#Atlasdam lore

[starghost-fics]

you know what I haven't done in a while? Played this game, or OT2. I should do that. It's not like I don't have enough on my to-do list.

anyway, here's another chapter of Cyrus's day that wouldn't end.

Chapter 4—dream in vain of saintliness: After waking up from another death, Cyrus consults Ophilia on spiritual matters. On the road, he recalls another shrine and a night in Bolderfall with Therion.

commentary below the cut:

It's Cyrus's turn for a conversation/light therapy with Ophilia! I really love writing Ophilia like this, if you couldn't tell from the conversations she had with Therion in the previous fic

i could not be bothered to try to find out if somewhere in the ever-expanding lore of this game there is a definite answer as to what they think of an afterlife or pretty much any other aspect of religion, so i MADE IT UP

I MADE IT ALL UP

hilariously to me, Ophilia is happy to talk theology when someone asks, but when it's up to her she wants to dish about relationships

god shit

hey you know what's annoying about writing any fic in which the source material has 8 protagonists with separate storylines that overlap in location but not anything else and you want the geographical and emotional progression of their travels to make even the slightest bit of sense? EVERYTHING

I had at least three different things I had to revise around when I thought again about the storylines

even in this fic when they are mostly in the same stretch of road!

But gosh darn it, I could be sure that they went roughly from Dreisang to Bolderfall to Atlasdam, and then on around the central lake to the riverlands where the cyclical part of the story takes place

once the idea occurred to me, there was no way I was resisting the scenes in Bolderfall

especially Cyrus being taken by surprise by being invited back to his boyfriend's room

ohhhh Therion.

okay thank you for reading!

[alynnl]

🪡 🪜 🎨 for the ask game 👀👀

🪡 The scene you worked the hardest on in any fic?

In recent memory, I worked the hardest on the history lesson Cyrus gave Olberic in "Your Pain Shall be Eased." Part of it was me inserting a head canon into my work as I often do (and have Cyrus be a vehicle for the lore dump) but this was also to ground Olberic in reality so he wouldn't be thinking about his nightmare. The Cobbleston origin story wasn't difficult, it just had a lot of detail that required my attention. It still turned out great in the end though!

🪜 Tell us a random fact about any fic!

A lot of you probably know this, but "A Reason to Fight" is kind of a happy accident. I was about midway through my first blind play through of Octopath Traveler, and I was also scrolling through the tags on tumblr when I first saw posts about Eisenbright.

I had no idea how the Olberic vs. Erhardt conflict was going to be resolved. And based off his initial cutscene I thought Erhardt was final boss material.

I put two and two together and said "What if Erhardt captured someone Olberic cared about and so our knight had to choose between getting revenge for the past and protecting people in the present?"

At the time I thought of the idea that "Erhardt takes Cyrus hostage" I saw Eisenbright in a platonic light, but this friendship he has with Cyrus was important enough to spring Olberic into action.

Of course I went on to play the rest of the game to find out Werner was Olberic's true final boss and adjusted my narrative accordingly, while still not taking away from Olberic "confronting his past to protect those he's sworn to defend in the present."

And so there ya have it. I accidentally invented an AU because I didn't finish the game before a plot bunny came to me (at breakfast, at 6 AM no less) this past December. It was worth the time, effort and love I put into it, for sure.

🎨 Show us a sneak peek from a WIP!

The warm summer days I spent with you in Atlasdam brought me happiness beyond words.  All the mornings we spent sightseeing, the afternoon tea times, and the dinners we shared by candlelight are memories I cherish deeply.  

(More Olberic Yearning, for your pleasure.)

[smilepebble]

I WANNA KNOW YOUR 8PATH POKEMON TEAMS!!!!!

here they are! this is very long as i put some story for a few of my pokémon choices, as well as an explanation on how pokémon fit into the lore of the game. there's also spoilers for the whole game in here, so because of that and the length ive put it all under a readmore.

in this pokémon au, i didn't replace any monsters or animals with pokémon. instead, they're defined as creatures capable of being tamed by humans, capable of evolution, and capable of using magic in some way, shape, or form.

humans are still able to use magic like in the original game, including the dark arts. humans who often fight (i.e. mercenaries and soldiers) still fight with weapons, and fight alongside and/or against pokémon. legendaries exist, but they are not very well known. pokéballs also don't exist yet in this au, so pokémon sometimes come and go as they please. trainers will often only bring 2 or 3 pokémon with them at a time, and very few people have full teams.

and here's the main character teams themselves, in the order i got the characters in during my first playthrough :) each character (for the most part) got 5 regular pokemon and one legendary. i imagine in a gameplay perspective that legendary would be summoned similarly to using a divine skill.

