their 40's, in their 50's, in their 60's still fucking wrecking shit like they're in their 20s! Now factor in for the dragoons--including the Azure, exposure to draconic aether and it's...

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It is hardcore up in the air right now. And honestly I'm waiting an expac or two to see how stuff goes on the aging front.

Fuckery in the Land Of The Azure Dragoon

I think retirement for an Azure Dragoon (followed by at least two decades of survival) is EXTREMELY uncommon in Ishgard's history.

So maybe Ishgard kills Azure Dragoons who are too far gone (whether they're actually too far or whether the people in power are paranoid about it).

You may be more right than you think. And here's why. I strongly suspect once Haldrath breathed his last, Aureniquart probably reached out to his old brother-knights, who probably took charge of Haldrath's body and the Eye (I honestly think he probably had the second Orb of Evil stuffed in a traveler's bag or something like that). Haldrath's corpse and the Eye then gets turned over to the Church, who then gets told everything the prince revealed. From there, we don't know. But we do have the following from EE1:

761: The Azure Dragoon Valeoryant repels an attack by the wrym Nidhogg, who had been dormant for several decades.

763: The Azure Dragoon Valeoryant leaves Ishgard to defend a small village from the Dravanian Horde, but is slain in battle protecting a group of shepherds.

(really? really? this motherfucker managed to get Nidhogg to fuck off and go back to sleep and two years later gets KO'd protecting shepherds? Yes I know it's possible but at the same time that man was probably staving off the MOTHER of all the fits during Nidhogg's attack and came out of it somehow in one piece and then two years later it's 'oopsie?' That's what we're going with?)

1058: The Azure Dragoon subdues a massive dragon in the western highlands of Coerthas, aided by a contingent of mages from the Holy See who spellbind the foe into slumber. The body and limbs of the great wyrm are enveloped in ash and stone, forming the floating isle known as the Dreaming Dragon. (this Azure is unnamed)

(now here's a real interesting bit)

1146: The lady dragoon Reinette carries out her revenge on the dragons who killed her lover. She then lays down her spear Gae Bolg and takes a vow of poverty, living out the rest of her days as a nun in service of the poor and downtrodden.

1189: Lady Reinette, the former Azure Dragoon, expires in a nunnery at sixty and six.

1289: Lady Reinette is canonized by the Holy See a century after her death. Unpopular with the clergy for having abandoned her duties as Azure Dragoon at a young age, she is beloved by the commonfolk for having devoted her life in service of the poor and downtrodden. The See elevates her to sainthood, in what is widely seen as an attempt to distract the public from corruption within the church.

Aside from Reinette being a real one (YES QUEEN), looking back at this story with the lens of As Azure Fades...for me, this is coming off a little sus. It's plausible. And I wouldn't be surprised if it was the truth--but at the same time if it was, holy fucking shit. And if there was something else behind this, the implications are not good. There is potentially a lot of fuckery in the story of Reinette.

1560: Upon the death of his predecessor, Thordan VII is ordained Archbishop of the Holy See.

1562: The mountain village of Ferndale is laid to waste by a recently awakened Nidhogg. (Ser Alberic Bale, the Azure Dragoon, forces the great wyrm to retreat. He takes in Estinien, sole survivor of the attack, as his ward and resigns as Azure Dragoon.)

From then on, it's kaput until Estinien is encountered either in ARR with the dragoon 30-50 questline or is encountered post-ARR/pre-HW.

I also kinda want to point out, by 1562, Coerthas/Ishgard has been having a bad time. They've lost all but one of the Vigils (which gets taken out during the Calamity). They lost chocobo grazing pastures to the Horde. They lost LARGE portions of land to the Calamity. They can't catch a break because whenever Nidhogg's out of it, there's still his offspring/Horde/heretics still raging. They have lost public face because they refused to come to the Eorzean Alliance's aid during the events of Carteneau.

And honestly? It's a little weird we don't have a single peep from the Eye or hear anything else Azure wise until Estinien shows up either in DRG questline or post-ARR.

(I need dinner and my brain is like 'bleh' so there's probably going to be another part to this later XD)

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

So...-pokes dragoon theorycraft- Anyone wanna hear me screech about Haldrath, the first Azure Dragoon and son of Thordan I? I'm revisiting the headcanons.

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

-lurks in on her dragoon bullshit-

-drops off fanfiction-

Unorthodox, 42 chapters, complete

Unorthodox: Stormblood, 3 chapters so far, update coming soon

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

Paroxysm {side story}

paroxysm:   a sudden attack or violent expression of a particular emotion or activity

Put under the cut for violence and blood

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His skull felt as if were about to split in two.  The pain coming from his right side meant that he had either cracked or broken ribs.  Blood was dripping down his robes, he-they hadn’t the time to spare to completely heal the gash that had nicked the arteries in his neck, just barely missing the main one.  And at the rate he was channeling aether, he was either going to pass out from exhaustion or give himself a brain bleed.  Probably both.  Mathye gritted his teeth, arms shaking from the strain.  A Haima barrier was the only thing keeping a dragonblood frenzied Reinhardt off him.  But Mathye didn’t know how much longer he and Hrist could last.  He could burn his own dragonfire, but that was an absolute last resort.  Brucemont would have his hands full with one Light-blessed dragoon, two would completely overwhelm him.

