#crystallized-bahamut

[romancemedia]

Anime Dances

[koritea]

Chrysalis - Captive of Bahamut

[flastar13]

the role of oracle, which she never wanted, following the death of her sister Lunafreya, who was barely with her for a day before she was murdered in front of her eyes. She has been recognized as queen of Tenebrae, only after killing her brother Ravus turned into a daemon, never managing to reconcile because both preferred to accuse the other of being a traitor who abandoned Tenebrae.

She was able to discover the reason for her powers, but at the cost of her boyfriend Noct being absorbed for 10 years by the crystal and the answer did not improve anything. She is the mortal reincarnation of the goddess Eos who gave her name to the star, and the original astral, mother of the six elemental gods and the goddess of death Etro. She was born with the sole purpose of taking her six children to the kingdom of her daughter Etro for her careless acts towards mortals. But she really does not want to kill Gentiana who she has known since childhood or Titan and Ramuh, whom she has come to respect. Well she only wants to kill Leviathan whom she blames for the death of Luna and the destruction of Altissa, and definitely Ifrit and Bahamut.

In the following 10 years, she suffers assassination attempts by Ardyn and Bahamut. She struggles to fulfill her duties as queen and oracle, leading Tenebrae while avoiding the realm of darkness. She has been learning the extent of her powers and believes she is capable of facing the Dracoin.

Upon Noctis' return, she joins the Chocobros to reclaim Lucis, but rather than allow Noctis to sacrifice himself, Stella convinces Ardyn to infect Bahamut with Starcouge, promising the death of the astral and that the cursed immortal will reunite with Aera in the realm of Etro.

The plan is for an angry Bahamut to cast Terra Flare, but Stella must prevent this by casting the more powerful Mega Terra Flare, but must return to being Eos to kill Bahamut in the spiritual plane. In order to avoid losing another important person, Noctis convinces the other astrals and the spirit kings of Lucis to grant their power to Ardyn to kill Bahamut in the astral plane.

The entire cast fights against mini-Bahamut, until Stella manages to destroy it with Mega Terra Flare. Ardyn manages to get revenge on the draco and reunite with Aera.

The crystal shatters as does the trident, the remaining gods decide to accept Eos' punishment as they recognize that their lack of action against Bahamut and disinterest in mortals caused all the problems, but Eos gives them a second chance for their efforts to save the world, but now they must agree to form contracts with any worthy mortal (Hello summoners) and stop being destructive. Etro is worshipped again by humans, and takes Bahamut's place as leader of her brothers, with the duty of watching over them.

Stella and Noct marry and rule Lucis and Tenebrae together, and have two children. They are happy although the pain of losing her brothers is always present in Stella.

[faequeeniraxcel]

Alisaie: "You're not seriously planning on fighting Bahamut by yourself, are you?"

Me: "I can't kick his ass without getting closer."

[queenoffishingandcookies]

LUCIS CAELUM MAGIC HEADCANONS

In my previous post about LC pregnancy headcanons, I brought up the fact that the Lucis Caelum bloodline has (or more accurately, had) two separate forms of magic.

One was Innate Magic, something they had prior to Bahamut’s Revelation after the fall of Solheim that granted them use of the Crystal. Their ancestor was blessed with that power, perhaps at birth (which will be explained), and passed that down to their descendants.

The other branch is Crystal Magic. This wasn’t innate to the bloodline at first. It didn’t boil their blood, or rattle in their bones, or sing constant hymns and prayers in the back of their mind - not yet, at least.

Following the fall of Solheim, there was a massive power vacuum left where Solheim’s nobility and the Astral’s guidance used to be.

Most of noble houses were gone, or had to flee and lose much of their material wealth and immaterial power, becoming refuge to other ruling or noble houses of smaller nations.

The Astrals themselves, except for perhaps Bahamut (for those of you who have read Dawn of the Future) fell into slumber or death, the Sacred Laws they passed down to mortals becoming defunct as there was no one left to enforce them.

Bahamut doesn’t much care for mortals. A deity on high, he sees the world differently. If there’s in issue, he is the type to do a Hard Reset of the star, and then repopulate it after purging the issue (example being starscourge. If you can’t fix it, kill it and begin anew).

But this…he could, albeit in a roundabout way, fix this.

My personal headcanon is that Bahamut, in some way, is literally related to the Lucis Caelum bloodline. More than being the Patron Astral, he is also the family patriarch.

In some AU ideas, this means he perhaps descended to Eos himself following the fall of Solheim, to see what the humans were doing upon the star. There had to have been wars over previous Solheim territory, so much death and illness, not including lack of resources to heal and feed refugees.

Maybe he found love, as much as he is able to understand how to love and be loved rather than simply revered, with a mortal - perhaps one that had already been given his blessing before, and sired a somewhat mortal heir.

Maybe, as sentinels over the star, he forged magnificent scaled and winged beasts in his image, wove them from the steel of his blade and the scales in his armor, of the light of the beyond and the lifeforce of Eos.

Then gave them the ability to take upon a human form, so that they might better watch over the people. The Astrals can change for too, it’s not out of the ordinary - such as the legends of Leviathan taking a human or semi-human form.

So.

Bahamut, the Draconian. Bahamut, the God of War.

(Bahamut, the Father, Very Out of Touch with Human Emotion)

War encompasses so much.

When you think of war, the first thing that comes to people’s minds is bloodshed, isn’t it? Soldier’s prowess on the battlefield in cutting down or shooting enemies dead, death upon death in pursuit of victory for someone else, for safety. You think of illness and infection of the soldiers, or rationing of food and material on the home front.

What about the doctors and nurses who tend to the injured on the field? Healers and protectors, rather than fighters, although they can fight if necessary.

That too falls under the banner of war.

Bahamut is an asshole. He’s probably where Somnus got his ideology of “Cruel, Cold, but Fair” from.