Tressa:

Main team: Meowth, Dragonite, Lapras, Pachirisu, Floatzel

Legendary: Lugia

Meowth: the family pet, who is especially close to tressa. she found it as a stray a few years ago, and has taken care of it ever since. it follows her everywhere.

Dragonite: received as an egg as a gift from Leon when she first set off on her journey. its the child of Leon's Dragonair.

Lugia: in ch3 when Tressa went to search for the Eldrite, she went alone, forgetting to consider the danger in her excitement. when the venomtooth tiger ambushed her, Lugia appeared to help her fight it off. when the rest of the party caught up to help her, Lugia disappeared. it appears again in ch4, and Tressa befriends it.

Olberic:

Main team: Lucario, Aggron, Hisuian Samurott, Arcanine, Staraptor ★

Legendary: Zacian

Lucario: Olberic's oldest pokémon, from his days as a knight. it's too old to battle anymore, so it likes to train the younger members of the party. it and Erhardt's Lucario are littermates.

Aggron: it lived in the Cobbleston area when it was an Aron and liked to follow Olberic around. despite its intimidating appearance, it is very gentle and a bit shy.

Zacian: it and Zamazenta used to fight alongside Olberic and Erhardt, but disappeared during the fall of Hornburg. they reappear when Erhardt saves Olberic during the revolt against Werner in ch4. it is more outgoing and playful than its sister.

Primrose:

Main team: Umbreon, Primarina, Oricorio, Mismagius, Masquerain

Legendary: Yveltal

Primrose does not have any pokemon in the beginning of her story. she used to have a Piplup as a child, but it was killed in the fall of house Azelhart.

Umbreon: a stray Eevee Primrose met not long after ch1. it evolves not long after Primrose comes to really trust her new friends and see them as family. (probably sometime between ch2 and 3)

Primarina: met in the coastlands as a popplio on the party's way to Atlasdam. it reminds her a bit of her Piplup. it gets along well with her Umbreon.

Yveltal: a pokémon that Primrose has kept catching glimpses of since she set out on her journey. she finally meets it face-to-face outside of Everhold expecting to have to battle it, but instead it speaks to her, lending her its support and it's power.

Alfyn:

Main team: Politoed, Meganium, Froakie, Azumarill, Audino

Legendary: Ho-oh

Politoed: a poliwag that Alfyn saved from an injury. it immediately got attached to him.

Meganium: was a gift from Zeph when Alfyn left on his journey, after switching satchels with him. its sweet scent helps soothe Alfyn's patients.

Ho-oh: replaces the ogre eagle from his ch4. instead of chasing it off, he befriends it instead, treating its injuries after the battle.

Therion:

Main team: Liepard, Mimikyu, Chimecho, Meowscarada, Alolan Marowak

Legendary: Lunala

Therion had a Glameow before Darius betrayed him. it fell to it's death when Darius pushed them both off the cliff. Therion later remembers it died trying to cushion the fall for him.

Liepard: found Therion at the bottom of the cliff as a Purrloin and tried to help him. it sticks by his side despite his hesitancy to have a new partner pokémon.

Lunala: when Therion was pushed off the cliff, a Cosmog found him and Purrloin and teleported them near a town so they could get help. it's very elusive, but he can often tell when it's around. it evolves into Cosmoem during ch3 and into Lunala during the confrontation with Darius in ch4.

Chimecho: a Chingling that often wandered around the Ravus estate. it, like Purrloin, decided to follow Therion. despite his apparent annoyance towards it, it evolves pretty quickly.

H'aanit:

Main team: Chien-Pao, Luxray, Braviary, Noivern, Sawsbuck

Legendary: Rayquaza

H'aanit, Z'aanta, and Susanna can all speak to and understand pokémon.

Chien-Pao: Linde!! the only one of her kind, and a reincarnation of one of the treasures of ruin, which were thought to be related somehow to the Gate of Finis. she and Hägen do not age normally, as they are soul-linked (as in the nuzlocke type) with their human companions.

Luxray: the ghisarma in ch1 attacked a pack of Luxray, Luxio, and Shinx. H'aanit saved a Shinx cub from being slaughtered during the confrontation. the Shinx's parents had both been slain, so it decided to stay with her and Linde.

