#Sanbreque and waloed joined forces??????

[rinnysmuses]

Bleurgh

I'm awake now]

[phoenix-flamed]

A certain someone and I were talking, and she brought up so many good points that I hadn't thought of -- so thank you for sharing your views with me on this subject! As always, if you read this and don't agree with my opinions, please don't worry; I won't be offended, and I would actually love to hear your views too!

As much as I hate to say it, at the end of the day, yeah -- Elwin wasn't a good ruler. He was a great man, with great intentions, and his plan for the future of Rosaria wasn't necessarily a bad plan!

It just wasn't practical in Valisthea's political climate at that time. I know I make way too many comparisons between his ambitions and the story of The Founder, but I'll do it one more time, because I really do believe that the parallel is there, even if it is just speculation on my part --

The reason why building what would become Rosaria from the ground up worked out at the time The Founder set in motion that process was because there was no war. There was no conflict. Following the aftermath of what became known as The Sins of Dzemekys, humanity was said to be living in fear. But The Founder grew tired of that life, and he left to find a nice little spot, where he began building a home for himself. More and more people saw what he was doing and joined in as time went on, and what had started as that one little shack eventually became a town, and this continued until what would eventually become The Grand Duchy of Rosaria came into existence.

In present-day Valisthea, and just in the continent of Storm alone, this wouldn't work, at least not nearly so easily. It would require, much like back with The Founder, unity and generational effort, but given the political climate of Storm...... You probably see where this is going.

Just look at how many times Rosaria was taken advantage of. This extends to before Elwin took the throne, yes -- but we'll focus on during his reign. Rosaria was part of alliances on two separate occasions; the first time was with Dhalmekia, who abandoned them on the battlefield to contend with Waloed's army on their own in the conflict for Kanver's independence. The second time was Sanbreque's betrayal of Rosaria under the orchestration of Anabella and Sylvestre, which was kicked off by The Night of Flames, and we all know what happened there. That took place while Rosaria was in an alliance with both Dhalmekia and Sanbreque, hence the Remembrance Ceremony a year before which was in commemoration of aforementioned alliance. You even have the fact that while the Kanver situation was going on, the Northern Territories decided to pay Rosaria a visit, which, fortunately, Elwin and his troops were able to push them back, and we have the story of how Elwin calmed the tribes of the north down and unified them so that they'd work together for the betterment of their people, at which time he took Jill to Rosalith with him.

If, theoretically, Elwin was trying to be a merciful ruler, which it does seem like it considering he strove for a peaceable solution to the Northern Territories situation rather than going there and destroying them or forcing them to submit to Rosarian rule, and the fact that when the flashback at the start of the game takes place, we find out from Elwin and Rodney during the throne room scene that Rosaria has been taking in refugees from the north who are fleeing the continued progression of the Blight, as well as offering the north resources to aid them. Unfortunately, because of this, Rosaria's own resources are being stretched thin, and even places like Rosalith are running out of space to take in more refugees.

In other words, Elwin tried to help their neighbors to the detriment of his own nation.

Okay, I kind of sort of got carried away with rambling and lost track of the original point. Uh. So yeah, in short, Elwin was a great man, with great, wonderful intentions! But we all know how the saying goes: the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

[newty]

heres my current dion timeline! completely subject to change bc halone knows it has changed many times already! all the stuff in italics are my headcanons, incl ages, which are in parentheses. extreme spoilers abound

aka my 'dion is a 35yo hag w a lot of unhealthy responsibilities & relationships partly caused by underdeveloped lore but im gonna run with it anyway' agenda.

843 (0)

Dion born in Oriflamme

Mom????????????????????????

I think she was just husbandless and hard-up and she got taken advantage of to some degree by Sylv. She can still like, talk to Sylv but they don't have a relationship.

p o v e r t y

849 (6)

- Kanver Independence movement

Wants freedom from Dhalmekia. Trade disruption likely.

850 (7)

- Southwestern Alliance

Alliance of Rosaria & Dhalmekia to oppose Kanver's independence movement. Trade disruption v likely.

852 (9)

Dion awakens as Bahamut. It's nighttime when the scary magic stuff starts and hes just a baby :(

Mom takes him to church bc he's possessed. hiiii priest who fathered him. wtf is going on w this kid.

Mom sells him to Sylv. Weird child headache & poverty solved! Soon after, Sylv becomes emperor and Dion is made prince & imperial scion.

857 (14)

- Kanver Independence obtained

Trade along the Crystal Highway & beyond absolutely disrupted. Sanbrequois interests split between dispute with Waloed and the continental economy.

858 (15)

- Remembrance Ceremony

Dion mobilized in his first sortie--a rebellion inspired by Kanver. insert smth abt having too many thoughts abt money & societal disenfranchisement + responsibility to the public here.

Dion meets the Rosfields.

859 (16)

- The Triunity of 859

Sanbreque joins the anti-Kanver alliance to discourage further revolutions in its territories.