But I bring to you the idea that he was God of War, (effectively a sort of God of Death), and God of Healing. Conflict, war comes to everyone - literal wars and more personal, emotional ones. But so does healing. Not equal to all, depending on what is on hand and status - but it does.

He was literally able to crystallize Eos’s life force, bend it into tangible shape, after all.

And who better to be Blessed with such power, than those who are already used to a modicum of divinity themselves?

His children.

(And later, the Oracles, after his blood slayed blood, and their truest form, of a dragon soaring through the sky, was all but slain in punishment, shackled beneath skin and layers of magic, too much too painful magic that becomes give and take, give your own life and take what might end another’s upon yourself, sacrifice and the sacrifice of your descendants-)

Many of the other Astrals children (they had more semi-mortal kids than Bahamut) had perished in the war, like many messengers had been sealed away in sleep like the other Astrals, so it’s entirely likely that Bahamut was just like… well, my bloodline is one that seems fairly okay after that, they should be able to handle it.

The Innate Magic

Now that I’ve gone over the lore of the Lucis Caelum’s Magic / lack of “true” humanity, let’s get into the more specific details of their two-branches-of-Magic-that-sort-of-became-one.

As mentioned above, Innate Magic is something the LC Bloodline was born with, after their ancient (mortal) ancestor was blessed/created by Bahamut.

I see it divided into two variants:

Healing and Combat.

I think, in the context of other FF games, that means White Magic and Black Magic?

I wouldn’t know, since XV was my first game in the series (sorry those of you who weave the Goddess Etro into your worldbuilding, but I don’t really know who that is or the lore behind her, so she won’t be present. For now, at least. May change in the future).

HEALING MAGIC

Let’s look at Ardyn (Pre-scourge), as well as the Oracles, as an example of Healing Magic.

Ardyn was one of the most powerful healers in the Lucis Caelum bloodline, as I headcanon him. He was not just able to absorb the starscourge with his innate power, but other illnesses as well.

(If it was the meteor of the six which brought the starscourge to Eos, i headcanon that it fell during the Astral War and was what put Titan out of the running as a fighter. It probably would have first appeared over the course of the first half century or so, so I don’t think it would be too surprising to claim Ardyn was their first of his bloodline to be skilled over his magic enough to do so, hence having Bahamut’s blessing to try and absorb/purify the scourge in his own body).

Unlike the Oracles, who could first only soothe symptoms of pain and bolster the body’s immune response (until their power, like the LC’s with the Crystal, was spun into their very blood and bone and they were taught -), many LC’s could absorb the illness, easily heal wounds, and even abate infections and poisonings.

That wasn’t mentioning their prowess in creating healing potions - curatives - and salves. Things that relieved fevers and other symptoms, antidotes for poisons…for illnesses they couldn’t absorb (see: poisoning) on account of being unable to siphon the source of the problem into their body (unless you count blood-letting and absorbing blood into the body which was dangerous-).

Lucis Caelum’s could heighten the restorative effects of certain ingredients, make them more potent than what they normally were, blend them into liquid curatives or pills and then further bless them…….

Part of being able to sense and heal from illness was also being able to pinpoint what could reasonably cause illness and death, and what would have the opposite effect (later heightened by connection to the Crystal).

Such abilities were heightened, when was was able to earn another Blessing of one of the six. In the past, I consider it a thing where, perhaps, people would make pilgrimages to where the Astrals (except for the enraged Ifrit) slept.

For the ability to manipulate the elements, to better feel the world around them, having a greater awareness. In the past, these were the Revelations spoken of in the Cosmogony.

Lucis Caelum’s already had a quiet awareness of the star’s life and light, like a second heartbeat in their chest, could feel the cold steel that slumbered beneath the earth and the crackle of light-fire which forged that Draconian’s scale and blades-

With guidance from Bahamut, they sought to further their abilities by gaining the blessing of the six, prior to being bound to the Crystal.

How better to disclose a good water source from a poor one, with Leviathan’s blessing? To know the poisonous plants and metals from the ones which improve healing, with Titan’s? To bring rain to destitute regions, and grant the starving and thirsty succor, with Ramuh’s aid? To preverse meats and transfer goods, such as water, with Shiva’s?

The one thing they couldn’t recieve was the Infernian’s flame (but it should be noted that LC’s, even without a blessing had strong grasps on elements. Some widespread rumors in Dragon-verses were that, as children of Bahamut, when they were forged in The Beyond, that they Astrals blessed their dragon-forms, and that blessing waned slightly to fit mortal bodies).

(These are some of the few ways elemancy, typically regarded as Black Magic, combat magic, could be used to grant aid, grant healing).

Granted, Elemancy wasn’t….this wasn’t just a LC thing - not until the Crystal. Other people, too, not born to the Astrals the sought the favor of, looked for their blessings. But they could not absorb said element, could not create it with their bare palms - there had to be a source nearby, and they couldn’t just save that energy for later.

LC’s, being not entirely human, just had a one-up in receiving them.

In the fall of Solheim, they were who everyone flocked to in order to develop medicine, treatment procedures. Trade agreements….they were hailed almost as heroes, as something sacred and holy.

COMBAT MAGICS

As descendants of Bahamut, being bound to both life and death as they pertain to war, something I view as innate to the Lucis Caelum’s is the Royal Arms.

They are imprints of their forefather’s souls - of their life - left behind, embedded into a favored weapon that once belonged to them. With Bahamut’s blessing, they were filled with the light of The Beyond, which the LC’s are tied to by blood.

Up until the Crystal was bound to them, they didn’t have their own personal beyond (Armiger), but they could still touch upon the light of the Beyond, the royal arms woven with it and able to phase between the two realms because of that.

(Now I’m imagining Bahamut just holding onto the arms for his descendants, prior to granting them the Crystal - and, though it’s covered later, the Armiger isn’t actually The Beyond, but a Lucis Caelum’s personal hammerspace basically modeled after the Beyond. Bahamut taught them. He got tired of storing their weapons for them, and it had more than one use).