Rayquaza: replaces the dragon from ch3. H'aanit chases it off to get to the herb-of-grace, but it returns in ch4 to help her defeat Redeye.

Ophilia:

Main team: Frosmoth, Chandelure, Togekiss, Alolan Ninetales, Gardevoir

Legendary: Zekrom

Frosmoth: a Snom that Ophilia has had for several years now. she and Lianna befriended their first pokémon together.

Chandelure: a litwick that Ophilia found in the cave of the first flame.

Togekiss: an egg that Ophilia received not long after leaving on her journey.

because Togepi, Litwick, and Snom are quite young and weak, Ophilia has to do most of the battling for her team at first.

Ophilia finds the dark stone during her ch3, after defeating the two cultists.

Zekrom: Matthias was planning to use Zekrom to help unleash Galdera and create his ideal world, however the dark stone refused to react for him. it reacts to Ophilia and is unleashed when she confronts him and Lianna. Zekrom is very levelheaded compared to its counterpart, and is a calming presence to Ophilia and Lianna, despite its intimidating appearance.

Cyrus:

Main team: Reuniclus, Ampharos, Decidueye, Espeon, Sigilyph

Legendary: Reshiram

Reuniclus: a Solosis that Cyrus has had since he started studying at the academy. it's very affectionate towards him, however it seems shy to everyone else. it is clumsy, and afraid of battling at first, causing Cyrus to get into a lot of bad situations. it gets braver over time thanks to Cyrus' patience and care for it.

Espeon: the child of Odette's Flareon. it was especially adventurous as a young Eevee, which made it hard for Odette and her pokémon to take care of it. Cyrus agrees to take care of it on Odette's condition that he be more careful in his investigations.

Cyrus finds the light stone after defeating Yvon.

Reshiram: the light stone was one of the many things Yvon had hoarded for himself. he planned to use Reshiram to exert his own power, however the light stone refused to react to him. it reacts to Cyrus and is unleashed when he confronts Lucia. Reshiram is very hotheaded compared to its counterpart, and Cyrus often has to calm it down.

[viridiave]

IN WHICH THE ORSTERRAN PANTHEON IS EVERY BIT AS CHAOTIC AS THE TRAVELERS AND THEN SOME

nothing I just felt like compiling a list of headcanons about the game’s gods because goddamnit I want lore on all of them

also a list of celtic and old germanic festivals I think they’d correspond to? idk man I was high off of differential calculus

- AELFRIC, THE FLAMEBRINGER (Eoster, the Resurrection)

○ The de-facto leader of the gods- which mostly just means that he's the most beleaguered big brother in this universe ○ Carried the most guilt when banishing Galdera to the Gate of Finis, as before Galdera's fall he was who they considered their youngest brother among the gods ○ Very fond of Orsterra, taking after his mother and regarding them all as his children- including those who do not follow the Order of the Sacred Flame ○ Watched generations of Flamebearers carry on with their perilous pilgrimages. The Flamebearers who he does not deem worthy are often subject under his scrutiny and meager wrath, but it's enough to kill them should they carry with them nefarious intentions ○ The Guardian of the First Flame was a contraption made by Alephan and is the sole reason Alephan was (formally) allowed to keep experimenting ○ Nobody dares question his naming conventions but that doesn't stop them from wondering why in Orsa's name he calls his lantern the 'lanthorn' ○ It doesn't have thorns on it. Aelfric has long forgotten why he named it that way

- ALEPHAN, THE SCHOLARKING (Neuhjar, the New Year's Eve)

○ The tactician of the gods, has an unquenchable thirst of knowledge and is probably the god the others feel the most wary of other than Galdera due to this ○ Scoffs at the thought that he would ever fall into darkness for the sake of knowledge, but has admitted to entertaining the thought ○ The others didn't have the heart to tell him that's not why they're weary but hey the world isn't ending yet so- oh hey look elementals ○ Despite this, Alephan's laboratory is not for the faint of heart and includes a vast number of oddities. The other gods have since advised him to put warning signs on each and every one of his possessions ○ He's messed with Dreisang's soulstones more than once. This has led to the birth of many a remnant and an elemental ○ Other than Aelfric, he is the one god that Aeber would never steal from due to his collection of hazardous materials- not because he doesn't know how they work, or so he claims