“Reinhardt, for fuck’s sake!”  Twelve, it hurt just to simply breathe.  Another blow came from the younger dragoon’s fists against the barrier.  But following it was the sickening sound of glass beginning to crack.  A fresh spike of pain assulated Mathye, and he gasped.  Stress cracks were appearing in the stained-glass pattern of the Haima barrier.  Desperately, the sage tried to summon one last reserve of strength--but could only watch dumbly as the barrier finally gave way.  With a snarl, Reinhardt fell upon Mathye.  A powerful kick made the black-haired man double over, and Reinhardt followed up by snatching his fellow Companion by the throat.  Metallic claw-tips digging in, he flung Mathye across the room.  Unable to brace himself properly for the impact, Mathye crashed into the wall and collapsed onto the floor in a heap.  With a low moan he tried to push himself up, but failed.  Hrist was whimpering in his ears, she’d overextended herself too.  The medic tried to focus on the slowly advancing dragoon, but his vision was blurry and doubled.

“Reinhardt...”  Mathye swallowed.  His voice was a raspy wheeze.  “Reinhardt...Paien.  Snap out of it...”  If Reinhardt heard him, there was no indication.  He continued walking towards Mathye, his eyes a glowing draconic blue.  Red scales glittered on certain points of his skin, and his gauntleted fingers resembled claws.  There was no cognitive recognition in his gaze, only murder.  And overlying it all was Paien, thrumming a dragonsong of fear and rage--but primarily fear.  Mathye swallowed, bowing his head.  Everything hurt.  Everything hurt, and he had no idea when Brucemont was going to arrive--or any help for that matter.  But he had one last desperate gambit before he gave into his curse...and for that, Reinhardt needed to get within grabbing range.  Blinking blood out of his eyes, Mathye pushed himself into a sitting position...

And watched as a blur of black and gold appeared out of nowhere, crashing into Reinhardt. 

“Bishop!!”  Heustienne’s voice, she was suddenly next to him.  “Halone--you’re a mess!  Lucian!!”

“No!” Mathye barked.  He reached out-grabbing the pink-armored dragoon by the arm.  “Need to-I can get him to calm down--”

-------------

Brucemont let himself tumble end over end with Reinhardt, Bastien a thrumming hum in his ears.  Paien’s panic-filled melody threatened their sanity--and if that couldn’t be broken soon, Reinhardt was going to fully turn.  Landing on his back, Brucemont shoved out with his legs as hard as he could.  Reinhardt was sent flying backward, but he twisted mid-air to land gracefully on all fours against the wall.  A snarl escaped him as he stared at Brucemont scrambling to his feet.

“Reinhardt and Paien, wake up!  You’re safe!”  Brucemont snapped, Bastien bleeding into his voice and distorting it.  Reinhardt only snarled again at that-and lunged forward, hands outstretched, a literal blur of flesh and white metal.  But as he did so, Brucemont and Bastien heard Paien’s song start to falter.  The younger inner dragon had burned too much power, which meant his dragoon would be weakening.  And if that was the case... Brucemont dropped into a low crouch, waiting.  As Reinhardt closed the gap, he sprung up--meeting the hyur full force with a throttle, putting all his power into the impact.  His and Bastien’s will against Reinhardt and Paien’s--and for the latter, it was the equivalent of slamming into a brick wall.  Armorless. 

It also left them wide open.  A fact Brucemont was quick to capitalize on--as he immediately chokeslammed Reinahrdt as hard as he could onto the rug-covered floor. 

The bodyblow left Reinhardt momentarily stunned, and Brucemont didn’t hesitate.  His full weight--and Bastien’s--landed atop the hyur.  Reinhardt cried out, but Brucemont didn’t let up--scrambling behind Reinhardt to put him into a sleeper hold.  Reinhardt snarled, trying to buck Brucemont off, but he couldn’t get a good angle.

“You’re safe, you’re safe, you’re safe...”  Brucemont chanted.  Reinhardt bucked, but the elezen could feel the hyur beginning to weaken.  Bastien was singing soothingly to Paien, whose voice was starting to fade.  

“Reinhardt, I swear to Halone--really, I wasn’t in the mood for this bullshite--”  Brucemont tightened his grip as Reinhardt bucked once more, a desperate cry coming from him. “Fir-First Lance?!”  Brucemont started--but didn’t slacken his grasp.  Reinhardt wheezed, and then both Brucemont and Bastien felt the aetherical drop as the frenzy released it’s grip on the younger duo.  Reinhardt’s body tensed, and then suddenly went slack as the crash hit him, dragging both him and Paien straight into unconsciousness.

Paroxysm {1} here Paroxysm {2} here