Similarly - to be able to absorb a person’s illness, symptoms of illness, their magic could almost mimic illness, mimic poisons - a LC could literally drain a person’s life. Similar to the Ring of Lucis, but to a far lesser extent. Being bound to the Crystal enhanced the effect of doing so, but they could do it before that.

They had something similar to warping, as well. Light blending. It was a result of being bound to The Beyond by blood, by being something more and less than human. Their bodies would become indistinct in light, like sunlight, and blur. They could phase and move faster. It wasn’t quite warping (literally through themselves through The Beyond for a few seconds, while anchored to Eos via their weapon), but it was close.

The last thing I considered was Elemancy. Again, this wasn’t innate to the Lucis Caelum bloodline (yet), but they still used it in combat. It was less like seen in the games (both the main game and Comrades) and more closer to The Avatar’s or The Legend of Korra’s bending arts).

They couldn’t create the elements either, they had to work with what was on hand.

Like with Crystal Magic, there is a sort of give and take with a LC’s innate Magic. It’s still their energy, if they overexert themselves, they will still get tired - they will be susceptible to falling I’ll with the very illnesses they heal/induce….but it comes back to them, eventually.

It’s not like the give and take of the Crystal.

With that explained, let us move on to the other-but-not-really branch of LC Magic.

The Crystal Magic

I already explained at the top my reasoning for why Bahamut made the Crystal, why it was given to the LC bloodline…but now I’ll get a little more into the details of what that means, how it was bound to his bloodline.

Bahamut, from the beyond, literally pulled Eos’s lifeforce from its shell, and gave it a new one. Then, he literally wove the essence of The Beyond itself, a higher plane of existence, the afterlife, into it.

It was given a low level of sentience, derived from his own consciousness as well as the plants, the earth and the water and rain and the people, and the other Astrals of Eos.

And Bahamut…Bahamut beckoned his children to come to him, to enter upon The Beyond and the light of Eos, and see if they could handle it - handle being chosen to guide and carry the land.

This happened some…thirty or forty years after the fall of Solheim. The creation of the Crystal, and a LC who could actually bind with it - with Eos and the Beyond without breaking underneath the wait of accepting it and it’s cost - took years.

The Crystal, literally being tied to Eos and the Astrals, enhanced their elemancy by far. Bound to the planet itself, a LC who was able to handle the weight of the land - the beating lifeforce of every creature and plant on it, every illness and death - was irrevocably bound to the elements.

No longer constrained to simply manipulating the elements, they could create it - fire, water, ice, electricity….it danced at their fingertips.

Their grasp on the flow of life, the ability to heal and sense both the properties of deadly things and (relatively) safe things expanded far beyond what it was…

They, now being bound to the beyond, could also grasp something beyond - something above Eos’ plane of existence.

Bahamut himself was able to guide them on molding that “other” existence, bound space and lack of time just to their person - the Armiger.

With time, they could also learn to Warp. Bahamut taught the first of his descendants how, tied to the beyond as they were through the Crystal, they could phase between realms in a way different from light bending.

As long as they kept a grasp on their tie to the star, though beginners of teen favored something in hand, a physical form of an element to use as an anchor, they could phase back out in a location of their choosing, rather than just become immaterial.

They were granted the ability to warp in and out of existence on both the mortal and immortal realm.

But Crystal Magic came at an immense cost.

LC’s using the Crystal’s magic weren’t drawing on their own power at first - they weren’t giving and taking from their own person like they used to, though the cost was still their body’s to pay.

They were drawing on the life of the star, of even the other Astrals, to a lesser extent. And the cost, to fill the space left in the wake of the energy they used….

Was their own life energy.

Give and take. Magic drawn from the land is paid back with the magic, the energy, of the person wielding it.

The Merging of Innate and Crystal

The Lucis Caelum’s weren’t born bound to the Crystal, and that was why originally there was a difference between the use of Crystal and Innate Magic.

But, as you might of noticed earlier, I mentioned that as time passed, that was no longer the case.

When Bahamut blessed and cursed his children, his chosen, with the Crystal, the first LC to bond with it was already an adult, already had sired children. His children, then (most likely Somnus and Ardyn’s grandparents and possibly aunts/uncles?) had to be bound and able to carry the weight of being irreversibly bound to Eos, to the elements, to the overwhelming push and pull and give and take of life and death and the elements of the world - not even including the weight of The Beyond.

Crystal Magic and Innate Magic…though both tangled together in their bodies….were separate.

By the time Ardyn and Somnus were born, that wasn’t the case. Either they, or their father/mother, were born bound to the Crystal, because their parents were bound and that tie passed down to them.

They never knew an existence without the scream of the land under the skin, without the cost of the power they were given.

From them on downwards, the LC’s innate Magic blended and merged and wove together with the Crystal Magic - so much so that the space between them no longer existed.

There was no longer a choice on giving and taking from themselves or the Crystal. They were bound to the Crystal, to the star, to the beyond.

Their magic; the beyond, Eos……it wasn’t separate anymore. All of it is bound to the LC bloodline, and as long as the bloodline itself exists…it’s not going anywhere.

Even if they Crystal were to shatter, the Astrals were to die…the magic is too deeply woven into their bodies, their very souls, to wither up and die.

The magic flows incessantly through them, building up and burning from the inside out, caught between the instinct to preserve the body and the cost of using it, burning itself up and devouring it.

It isn’t safe for a Lucis Caelum to not use their magic - there’s too much of it for their somewhat mortal bodies…but the cost of doing so isn’t healthy either.

——————-

Well, that got longer than I was expecting it to.

I didn’t get all the very intricate details I wanted to, but I can’t even explain all the nuances with their magic because I just…don’t have words for it?? It’s more of a feeling that I can’t put into words, and besides - it gives other people room to expand on it themselves.

Anyway, it’s currently almost four in the morning where I live and I’ve been up two hours straight writing this, so if you’ll excuse me -

I’m going to go pass out.

Bye!

