#i just... think a lot about what it means to worship someone like grima...

[the-priestess-of-dawn]

thinking abt ur validar post because i actually thought about that a little in my stupid werewolf fic. I had to really sit down and be like "what the fuck would people even FIND attractive about this guy enough to have a baby" and I didnt wanna just use the occult angle and it hit me that Validar isn't self-caring because he hates he's not the vessel he wanted and yeah he definitely IS the equivalent of That Parent. You know the one. What I'm saying is maybe there's a commentary to be made here abt how the Plegian people and him in turn felt so dehumanized in general after a point even the extremist sects of Grimleal were better bc well, if you become food for Grima/BECOME Grima's body then you're useful and good and righteous. What gets me is Plegia isn't poor, either, but its poor in sustainability outside the ocean... idk, a lot of food for thought with Validar here. I didn't expect to think abt him in FEH so deeply but here we are.

Honestly it's kind of embarrassing how much I HAVE deeply thought about Validar. I've been wanting him to get into FEH for a long time now. A lot of his lines in Awakening are so poorly written that it's hard to make sense of him as a person. But even though you can't really argue that he's in any way sympathetic in the text... For me at least, there's no such thing as a completely unsympathetic villain, and I can't help feeling sorry for both him and the other members of the Grimleal...

I mean, yeah, when Aversa explains that Plegia suffering under Gangrel was useful because it drove the people to worship, I think we ARE supposed to feel bad for the common people. But I think it's easy to fall into a trap of trying to distinguish those ordinary citizens from the evil, manipulative leaders like Validar just a little bit too much. Aren't they all trapped in the same vicious cycle, in the end?

Over the course of the game, we occasionally fight some Grimleal enemies who are... really just nasty, and not supposed to be given a second thought at all. But I can't help but be moved that they call out to Grima with their dying words... "Master Grima... my life force... is yours..." (Chalard, Chapter 8). "Lord Grima... Rain down... retribution..." (Jamil, Paralogue 6).

The Grimleal... love Grima. Even Validar loves Grima. Aversa says he's everything she knows of love, but she also doesn't presume he loves HER, so of course it's his devotion to Grima that she sees. Notably, it's this form of love that makes her content to die for him.

So I end up feeling deeply moved, even though (or more accurately, BECAUSE) the entire philosophy behind the Grimleal is so horrific. The deep despair these people must feel in order to see salvation in the form of humanity's destruction... It's NOT just "hee hee powerful dragon will make me powerful" because these people, including Validar, do not presume that they are special and going to survive. Even the leader of the Grimleal is nothing. Grima alone is everything.

And... okay I talk a lot about the symbolism of Grima's name meaning mask, which I love so much, but lately I've also been thinking about the meaning of their Japanese name, Gimurei—from Norse, Gimlé, referring to the place where the righteous will dwell in happiness after Ragnarok, which will stand "even when both heaven and earth have passed away." So... yes, I do think that for the Grimleal, giving their souls to Grima is a way of becoming righteous. The world is cruel and ugly but Grima will make it right :::)

(Of course, because they believe Grima is the only answer, no one does anything to make the world they have any better. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. One that Grima is drawn into as well. When this is what they wake up to, what are they supposed to do? If they don't destroy the world, they will be letting a LOT of people down.)

[evostrashbin]

Any backstory or headcanons for your Kiran? It’s fun to hear the backstories of other summoners! Or if that’s too broad uh...why did she pick Grima? What do they have in common how did they learn to get along etc

Oho buckle up now this is about to get LONG since I had a few months to think about these kind of things 👀 (These are purely headcanons for my personal version of Kiran of course! Some of this might be a little dark so TW for abuse mention , please skip parts that make you feel uncomfortable! Also keep in mind I'm no native english speaker and haven't written anything long in ages )