- BIFELGAN, THE TRADER (Disting, the Great Fair)

○ The excitable god of trade and the wind, boundless and charitable with their wealth ○ Fickle and fastidious all at once, and is the second-hardest god to find as they're never in the same place twice ○ A great deal of mathematics came from their trading and seafaring. The Atlasdam scholars consider Bifelgan to be an honorary patron god because of their supposed involvement in the invention of statistics and differential calculus ○ Wonders if one day they could be considered the patron god of aircraft as well. This may or may not mean they have been tinkering away at devices that could enable flight ○ Often challenges Aeber to races that they only lose because thieving routes tend to be far more efficient than trading routes

- BRAND, THE THUNDERBLADE (Lughnasa, the Prosperous Day)

○ Brother god to Winnehild the Warbringer and Balogar the Runeblade, with none of Winnehild's Bloodlust and Balogar's Magic ○ All three gods have had significant contributions to the art of war and the blade- Brand's contributions tend to be more on the side of honor and security rather than actual warfare ○ Brand's protective streak is the fiercest among them, and this makes him extremely susceptible to getting roped into doing favors for the younger, more reckless gods ○ To mitigate this 'problem', he enforces mandated training programs for both Aeber and Bifelgan. Dohter has been recently added to this list as all three tend to get severely injured in some form through no fault of their own ○ Has no idea why he's called the Thunderblade when he cannot call upon thunder himself, but appreciates the title all the same ○ Holds a particular worry over Alephan and his many, many experiments. On off-days, one can find Brand standing by Alephan and assisting him if only to keep him from doing anything foolish

- SEALTICGE, THE LADY OF GRACE (Beltane, the May Dance)

○ Patron goddess of festivals and the performative arts, and hands out blessings like they're candy on Samhain (Beltane in her case, we guess) ○ Generally a goddess with very loose morals and often does things on a whim, wishing only to bring joy with her blessings- sometimes would grant talents upon unsuspecting (but aspiring) youths if she felt like it ○ Tends to wander around just as much as Bifelgan, but is typically very easy to find given her flair for theatrics- often found in places like Everhold and Marsalim ○ Most of the festivals in the land are held in her name- a fact that she's extremely proud of ○ Her songs and dances are invigorating and when asked about the magic behind her performative combat, she simply smiles ○ Has a penchant for illusory magic- something that the other gods are wary of as she's very fond of pranking them. It is still unclear whether Aeber is assisting her or actively retaliating, but it's unmistakable that he enjoys her pranks.

- DOHTER, THE CHARITABLE (Walpurgis, the Night of Cleansing)

○ The god of medicine and healing, the kindest among the gods- and by far the most motherlike ○ Often has aneurysms concerning the younger, reckless gods. After an incident with Brand and a particularly vicious direwolf roaming the lands he took it upon himself to oversee their training sessions ○ The worst secret-keeper of the gods- which is frankly anxiety-inducing considering he drops more eaves than even Aeber himself ○ The difference between his and Alephan's laboratories are like night and day, but even he is not immune to failed experimentation. He is mostly to blame for the reanimation of corpses, and he's extremely guilty about this irreversible phenomenon ○ Especially since the reanimated corpses somehow learned how to breed. Dohter suspects his scriptures must have been lost in translation along with Galdera's arts, because he would not be able to tell you how this is possible

- AEBER, THE PRINCE OF THIEVES (Samhain, the November Dance)

○ Patron god of thieves and treasure, mastering the art of stealth. Is also known to be fickle with his curses and boons even among his most devout followers ○ The single hardest god to find, because he tells no one where he goes at any given moment. He will never be where you expect him to be, but Aelfric suspects he trails behind certain members of the pantheon given his inexplicable ability to just show up when they need him to ○ Shares a kinship with Draefendi's dragons- fellow hoarders of wealth. It's said that he's able to speak in their language, and often hides his most precious treasures in their stashes ○ Often collaborates with Sealticge if he happens to run into her. If they're not working together, they're competing for the best performance of the day ○ A trustworthy secret-keeper, in contrast to Dohter- he's tight-lipped with his information due to the nature of his profession

- DRAEFENDI, THE HUNTRESS (Yggdrasil Day, the Honor of Life) 