860 (17)

- Night of Flames

The Phoenix Gate attack. Triunity broken. Anabella becomes Empress. Harpocrates fired.

Dion removed from court and sent afield against Waloed. Terence (12) joins him as his page.

861 (18)

- Rosaria attacked by Ironblood & Sanbreque 

Dion knighted as a dragoon and their highest commander. Part of restructuring to incorporate Rosaria.

863 (20)

Terence (15) promoted to squire.

865 (22)

- Battle of the Twin Realms

Bahamut fielded. Sanbreque wins Strait of Autha after decades of a blockade, but were prevented from further conquest by Waloed's alliance with the Dhalmekian Republic, who were concurrently warring w the Iron Kingdom at the Nysa Defile. Teredio confession happens after this.

867 (24)

Terence (19) knighted as a dragoon.

870 (27)

Terence (22) becomes his second in command.

873 (30)

- Battle of Nysa Defile

Dhalmekia vs the Iron Kingdom, Titan vs Shiva, no help from Waloed, Sanbreque's Bastards sent to assassinate Shiva

- Fall of Drake's Head (Oriflamme)

An aetherflood spawns in the crystal mines and consumes its workers. Oriflamme then languishes and the surrounding area experiences poor harvests and trade.

- Battle of Belanus Tor

Bahamut vs Odin. No reinforcements & reports of saboteurs in the capital. Sanbreque loses the Strait of Autha and an entire legion. Dion told to maintain position and continue fighting despite heavy losses.

- Annexation of the Crystalline Dominion

Dion leads the invasion of Crystalline Dominion, which becomes the new imperial capital. 

878 (35)

- Fall of Drake's Breath (Iron Kingdom)

No one cares. Fears about Cid reignite.

- Rosalith Destroyed by Titan

No one cares. The Imperial family doesn't even talk about this when they plot world domination???????

Black Shields cause havoc elsewhere in Rosaria.

- The Crystalline Impasse

The Republic of Dhalmekia at war w Sanbreque over Twinside. Sylvester plans to accept their treaty, take reparations, and backstab them by making Dion destroy the last of their forces. He sends Dion to his camp on the bank opposite Boklad.

- Fall of Drake's Fang (Dhalmekia)

Dhalmekia's chances for a decent treaty completely vanish.

- Olivier Becomes Emperor

Dion and Terence (30) receive news of Titan's death, but must still maintain hostilities and turn Twinside into a battlefield. They learn of Olivier's ascension to the throne. Joshua meets with them.

Dion returns home and bickers about things. Sylv talks about conquering all of the Twins, and again orders Dion back to his camp to fight the Dhalmeks.

- Meeting w Joshua & Decree

Dion meets with Joshua in the imperial palace and promises to assist him when he is done with Sanbreque business. Afterwards, he makes his decree to coup.

He never returns to his camp? Just plots and pulls out the dragoons and artillery right at the castle?

- Rise of the Wyrm coup

Sylvester, Anabella, and Olivier killed. Twinside destroyed.

Kihel (14)'s grandmother dies in the destruction—if Kihel's grandmother was someone she met semi-recently and who took care of her while she was in Twinside. Or are the lanterns a continental practice rather than a Sanbrequois or Dominion one, so she could have learned about them back in Kostnice? Or was Kostnice just another stop on her travels, instead of a home?

- Fall of Drake's Tail (Twinside)

Taken to Hideaway, then return to Twinside. Kihel finds & nurses him. He reunites w Terence, who survived Somehow.

- Ran'dellah Attacked

Dion and drgs intervene to save Dhalmekian statesmen. He sends Terence to Kihel. The drgs have lost their highest leadership.

- Fall of Drake's Spine (Waloed)

Dion got on Mid's boat somehow, accompanies the team to Ash, and remains with them at the Hideaway.

- Origin

Twinside and its populace completely destroyed. Terence and Kihel are implied to die. Dion reunites with Harpocates. He and the Rosfields go to fight and are also implied to die. All magic removed from the world. 

GAME ENDS 

879 (36)

- 1-6 Months Post-Game

Dion is returned to headquarters and rehabilitated. idk anything abt the bros. Tarja amputates his right arm. He leaves with a bit of money to return to Oriflamme and keep up the Repent gig. 

- 6 Months Post-Game

Fic starts.

---

*at some point cid fights bahamut at oriflamme's crystal. idr enough abt when cid left waloed to guess

**dions hates evil and yet. he cant identify it in his dad. even when he's totally old enough to realize that the night of flames was super sus. compartmentalizing king ig

***idk how old olivier is. i thought he was like 5 until i saw most ppl pinged him as like 10.

****i have no plans of doing anything in depth w mom so im not worried abt her rn. the important part is how scary and badly understood his condition is + how sylv offers explanations, regular meals, and greagor's absolute love in return.

*****terence has a baby face + the squire detail rly solidified the age diff to me. ultimately 5 yrs isnt a lot, but it's more significant when theyre younger, and it gives dion more to sweat abt when he talks abt loathing the power dynamic between them