[superthatguy62]

Opera Omnia really tried with the whole “Onion Knight doubts his existence” plot point, but all it just reminds me is of the four people who would probably make that plotline 100x more interesting with the whole “our entire lives changed course due to Xande’s shenanigans” thing.

Also, Ingus got sprites for his Freelancer outfit in FFRK, so consider this a test of those.

BONUS:

Luneth doesn’t have any Freelancer sprites, so...

[mimiyanna]

When it’s 1am and Duty Finder hasn’t popped in over an hour you know it’s time to give up and go to bed.

[impossible-rat-babies]

i dunno if eyrie could even still be a summoner after the redacted fight

[plounce]

what people misunderstand about the hvw patch urianger plotline is that urianger's greatest sin in that arc is not sending minfilia to the first. he didn't actually do that. what he did is set up a confrontation between the wol and ardbert's party without elidibus' knowledge so all the crystals of light from the wol and from ardbert's party would allow them to talk to hydaelyn and minfilia. that is what he did. then he presented his solution to the first and source's dual problem, and minfilia AGREED and so did hydaelyn and so minfilia chose to go over. minfilia was already lost in the sauce. the wol and the scions knew that, they saw her in the antitower as the vessel of hydaelyn as The Word Of The Mother. she was already in there and it wasn't going to be as easy to get her out like they did y'shtola and thancred - or maybe even possible. what he arranged is a meeting that had the ability to conclude in the way he wanted - which was a way for the first to survive, and for no calamity to happen on the source. and in that, he allowed everyone to see minfilia again and speak with her. so he could ask her if she was willing to do that. he didn't punt her over there! because even when he's taking action, he is still a really passive person lmao. but he gave minfilia the option to save two entire worlds, which she was happy to choose to do.

urianger's ACTUAL greatest sin in that arc is alisaie's poisoning by renda-rae's arrow. i don't know if urianger was with the warriors of darkness for that incident or if he was at the waking sands, and i KNOW he was probably horrified to hear about the incident and intensely regretfull and ashamed he wasn't there to stop it (like he stopped ardbert's party in the cutscene after xelphatol later on) but regardless, i don't think their relationship was ever the same after that. which makes me miserable, because right before this is the bahamut coils plot, where alisaie trusts urianger as her scion contact (not alphinaud!) because he's a close family friend, and he obviously respects her so incredibly much (he uses "you" for her!) and is so distressed when he sees her (and alphinaud) all beat up after the final coil. they never act very close after 3.4, aside from urianger presenting her with a custom-made rapier and a prophecy before she sets sail to kugane in stormblood. i think that is in part meant as an apology (and also so alisaie has an easier time casting), but they never really team up again like they did in the coils plot. this probably isn't intentional on the part of the writers, but it's an absence that feels conspicuous to me. when your childhood babysitter almost gets you killed.

[romancemedia]

Anime Romances + Dance

[estinininininen]

FFXIV fans this is your daily reminder that if Estinien has even a tiny fraction of Nidhogg's memories he knows a hell of a lot more than he's letting on.

Nidhogg remembers at least three Umbral Calamities, and probably four or five. Safe to assume he defended Coerthas from Allag, and that he heard Vrtra looking for Azdaja and the primal-ification of Bahamut through dragon song. The DRG 80 quest states Nidhogg considered himself guardian of the star after Midgardsormr. At his prime, Nidhogg may have even known or been trying to learn his father's abilities - the changing form, the crystals, possibly even the ability to speak with Hydaelyn. Theory time: Hydaelyn may have even rejected him for being a dragon supremacist.

Estinien's shortcomings (if you don't have another silly explanation for them) have to do with mortal knowledge and interactions, like niceties, coin, and bluffing immigration officers. He asks for the Scions to explains things because they have discovered stuff nobody knew before this, or they were using vocabulary he doesn't know.

In Shadowbringers the idea of Ascians doesn't phase him, but the different shards and time travel nonsense throw him for a bit of a loop, coincidentally things Nidhogg wouldn't know. He is very tense at the idea of the WOL seeing his memories, and leaves immediately, but after telling you he shares Nidhogg's memories in 5.5 he chills out and hangs around more. Like he saw the writing on the wall about joining the Scions and covered his own ass in case of an Echo vision.

In Endwalker the reason I think he said "At least I will not pretend to understand this talk of ancient primals or the Final Days" and the like is because he has to constantly sort out if what Nidhogg knew was correct. He is remarkably chill staring up at Hydaelyn like "ya bitch let's go let's fight God." What Hydaelyn said to Estinien about hate becoming love is ambiguous enough it could also apply to Nidhogg.

And you are still the only person he has directly told he shares some memories with Nidhogg. He is deliberately not sharing this with people. He doesn't want to be Nidhogg. Most of the information is pointless outside of Coerthas in the 7th astral era. He makes an exception when he is the only one who knows something important - there's a Great Wyrm behind the curtain, how to motivate depressed dragons, the Eyes of Nidhogg are active again better find them, Omega? wait the thing that chased Midgardsormr? if not me better make sure someone handles it, oh shit Zenos is standing back up that's not Zenos anymore-

Then he just wants to have a drink and some dried squid and chill out. Not get interrogated about past kingdoms, or have his brain and eyes poked at when he dies ( . . . if he's even mortal anymore.)

[fire-of-the-sun]

Noctis and The 'Black Moment' That Never Was

Given the recent discovery of an earlier version of a Final Fantasy XV scene featuring Noctis being imprisoned by Bahamut in Angelgard instead of the Crystal and him showing genuine fear about his destiny (here), I'm reminded of how unfortunate it is that the final game didn't explore the reaction to his fate as well as it deserved and how it could have been one of the most significant scenes in the game. In light of this new scene, I want to use it as an opportunity to address this vital plot point, how it affects Noctis' arc and the story as a whole and why what we got just didn't quite hit the mark.