○ Goddess of the hunt. Doubles as the goddess of nature, as she is the progenitor of all manner of creatures ○ Often delegates the task of managing certain wild areas of the continent to the beasts she creates ○ The Lord of the Forest was the first of her creations, and she has since imparted upon it the gift of pseudo-immortality to let it continue governing the greater beasts ○ Has very mixed feelings concerning Alephan's elementals and Dohter's reanimated corpses, but lets them be as they don't have any actual effects on the local ecology- if anything it feeds back into the environment, so she lets it slide ○ Deeply saddened by the gradual death of dragons, but understood that eventually, if the circumstances are right, they will rise again

- DREISANG, THE ARCHMAGUS (Midsummer, Summer's Balance)

○ Patron god of magic, and the progenitor of soulstones ○ Tangentially, the progenitor of magical constructs through Alephan's meddling. This has since caused him massive headaches, but eventually he gave in and helped Alephan refine his techniques and gave birth into what became the remnants and revenants ○ Has no opinion on the roaming sentinels other than that he's amused that their steel is frailer than his marble and stone ○ It doesn't mean he wouldn't mess with stray suits of armor himself though, under the guise of recycling- resulting in the Animated Armor enemies ○ Balogar is his prime collaborator when it comes to the development of runes, finding that his talents in handling inscribed soulstones- that they eventually come to acknowledge as runes- are second to none ○ Has been trying to get Steorra to teach him the art of Prophecy for the longest while. He's getting the hang of it. Maybe a little too well

- BALOGAR, THE RUNEBLADE (Martinmas, the Charitable Day)

○ Brother god to Brand and Winnehild, the most magically inclined of the siblings as he's developed the use of runes ○ A popular god among the Highlands as the distribution of magic among this region of Orsterra is scarce given its proximity to the Gate of Finis, allowing the locals to share in the benefits of magic even without innate magical energy within themselves ○ Certainly the most jovial among the sibling-gods, often challenging their fellow gods to bouts. He has never managed to beat Winnehild or Brand in a fight- a testament to their strength without magic ○ Bifelgan's heralds amuse him greatly because of their uncanny ability to simply dodge attacks, and Balogar has often joked that a desperate merchant could beat Winnehild in a fight. This has earned him many an arrow to the knee from his sister ○ Tends to join Sealticge in her celebrations whenever she's around. Any illusory phenomena one may encounter in the Highlands on a clear night is attributed to their shared shenaniganery

- WINNEHILD, THE WARBRINGER (The Feast of Einherjar, the Remembrance)

○ Sister goddess to Brand and Balogar- the eldest among this set of sibling-gods, and is unexpectedly the calmest ○ Take great care never to mention the supernatural ability of merchant sidestepping in her presence, however. This has no bearing on her amiable relationship with Bifelgan ○ Can be found developing a great number of weapons, most of which she destroys immediately after- deeming them too dangerous to be placed in the hands of men ○ Despite her title, she despises war- often saddened by the great tragedy it leaves in its wake. Her association with war has earned her a scornful reputation among the commonfolk, with her most devout believers often evoking her name in greedy conquest ○ As a result of this, she has come to openly favor great, respectable leaders like King Beowulf of Hornburg- granting them boons and blessings of victory for as long as they can keep their honor as leaders. ○ Inexplicably, her name is present in prayers for the fallen, an act that touches her greatly

- STEORRA, THE STARSEER (Yuletide, Winter's Balance)

○ Goddess of prophecies- rumored to be able to see into the future through reading fortunes in the constellations ○ She scoffs at this assertion, but doesn't bother correcting the commonfolk's perception of her foresight- mostly because it amuses her ○ There are secrets in the open cosmos that she dares not convey to her fellow gods. Her resolve to keep quiet about her visions is astounding, considering she has to deal with both Alephan and Dreisang's pestering ○ She has gained a penchant for spreading folk tales because of what she sees, however- sanitized and raw stories of the outlandish and the cosmos often sneak their way into the dreams of local people ○ Is suspected to have a talent for dreamweaving as well, feeding unsuspecting dreamers with visions of possible futures with information she gleans from their subconscious ○ Had her suspicions of Galdera from the beginning, but has chosen to keep quiet about her musings out of concern for their youngest brother. She has since regretted her lack of drive, and carries guilt over Galdera's fall into madness

[shieldingfaith]

The Political Map of Orsterra (click full size for detail)

The continent of Orsterra is a place unified by their gods but divided by culture, greed, and history. From the game canon lore, we know quite a bit of history concerning countries and their formation in this continent. We also see several different political systems in the game present itself. We see two kings, the divided former Hornburg, cities taken over by the rich and powerful. Laws vary in different areas, and there is a church system which holds some relative influence in certain areas.