Her backstory is nothing out of the ordinary, she's been summoned to Askr from our dimension & current time and was just a normal person before she became the summoner. She's pretty thrilled by her new role and takes her duty very serious (even if some of my art might suggest otherwise haha) and is absolutely fascinated by now being surrounded by magic, dragons and literal gods, things she normally only knew & loved from fairytales! Coming from an abusive family she not once looked back and never had the desire to return to her old realm and is happily living in Askr now. Her and Grima originally started out on a weird kind of fascination coming from both sides, with Kiran being completely unafraid of Grima the second she summoned him, he found that very odd since the usual reaction of people seeing him is fear, but Kiran was just... happy he showed up and not in a way of „Wow a powerful god I can use for his power“ but just genuine, foolish excitement. Considering he was the first evil dragon god she ever summoned she was just very intrigued by him, wanted to know more about him and why so many of other heroes were so afraid of him. So she made it her mission to get to know him a little better and make him feel welcome in his new home (But making sure to give him space if needed!). Grima was a little annoyed by that at first, asking her why she keeps pestering him but also just perplexed by her actively seeking out his company with seemingly no goal (at least none that made sense to him, why would anyone seek him out on their own if not to appease to him for his power to use it for their own selfish gain). Considering his distrust and straight up hatred towards humankind he's not exactly kind to her in the beginning since he suspects ulterior motives, but Kiran doesn't let that discourage her and she's not taking any of it. If anything it just makes her wonder why he despises humans so much (and yet has chosen a human vessel...) , why he's so full of hatred and since she's stubborn, she just keeps „pestering“ him. Though he would never admit it, he finds himself enjoying her company, this odd little human who doesn't fear him at all from a realm unlike anything he's ever known before and ends up slowly warming up to her (in his own way, means he's getting less insulting and starts having actual conversations with her, he finds himself very intrigued by the fact that neither dragons nor gods exist in her realm and so does magic and yet she's the one Breidablik has chosen to get that kind of power? Also Kiran has the patience of a saint even when Grima is testing that alot at times ) After a while they both start sharing bits of their pasts with each other (Imagine Grima still being kinda snarky, but in a less mean way haha. Also Grima being very much suprised at Kiran not abandoning him after learning about his past), and learn that they're not so different from each other in some ways, touching common ground in the experience of having had the ugliness of humanity having turned them repulsive and disappointed (Due to Kiran's almost life-long experience with physically and mentally abusive parents that were only interested in her as a resource, and not as a person and once she had no use or didn't obey their wishes, they just straight up told her everyone would be better off without her and that she should've never been born and essentially making her believe that everything wrong in the world is her fault & blaming her for it because she's just „ such a terrible child“ (just to keep it very short, we're not going to dive into the really ugly details) . They bond over having parental figures who treat their whole existance as a mistake as soon as they lost total control over it and people just constantly using them as a resource for their own gain. Basically trauma-bonding at its finest, both have seen and experienced some of the ugliest sides of humanity. This leads to Kiran now understanding where Grima's hatred comes from. (Though Grima genuinely asks himself how Kiran doesn't t hate all of humanity after her experiences...) With her newfound understanding she decides to show Grima that not all of humanity is ugly and selfish and cruel ( a lesson she had to learn herself for years and still sometimes struggles with, but she's determined to show Grima that there's people he can trust, even if it might just be her) and wants to give him a chance to start new in Askr and leave his past behind so even he might be able to find happiness. She's not striving to drastically change him though, she wants to help him cope with his experiences and give him a chance to live a somewhat normal life (as much as that's possible for someone as Grima) , following his longing to just be human. Grima in return might not openly show it, but he really appreciates her efforts in treating him with kindness and (mostly) like a normal person and not a lost cause beyond any redemption that's just 100% pure evil and never deserves anything good happening to them. So they slowly build a relationship on mutual trust, Kiran just likes him the way he is despite him not exactly being a good person (she's well aware he's flawed but so is she in the end and all the ‘ugly’ parts of him and his past are just a part of him)  .It's... new and not unpleasant to him, having someone who wants him around who isn't just blindly worshipping him or staying out of fear. It's just a whole new experience for him that comes with having to deal with a whole lot of unknown emotions over time ;) That's what it boils down to to keep it short! Do not let yourself get deceived though, the only person Grima is kinda soft with is Kiran and pretty much exclusively when it's just the two of them since Grima does not want to have other people see him kinda vulnerable or think of him as weak, He'll still threaten to kill other people while calling Kiran his worm (in a loving way haha). Kiran herself also isn't just endless patience and kindness, she also likes to mess around at times with Grima and has her own struggles and flaws, if she'd ever get a fallen alt it would probably be a duo unit of her and Grima where she gives up believing into there being some good in the world and turns her back to it with Grima, giving in to despair and seeking to just destroy everything with him when all the bad things get too overwhelming. oh also some random headcanons for Kiran! -She's prone to overworking herself since she takes her work very serious, fell asleep in the library and the castle gardens more than once due to exhaustion, got to a point where even Grima scolded her for it to take more care of her health. -She's nocturnal so you'll find her wandering around the castle at weird times, often makes for nice and silent meetings with Grima just to talk when nobody else is around since he doesn't sleep alot. -She enjoys drawing as a hobby in Askr and keeps a sketchbook which she uses to make sketches and sometimes even studies of all kinds of heroes she finds interesting! She once made a detailled study of Grima's dragon form and gifted it to him on the day of devotion c:

[fire-emblem-heroes-supports]

Summoner/Naga C-A Support

Written by @ p-riama

C SUPPORT

(y/n): You’re not a God, are you?