THE 'BLACK MOMENT'

In typical story structure, this plot point would represent the "The Black Moment" or "The Dark Night of the Soul" among other titles. Taking place before the climax of a story, this pivotal moment is intended to feel like all hope is now lost and showcase the protagonist at their lowest and, in many cases, physically alone. To overcome this, these scenes demand that they gain new insight and understanding - essentially to realize the lesson meant to be learned that defines the thematic core of the story - to pull them out of their despair and carry them across the threshold to the final act. In the above image, you can see that this event precedes the "Road Back" which, in the case of this story, is obviously represented by Noctis returning to the world and regrouping with his allies before entering the climax to face Ardyn and fulfill his calling. Of course, everything leading to the end hinges on the 'Black Moment' beat, so let's explore how each version of this scene tried to tackle this and how they could have been improved:

SCENE COMPARISON

In the original version of the scene, Noctis is physically imprisoned in a dark and gloomy cell in Angelgard - a fitting choice that helps to highlight the tragedy of his circumstances and reflect how he feels trapped by his destiny as well as parallel Ardyn's own imprisonment. Noctis verbally lashes out at Bahamut and expresses genuine anger and fear towards the newly discovered truth of his impending demise.

"'Returned to naught'? I just... fade away? Wait - no! Lemme out of here! - Noctis

Though this missing scene does a better job portraying a stronger reaction from Noctis than the final game, it does still fail to give credible evidence to validate his decision to accept his fate beyond the player simply selecting an option to continue. As such, Noctis and the player may feel more coerced into saying 'yes' here without actually going through the time and processing necessary to truly accept it. Though I'm sure this scene doesn't fully represent the developer's initial intentions and there could have been far more to it, as it stands, it's still not enough to create a successful 'Black Moment".

"Only at the throne can the Chosen receive [the power] and only at the cost of a life: his own. The King of Kings shall be granted the power to banish the darkness, but the blood price must be paid. To cast out the Usurper and usher in Dawn's light will cost the life of the Chosen. Many sacrificed all for the King so must the King sacrifice himself for all. Now enter into Reflection, that the Light of Providence shine within." - Bahamut

In the final version of the game, the essential elements needed for this scene to work are... present to a degree but could have been greatly improved as these aspects are implied rather than explored. After being told the news of his impending death, Noctis does make a distressed expression, but he never gets to voice or process his feelings about it and the moment quickly moves away to show him being forced into slumber.

This is supposed to be a huge turning point. A gut punch to the character and audience and it deserved a stronger reaction - one more akin to the panic and anger that is showcased in the original scene. On the heels of this devastating news, discovering Ardyn's true identity and nefarious intentions and finding himself utterly alone without his friends, Noctis is understandably at his lowest and we need to feel that. Light shines brightest in the dark and the darker we allow this scene the be, the brighter hope can shine after and the more satisfying it will be.

By way of processing, we see a brief montage of footage from previous moments in the game to show Noctis reflecting on them and then he awakens 10 years later having completely worked through all of his trauma, grief and guilt and the sudden transformation naturally feels a bit jarring. Progress is assumed through the passage of time and the natural maturation that comes from age, but this simply isn't enough. There is a lot to unpack here and it deserves to be. The game can't simply rely on a time skip to produce a grudging acceptance. It needs to be a choice - one that he makes wholeheartedly and that the audience fully understands.

I will say, I do like physically seeing the power entering Noctis via the Ring of the Lucii in this version rather than implying he's powering up off-screen, but it's something he should earn after accepting his fate rather than it being forced on him without his consent. Gaining the power he needs to save the world needs to act as the reward for choosing to do so.

DIGGING DEEPER

So, what is necessary for him to grow here? What is the thing that truly awakens the inner King in Noctis and brings him out of the depths of his despair? What makes him choose to willingly sacrifice his life? Though it's an amalgam of a number of things, above all, it is love. Love for his father, love for Luna, love for his friends, love for the people he's met and the world he lives in. Love that counteracts his fear. He has to remember what and who he's doing this for. Though the cost is steep, he has to determine it's worth it to fulfill his duty and save the world.

Of course, Noctis' opinion about his calling changes throughout the story. After Luna first introduces him to the reality that he is the Chosen one as a child, he's hesitant at first, but promises he won't let her down. He has no real idea of what his task will truly be but shows enthusiasm anyway most likely because it was Luna herself who showed such belief in him. As an adult, Noctis begins to struggle with his new reality after the death of his father and shows great anxiety about the mounting responsibilities thrust upon him including his kingly duties, upcoming marriage and the growing burden of his calling. After the loss of Luna, his dedication to continue feels largely driven by immense guilt and need for revenge. In Episode Ignis, after Ignis suggests they end their quest due to suffering so much loss (and now knowing about Noctis' fate), he responds:

"Are you kidding me? That's exactly why I have to keep going - because if I give up now, their sacrifices would have been for nothing!" - Noctis

Though not wanting their sacrifices to be in vain is noble, this should not be his main driving force, especially if his desire to press forward comes from a place of pain and contrition more than anything else. He even refuses to put on the Ring - the symbol of his Kingship and destiny - which shows his lack of true commitment to what is expected of him. At this point, he still has a lot to process and understand before he can fully accept the reality of a fate he is still largely unaware of and truly let go of the fears and anxieties surrounding it.

Noctis has had little time to process his emotions on his journey thus far and the respite afforded by the 'Black Moment' now allows him the opportunity to do so. Whether through playable content that permits Noctis and the audience to tangibly explore his past and current emotions or a prolonged cutscene in either the prison or Crystal, we definitely needed to see him confront what's happened thus far - the good and the bad - and grow from it.

In the Dawn of the Future version of the story, we learn more about what Noctis was dreaming about in the Crystal which included witnessing some of the history of the world, seeing insightful pieces of the lives of characters such as Ardyn and Luna and even getting to interact with his father again. Given this was added to the book and therefore indicative of the developer's intention to feature it in Episode Noctis, I wonder if it had always been their desire to explore his time in the Crystal this way but never got the time to realize in the final game. Noctis actually getting to see and interact with the past and other significant figures would have made for a far more effective 'Black Moment' given its prolonged introspective and revelatory nature.