So here’s my take--

Kingdom of the Atlas Shores

Encompasses the flatlands and coastlands in a unified country which led by their king

the capital is Atlasdam

Follows an aristocratic social structure which gives regional power to nobles (Noblecourt, Goldshore, & Grandport). Noble families are the product of long lines that trace back to the founding of the Atlas Shores.

Influential merchant families also hold great power in the kingdom, as they tend to control trade and the ports that make the Atlas Shores run.

economy is HIGHLY dependent on trade and ship-faring, with merchants and international trade being huge sources of influence all across the continent

Kingdom of Triberia

the entirety of the sunlands, this kingdom was formed 100 years ago when the warring desert tribes were united under one king

capital is Marsalim

Sunshade is the second biggest and more influential city in the region

economy is based largely in luxury items (mining of marble, sandstone, limestone, and gems from the bordering mountains) and tourism (dancing, the arts, and sexual tourism)

aristocracy means very little in Triberia, but there are strong ties to the old tribal families. Tribes that originated in different regions of the desert tend to hold an unofficial loyalty to themselves over the king

monarchs are decided by elections that are held amongst the oligarchal tribal leaders every few generations. If a leader is found lacking, tribal leaders will then elect a new king or queen from amongst themselves.

Former Kingdom of Hornburg

Once a proud nation, now the mountainous territory broken up into various independently functioning territories

Stonegard used to be the capital of Hornburg, and is the most stable in the wake of Hornburg’s fall. It runs under a mayor and is a huge center for industry and technology, with the revolutionary printing presses helping the city to stay intact since the civil war.

Everhold is the second biggest city in the highlands now, though it didn’t use to be. Everhold rose to wealth and power thanks to Simeon’s influence and the Obsidians’ wealth. The theater was built and the city became Orsterra’s epicenter of art.

Cobblestone is very similar to the other settlements that survived the wars. Small, farming communities that tend to function on their own, but are very vulnerable to attack from brigands and rouges.

Many towns, villages, and smaller cities were utterly destroyed during the warring in Hornburg. This has left wide swaths of the highlands empty of civilization. Ghost towns scatter the mountains.

Territories of Orsterra

outside the 2 currently established countries, Orsterra is divided up by city-states and regional territories that are run by a combination of noble lords, influential merchant families, and the Church of Saint Aelfric.

the Quarrycrest (recently run by Morlock) and Ravus territories have a cooperative control over the clifflands, with Orewell holding equal allegience to both larger cities. The Ravus family is the more just influence in the region of heavy mining, but Quarrycrest holds more monetary influence.

Riverford holds a heavy-handed and strict power over the southern riverlands, especially in recent years after Werner bought his way to the top and set in place authoritarian practices. The northern riverlands are a more peaceful area with no unified leader. Saintsbridge holds more influence and is run by a mayor as well as the archbishop of the cathedral. Clearbrook is one of the thriving farming villages in the region, and it tends to follow the influence of Saintsbridge.

Northreach is the largest city in the frostlands and holds the most power over the frozen region. Northreach is often run by corrupt lords or rich families who are likely to use money and power to overthrow whoever was in control before them. Northreach control a wide swath of tundra and farmlands, as well as villages like Stillsnow and the Obsidian Parlor. Flamesgrace is the second largest city, in the south, and it is connected to a port which gives them trading access all across the Orsterran gulf. As the center of the Church of Aelfric, Flamesgrace is influenced by the church. It is run by a mayor and the archbishop of the cathedral and has many local laws that try to combat the more corrupt dealings of Northreach (i.e. the sex industry is highly regulated and monitored as a counter to the questionable practices in Stillsnow)

the woodlands region is made up of the smallest, and in many ways least influential city-states in Orsterra, but they are also the most independent. S’warkii is a centuries old settlement which proudly maintains its traditions and is a mysterious, legendary place to the rest of the continent. Victor’s Hollow is built entirely on its tourism and sport, but it is a prosperous city that occasionally acts as a defender of its neighbors. Duskbarrow is quiet and small and tends to go overlooked by most other cities and countries in Orsterra. Much like S’warkii, it is a place which holds fast to its traditions and is home to very ancient ruins. 

[alynnl]

When Cyrus wanted Others to Learn

One particular incident in Cyrus’s younger years (when he was about 14 or 15) shaped his rock-solid philosophy that knowledge is something to be shared, and not hoarded.  (Headcanon, of course.)