THE LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

To help guide and comfort him as she always has, I believe that somehow seeing or hearing Luna's spirit again in some way during the 'Black Moment' would have been essential given her narrative purpose and provide a satisfying reference back to her dying promise to him:

"When the world falls down around you and hope is lost. When you find yourself alone amid a lightless place. Look to the distance, know that I am there and that I watch over you always." - Lunafreya

Like the moon shining in his dark prison cell in the old version - the literal light in the night sky - she is the reminder of love and hope to cling to when the darkness threatens to swallow him. This dialogue is so accurate to this scene that I feel it was foreshadowing it specifically to payoff here. Also, if they had gone with the idea of Noctis drawing his power from the moon instead of the Crystal, her presence would be even more significant here and it certainly seems like the original version in Angelgard attempted to spotlight her to a degree as the translated dialogue after he accepts his charge reveals:

"No one tells me anything. I'm always late accepting. Luna, I'm sorry. I will fulfill my duty." - Noctis (Translated by K as in Kei)

This situation creates an even deeper connection between them as, to save the world together like they were destined to do, both Noctis and Luna have to die and surrender their personal desires for a future. As in life, Noctis has to continue to follow her lead and example to become the man she always knew he could be. If she could be dutiful and walk boldly to her fate, so can he and that knowledge would be paramount in helping to encourage him to complete his journey as he remembers his promise not to let her down.

Of course, to truly accept his death, Noctis would naturally have to mourn the life he won't get to live. So many aspects of his life have been derailed already and, after the loss of his father, his home and his fiancé, he now has to face that he has no future beyond being a sacrifice. This is a reality that Luna had to face as well, which would help him better understand what she had to go through and even come to terms with her death as he comes to terms with his own. By letting go of the guilt he feels and truly recognizing that it was an inevitable and accepted part of her calling and not a product of his own mistakes, can he start to forgive himself for everything else, too.

"[...] That may be but it's my choice. If only... if only I could hear his voice once more. If we could laugh together as we did as children. If we could live out our days together as we once dreamed. [...] Forgive me, I vowed to only cry where prying eyes could not see the tears in mine. [...] No, she is no different at all. She wants exactly what they do: to be with the one she loves. But want though she may, it is not to be." - Lunafreya

In a moving flashback, we see Luna grieve the life she wanted and knew she would never have but emphasize that, despite her sorrow, it was still her choice to "throw her life away" and one that she accepted fully with humility and grace. We see her persist to the end due to her strong sense of duty and, most importantly, her love and dedication to Noctis and the people of the world which is what he must use to guide him as well.

To me, this moment feels reminiscent of the campfire scene where Noctis also tearfully voices his acceptance of his fate while allowing himself to uncharacteristically reveal the pain of it, too. Though Noctis has had a decade to process these feelings by this point and fully come to terms with them, he's still a person mourning the sudden finality of his life and the now fleeting moments he'll get to spend with his remaining loved ones. The emotional strength of this scene could act as a reflection of his initial despair as the pain becomes fresh once more but, this time, Noctis is more readily able to tame it. As he stands and looks to each of his friends in turn, reflecting on their friendship and his love for them, he allows that love to outweigh fear and grief. As we watch his tears turn into a smile, it is a perfect display of how he's grown from the 'Black Moment' and a fitting final scene to the game.

"So, I... I've made my peace. Still, knowing this is it and seeing you here, now, it's... more than I can take. Well, what can I say? You guys are the best." - Noctis

All of this emotional progress would also lead him to simply start believing in himself and his worth. He has to remember that he has the support of so many who truly have faith in his ability to fulfill his duty and it's something he needs to accept in himself, too. If they had gone with the Angelgard prison version, a place once defined by punishment would herald Noctis' liberation and, instead of succumbing to darkness like Ardyn, he found light.

METAMORPHOSIS

By reflecting on and embracing his past and remembering what drives him, Noctis would then be ready to finally accept the reality of his calling and begin his metamorphosis, both physically and emotionally, into the King of Light. The man that emerges 10 years later is wise, mature and at peace with his fate. Though the sudden change may not feel as congruent in the final game without taking the time and necessary steps to get there, there are still many moments depicting just how far Noctis has come after the time skip that leave an impact regardless. Beyond the campfire scene, another great example that comes to mind is his conversation with Ignis, showcasing that he can now look back on his life fondly and doesn't hold onto negative emotions:

"You know, looking back, it wasn't all bad. [...] And our fair share of trouble too... but I don't have any regrets. Luna and you guys brought me this far and now I'm on my own." - Noctis

We can also see how much he's grown in his final battle with Ardyn. Not only is he physically stronger, but he's also gained the mental and emotional fortitude to withstand Ardyn's denigrations regarding his efficacy as the Chosen One and his guilt about his father and Luna. Though these barbs would have hit their mark in the past, Noctis is now resistant to them as he's fully processed those emotions and no longer gives them credence. Noctis has tasted the darkness Ardyn once knew but come out of it intact due to the strength of his relationships that ushered him through it. Unlike Ardyn, he is not alone and he fights for love instead of revenge and that is why he succeeds.

"Yet when your father died, you were off playing with your friends! When your beloved died, you lay watching powerless to stop it! You think 10 years is a long time? It is nothing to me! I have lived in darkness for ages!" - Ardyn

Despite what some might think, defeating Ardyn in the physical world is not the Climax. It's in the throne room that Noctis must face the true test of his calling and finally allow himself to be sacrificed. This is where the themes and the lessons he's embraced from the 'Black Moment' rise to the forefront and lead to Ardyn's ultimate demise. It is here that Noctis walks to his death without visible fear, summoning his own executioners with steeled resolve. There are no tears. No second thoughts. Just an unwavering determination to fulfill his calling and save the world once and for all as he assures his father to trust in his ability to do so.