Where it Began

From the beginning he attended one of Atlasdam’s public schools, where people from all social status could attend.  This was important to Cyrus’s parents, because while they wanted to give him the best life possible, they didn’t want to shelter him from reality.  He would have to learn about people from all walks of life (and sometimes the other regions outside the Flatlands) if he was to be a well-rounded scholar.

The academy Cyrus attended covered both mundane studies (reading, writing, mathematics, history, science) as well as arcane subjects (magic origins, casting, control and blocking.)  So students were tested on paper in all the mundane matters and given a performance test on their practice of magic.  Those who fail the magical portion of the test would not be permitted to cast in the city limits of Atlasdam, or any city for that matter.  Their failure shows a dangerous lack of control over nature’s elements.

Left Behind

One of Cyrus’s peers, an introverted boy named Alex, did fine in his mundane studies, but struggled when it came to applying his knowledge of the arcane.  He always scored very poor marks on any of the performances, earning the ridicule of his classmates (especially those from Altasdam’s wealthier parts, who were tutored privately in their parents’ mansions and seemed to boast perfect control and casting.)  Alex’s instructors had all but given up on him.

One day after another of Alex’s many failures, Cyrus waited until the rest of their classmates (and even their teacher) left the building and he pulled Alex aside.  He put it gently that he noticed his peer struggling, but he might be able to explain matters of controlling fire and ice better than their instructor, who had an old school “sink or swim” mentality.

Alex is embarrassed at first, but makes it clear that he has no money or anything else to pay Cyrus for his tutelage.  He’s about to go home when Cyrus stops him again.

“I don’t need you to pay me.  I’m just lending you a helping hand.”

When Alex further questions why Cyrus would do this free of charge, Cyrus simply states he could think of no better way to use his knowledge.  Since he’s already guaranteed to pass both his paper tests and magical demonstration tests, he might as well take his time to help someone else learn.

Struggle and Challenge

The two have a rocky start at first, but eventually Cyrus’s slow paces through the movements and incantations allow Alex to catch on.  Soon they are casting practically in sync.

During one of their training sessions in a field just outside of their academy, two of Cyrus’s wealthier peers, Bryce and Damion run into them.

Bryce remarks that Cyrus is wasting his time on Alex, who got the lowest possible marks and will end up a “spell-less failure.”

Damion wonders if Cyrus did this as a joke, or if he lost some sort of bet with their other peers.

In a moment of doubt, Alex asks Cyrus if this is true.  Cyrus of course denies it and steps in front of his classmate to defend him.

“Have you two got nothing better to do with your time than to interrupt another person’s learning?  Alephan would be ashamed of you.”

Damion proposes that Cyrus proves that Alex isn’t completely and utterly hopeless, and challenges the both of them to a magical duel just outside Altasdam’s city gates.  It would be 2 vs. 2, Cyrus and Alex vs. Damion and Bryce.

Cyrus accepts the challenge, much to Alex’s dismay.  They will meet at sundown.  Bryce and Damion leave for now, feeling like they have the match in the bag.

Alex wonders if they could really win the duel, and Cyrus insists that they concentrate on training.  

“But if we lose, you’ll be seen as a disgrace too!  And you might get hurt.  What’ll your parents say?”

“It’ll be alright.  I know how to beat them.  Bryce and Damion have always been too arrogant for their own good.  We can use this to our advantage.”

During the rest of their training session, Cyrus emphasizes the importance of conserving their magical energy until they’re sure they can land the decisive blow.

Duel at Sunset

At sundown, they show up to the duel as promised.

At first Bryce and Damion seem to have the upper hand, breaking out second level fire and ice spells from tomes given to them by their private tutors.  Cyrus urges Alex to stay calm, and the two of them counterattack whenever they have the chance.  After some time passes, Damion and Bryce realize their mistakes too late - they use up all their energy with their flashy second-level scholar magic, and they’re unable to counter the combined efforts of Cyrus and Alex’s first-level fire and ice spells.

With one decisive combined strike, Cyrus and Alex end the duel (non-lethally, but their opponents are definitely humiliated.)

A Late Night

Politely asking one of the city guards to fetch the arrogant duo, Cyrus offers to take Alex home, as it’s getting late.

“It’s fine.  I can get home on my own.”

“Please, Alex, I insist!  I just want to know that you got back safely.”