"I'm home. I walked tall and though it took me a while, I'm ready now. I love you all. Luna, guys, dad. The time we had together, I cherish." - Noctis

Through dialogue, the scene reminds us that Noctis' relationships are his driving force and, in what could have been an even more moving parallel to the 'Black Moment', the flashback footage of his loved ones that he remembers at his lowest once more is what helps him endure the agony of his sacrifice and is enough to sustain his strength to continue to the end.

"It's finally over." - Noctis

As Noctis utters these final words at the culmination of years spent in turmoil facing the obstacles of his unjust fate, Noctis dies with a small smile on his face, relieved that his struggles are finally over. He has restored light and hope to the world, fulfilled his calling and can now rest with his lost love knowing he succeeded in safeguarding his remaining loved ones and provided a future for generations to come. It's a bittersweet conclusion to his life - one filled with great strife and heartache but also great love - love that was essential to save the world.

In another parallel between them, Noctis' end reminds me of Ravus' words regarding the death of his sister, Luna, in Episode Ignis and further showcases how much Noctis succeeded in following her footsteps:

"I always knew that [Luna] would face [her] fate without fear, fulfill [her] duty without regret. But part of me always hoped... she would get the chance to live and love as she pleased. [...] And, as in life, I know she will confront that challenge with a smile on her face." - Ravus

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, allowing Noctis to have a stronger reaction to the devastating news of his fate and exploring his passage to acceptance to provide necessary character growth would have been a huge improvement and further embodied and enhanced the heart of this story, one that, though touched upon to a degree, is lacking the immense impact it could have had. Though this game is full of powerful, moving moments, a more successful 'Black Moment' could have been one of the strongest and added more weight to an already emotionally resonant conclusion.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this meta, please like and reblog to help spread it around!

[thatbloodycountess]

I know it’s been six years, and the fandom is mostly dead, but I’ve been thinking about FFXV lately. The story was great and I loved the characters, but there were holes in the plot and with character development. I get that the developers had an idea story-wise and made significant changes once Tabata took over. Even after six years, I can still see what was left on the table and I have some ideas on how to remedy these issues.

I loved the beginning where the Regalia broke down. But, the game could’ve started a day or two before the boys left Insomnia. We could’ve had some time with Regis and Clarus and get an idea how them and the boys felt about the journey.

They could’ve added the events from Kingsglaive to the game itself. I’m sure not everyone saw the movie and it would’ve been awesome to play as Nyx. This would’ve lengthened the first chapter too.

The DLCs could’ve been weaved into the main game. The Trails of Cold Steel series did a good job of diverging storylines. Events in these storylines were happening simultaneously and added impact to those plot points. It would’ve been easy to switch to Gladio once Noctis found the mythril, considering both events were happening at the same time.

The same goes for Episodes Ignis and Prompto. Ignis’ DLC could pick up immediately during the chaos in Altissia. The latter could’ve been placed after Prompto fell off the train and ended when he was captured by Ardyn. Or if his memories were being manipulated, when the player sees him strung up on that contraption in Gralea.

SE missed an opportunity to continue the story during the ten years of darkness. That chapter could’ve opened with the beginning of Ardyn’s story and spaced it out a bit until the DLC’s conclusion. Luna and Aranea’s DLCs could kick in here too, considering both would’ve fleshed the story out more. Then bring in Episode Noctis and perhaps have a FFVII lifestream moment as he obtains the knowledge of the Lucian kings.

I’ve read that the ending in Dawn of the Future isn’t canon. It’s an alternative ending like Ignis being healed by the crystal in his DLC. However, it could’ve been just as impactful as the canon ending. Since it makes Bahamut the villain and uses the trope that humans can become stronger than gods. It’s a similar situation Yuna faced in FFX, but she got to challenge her fate. Noctis didn’t.

The chapters were too short for my liking and there should’ve been more foreshadowing about Prompto’s origins other than Aranea’s comment outside of Steyliff Grove. Noctis didn’t find out that he has to sacrifice himself until he was absorbed into the crystal. He accepted his fate too easily. There was no point where he became angry over it or wonder if Regis or Luna knew what his fate would be. Again, he didn’t get the chance to tell Bahamut to go fuck himself.

The game is one of my favorites in the series and always will be. But there were so many missed opportunities and it makes me wonder what could’ve been.

[foamofthe-sea]

Found some questions rummaging through the xiv tags while I wait for this social event to start so send a number and I'll answer it? Feel free to reblog and do the same.

1. Where were they during the Calamity? 

2. How did they acquire their Echo? 

3. Does their Echo function like it does in the MSQ? Or is there a twist to it? 

4. Do they have a canon mount or minion? What's its name(s)? 

5. Where are they from? What was their childhood like?

6. How did they deal with the massacre on the Waking Sands?  

7. How did they deal with Haurchefant's death? 

8. How did they feel about the liberation of Ala Mhigo? Do they feel it could have been handled differently? Where they at all bothered by how they were involved? 

9. How do they feel about Zenos? 

10. How do they feel about their relationship with Hydaelyn? Midgarsormr?

11. Were they more sympathetic to the dragons, Ishgardians, neither or both? 

12. How has their job affected whatever headcanon version is of the MSQ if any? 

13. Are they close with any of the other Scions? Who do they get along with the best? 

14. Of the Scions, who are they most worried for? 

15. Is your WoL promiscuous? Celibate? Or just waiting for the right person? 

16. What does your WoL do to relax? What sorts of distractions do they seek? Do they foster any bad habits as a result?

17. Who is their favorite Alliance leader? Who do they get along with the best out of them? 

18. Does your WoL fully embrace their role as the WoL or do they try to remain humble? 

19. What do they think of the Heaven's Ward? 

20. Of all the places they've been to, which is their favorite? Do they like to go back there? 

21. Are there any raid storylines (Ivalice, Coil of Bahamut, Werlyt, etc.) you consider to be canon for your WoL? Which ones don't you consider canon? 