Very reluctantly, Alex leads Cyrus to a poorer side of Atlasdam.  And while it’s better looking than, a place like the poor side of Bolderfall it’s still noticeably more modest than the group of houses Cyrus lives by.

Alex goes up to a cabin made of stone and wood and politely knocks on the door.  There, a middle aged man holding a cane and missing a leg fondly greets Alex, but wonders who Cyrus is.

Alex formally introduces Cyrus to his father, Emmet.  Off in the distance, Cyrus can smell freshly baked bread.

Emmet invites Cyrus inside, and thanks him for bringing his son home.  He leaves the two to get comfortable at the dining table while he wanders over to a brick oven.  From it he takes out several loaves of bread, and hands one off to Cyrus, as it’s the only token of appreciation he could think to offer.

Alex takes his own bread and spreads strawberry jam, a real treat onto it.  

He briefly explains that he and his family used to live in the Highlands.  His father lost his leg fighting in one of their wars as a sellsword.  The war also took the lives of Alex’s mother and grandparents - and what little money Emmet took with him, he used to buy the cabin.  He took up to baking, since he only needed his hands for it.

Alex goes on to further explain that he hasn’t had much time to study the arcane part of his schooling, since he devotes a lot of his efforts to helping his father run their in-house bakery.

Cyrus considers the implications of this, and ends up paying Emmet for the loaf of bread he was given.  When Emmet refuses at first, Cyrus all but shoves the leaves into his hand, stating that he will pay any craftsman fairly for what they make. Emmet counts the coins and realizes Cyrus did indeed give him fair payment - not undercutting him, but not giving too much out of a sense of charity or pity.  For that, he and Alex are grateful.

Cyrus leaves shortly after, taking the loaf with him and intending to share it with his own family back home.

When his parents ask why he was home late that night, Cyrus suggests they put on tea, because his tale will be a long one.  He starts off saying,  “This is a story about giving and receiving knowledge,” and goes from there.

As the result of Cyrus’s efforts, Alex would go on to pass both sets of exams.  After graduation, Cyrus wouldn’t hear from his classmate again until a letter with a hand-drawn illustration of a harbor came to him from Rippletide.  Emmet opened a larger bakery, and Alex went on to use his abilities in both areas of learning to be a valuable crew member on board a certain traveling merchant’s ship.

[alynnl]

003 Cyrus for the ask game?

How I feel about this character: I love him. From appearance, to starting abilities, to endgame utility, to personality and life ambitions. Cyrus Albright is amazing. Definitely tied as my number one fave. I'll admit that it wasn't "fave at first sight" because he was in my later party when I first got him, but once I caught him up in levels and gear he became an essential part of any of my teams. "Study Foe" ability, my beloved! Also his desire to obtain knowledge so he may pass it on is rather noble and something I can get behind.

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: Olberic, Odette, and Primrose

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: Odette fits here too if we're keeping it platonic because she just knows Cyrus so well. She's also a fellow scholar so they have that mutual respect from colleagues.

My unpopular opinion about this character: This is more of a gameplay opinion than a fanon/storytelling one but some players say not to put him in sorcerer class because there are others more suited for it. Well. He got me through the 8 boss gauntlet and the Omniscient Eye phase of Galdera in sorcerer class so I stand by that being his advanced class and no one can tell me otherwise!

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: Again more of a gameplay observation than a storytelling one, but I wish Cyrus had the ability to scrutinize more bookshelves in the game. Even if they're not directly related to his quest it would still be a way to add lore and flavor text to the game.

Favorite friendship for this character: Out of the travelers (besides Olberic) I like his interactions with Alfyn the most. They come from two different backgrounds (Cyrus being from the more urban Atlasdam and Alfyn being from the rural Clearbrook) but they respect each other in their pursuit of knowledge. Alfyn wants to continue improving as a healer and Cyrus encourages him. And then the Professor learns the value of taking the simple approach to life from Alfyn.

My crossover ship: I never gave this one much thought! But I guess if I had to pick someone, it would be Piers from Golden Sun: The Lost Age. The scenario is completely out of left-field but imagine that Piers (a living member of a lost civilization called Lemuria which is like his world's Atlantis) ends up in Orsterra and in the process, meets Cyrus who does copious amounts of research trying to find a way to get him back home. But as time goes on Cyrus becomes so fascinated in him. First out of academic interest. Then other interest. Oh no.