22. Do you  have a unique tale for their job class or is it pretty much like what it is in the game?

23. Are there any side quest storylines that you're particularly fond of or think of as being canon to your WoL's experiences? 

24. Does your WoL have any phobias? 

25. Do they have any habits or rituals that they do to soothe themselves? I.e. Playing with their hair, chewing their lip, fidgeting, etc. 

26. Do they suffer any traumas from any of their adventures? How do you foresee this affecting them going forward? 

27. How did the events of Shadowbringers impact them? 

28. Were they suspicious or open to Emet-Selch's presence when he first appeared? 

29. Did your WoL suspect anything was amiss with Urianger or the Crystal Exarch? Did they feel betrayed? Upset? When the truth finally emerged? 

30. What was their highest point in Shadowbringers? Their lowest? What caused it? 

31. What were their first impressions of Hien? 

32. Did they trust Asahi right away? Why or why not? 

33. How did they feel about what happened with Yotsuyu? Did they feel like she was justified in her actions?

34. Would you say your WoL is fundamentally a good person? Or are they a bad person that's been persuaded to do the right things? 

35. How do they feel about the fact that they've killed a lot of people and/or things?

[queenoffishingandcookies]

Thinking on the first shower Noctis took, post-crystal.

He wakes up, and he has to know on some level that quite some time has passed, even before he reaches Galdin Quay. The scratch of facial hair on his chin, the way his hair is longer and tickles his chin now when it shouldn't have, the accumulated grime - dust and dirt and traces of black soot and gray ash on his fatigues - on his skin and clothes from the struggle in Zegnatus Keep and then a decade in stasis.

I'm not sure if the crystal just up and deposited him on Angelgard, because while Noctis was sucked into it in his entirety - we don't know of the divide between his soul/mind, and his actual body, and there's something so grim in thinking about Noctis himself was in the crystal, absorbing centuries of power, while his body is left in Angelgard.

That also, to me, makes more sense as to why Gentiana and Umbra would be there, guarding him, and later - a la Comrades expansion - the surviving Glaives.

Noctis himself wasn't there, but his body was.

Imagine the feel of that. Ten years worth of grime, or nearly.

I say nearly, and maybe it's just my bleeding heart for how Gentiana does care about Luna, and in turn how Luna cares for Noctis, but there's something very tender and bittersweet in the thought of Gentiana - the messenger and Astral in one - trying her best to keep Noctis healthy during that long decade, like sponge bathing to keep the worst off him.

If anyone had direct access to Noct, it would be her.

It wouldn't be the same as a proper bath, or real exercise, but it would be something - keeping of muscular atrophy and maintaining his hygiene as much as possible (as well as whatever crystal fuckery is going on besides Bahamut's revelation, because the amount of issues Noct should have woken up with makes no small list).

Noctis wakes up, and he walks the trail Umbra paves for him, to the shores of Angelgard - and the royal vessel is waiting there for him. Aged, probably worn, but there to bring him back to the mainland. Back to Lucis.

We never see the interior of the Royal Vessel, but there's probably bedrooms - and probably a bathroom. Considering Noctis would probably be more focused on driving the yacht itself, rather than stopping, it'd be unlikely for him to enter the bathroom - but the thought of him looking into a mirror, and looking at himself, so changed from what he remembers being...

It carves the strongest feeling of loss, down to the roots of my heart in my chest because - Noctis is grown. He's fully grown, a man, and yet - not. Ten years were stolen from him, and he wouldn't even know yet. Not until running into Talcott.

There's so much of his father in his face, but his father is dead. His father never got the chance to see Noctis grown up in life, never would have gotten the chance with the strain of the wall and the magic of their bloodline sucking his life away.

His father, who at the end of it all, would be forced to deliver the final blow which severed Noctis from his body once more.

Permanently.

I think it might be even worse, though. For Noctis to first see himself in the mirrors of Talcott's van. In glimpses, but never as a whole, because it's so damn dark and the sun hasn't risen - hasn't pierced the clouds of miasma - for near ten years.

If there was anywhere he'd be able to see his face, it would be at Hammerhead. Hammerhead, where his retinue was waiting - Prompto, and Gladio, and Ignis (who would, just like Regis, be unable to bear witness to Noctis growth).

They're all different, too. Gladio, with longer hair and more scars to count. Prompto, with a goatee a tad longer than Noct's stubble and facing down Daemons with more practice and experience. Iggy, who can't see, but learned to cook and fight again, with more lines on his face and scars on his hands from where others had helped guide weaponry or cookery away from himself before he had adjusted -

Then, Iggy being the exception (except for the visions in Altissia), they are the first people to see his face, besides Umbra, besides Gentiana, Talcott, the Glaives...

There's the feel of water dousing his hair, rolling down his spine and over his body, and it's not hot or cold - but lukewarm. People in and out of Hammerhead now, the power that goes into heating water needed elsewhere. The scent of bland soap, without any real fragrance. Clear water running dark down a drain as he scrubs and scrubs and scrubs - and he gets out, and he gets dressed in attire fit of a king.

A warrior, heading to war. A man, mortal and yet to become not, preparing to make a declaration to the heavens themselves not in words, but his own spilled blood staining the throne once built off of it.

Just. Noctis waking up after the crystal.

Feelings.

[krisssssssy]

It really pisses me off when Bahamut tells Noctis about Ardyn being the Accursed saying he was transformed evil by spite or whatever like SIR?? SIR? NO. No. Buddy. You literally told him he had to become the Accursed, that it was unavoidable. Like. Bro. Not cool.

It makes me wonder how much Noctis really understood Ardyn’s past and how much of that was shown to him in the Crystal.

Like Bahamut is literally like oh yeah that dude is crazy, he’s bent on revenge and brought the darkness lol. Like yeah what a nut job. I had no part in it obviously bc I’m god basically lol. You gotta kill him.

Sigh.