Naga: That is correct. How curious… You’re the first human who’s come to me to say such a thing.

(y/n): Did I offend you?

Naga: Not at all. Many worship me as a deity and some despise me as a false god. It is quite amusing that you come forth to me in such a manner.

(y/n): Truth be told, you fascinate me a lot.

Naga: Oh? How so?

(y/n): Well, out of all the people in this castle, you’ve been alive the longest it almost sets you apart. Even from the other dragons.

Naga: Is it my age that interests you the most?

(y/n): It’s one of the things that do. If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you anyway?

Naga: Hmm… I would say I am over 30 millennia…

(y/n): Wow… Impressive!

Naga: In dragon years.

(y/n): Huh. How old is that in human years?

Naga: Let’s see… Hmm… Approximately… 200 million years.

(y/n): HOLY SHIT!

Naga: I said approximately.

[(y/n) and Naga have reached support rank C.]

B SUPPORT

(y/n): Naga, I’ve seen your human-esque form and your dragon form. Heh, the latter sets the fear of God on plenty of the people here.

Naga: I apologize for the inconvenience.

(y/n): No worries. If they can handle world jumping, they’ll get used to you eventually. Anyways, as I was saying… Are these your original forms? Or are they disguises?

Naga: What a bizarre inquiry. Where do you get these ideas?

(y/n): Well, where I come from there are stories of, uh, eldritch beings that are so unimaginable by humanity’s standards that if a person were to look at them they’d lose their minds and probably die from shock.

Naga: Hmm. Eldritch, you say? I suppose that word describes me well. I’ve been alive for far longer than even my kin and, as you said in the past, that sets me apart from most; my might can level the earth beneath our feet and no army can hope to match me. As for your question… The form you see now and the dragon you see in the battlefield… They are guises, yes, but also my true faces.

(y/n): Huh… I don’t really get it.

Naga: Let me explain with an example. When you came forth from your mother’s womb, did you look as you do now? Or were you a smaller and naked human, too frail and helpless to even stand up?

(y/n): Ha! Well put. Both faces are my own, as you said.

Naga: Indeed. It is the same for me. I am no God, no matter how much the children of man insist on saying I am. I can bleed and my existence –if long lasting- is finite. The shapes I take, the faces I wear… They are all me. My guises depend on the surroundings and circumstances.

[(y/n) and Naga have reached support rank B.]

A SUPPORT

(y/n): Naga, I have another question.

Naga: Came to inquire about my physicality once more, Summoner?

(y/n): Heh, no. I wanted to ask… Well, Duma and Mila call themselves gods. Grima likes to think the same and the folks from Jugdral say Julius is the vessel of god-dragon Loptyr. How come you didn’t adopt that same idea? I mean… You’re far older than they are and far mightier! What made you not believe yourself a deity?

Naga: Because I am not. I have seen the dawn of species. I have seen the rise and fall of empires and I was aware that the age of dragons was coming to a close unless we did something about it.

(y/n): Sealing your powers within dragonstones.

Naga: Yes. Us dragons, no matter how mighty, we are still just creatures of the earth. If we were to continue living, changes were to be made. We either learned to adapt to the new circumstances or we perish. Of course, as you know, not all of my kin agreed on the decision.

(y/n): Stubbornness is universal, huh.

Naga: And it was that stubbornness that led to countless wars and countless deaths and the ravaging of the land. Change brings strife and vice versa. One either learns to accept the change and adapt to it. Or fight to the bitter by trying to keep things stagnant.

(y/n): I agree. Life is about constant change anyway. “This too, shall pass” as it’s said were I come from.

Naga: …Heh.

(y/n):  Did I say something weird?

Naga: No. It is just refreshing to meet someone who accepts the truth as it is. Many struggle with that idea and go to terrible ends just to try and disprove it.

(y/n): Well, I can’t really blame them. Adapting is hard. Frightening even. But it’s also true that we can meet others who would help us adjust.

Naga: True. In this strange world you are that person to me, Summoner. For that, I am grateful to have met you.

(y/n): That’s very sweet, Naga. I’m glad I met you too.

[(y/n) and Naga have reached support rank A.]

[iturbide]

Hey I was just reading Gangrel’s wiki page and came across some interesting things. First is that he was apparently a thief before rising up to high king so I had this interesting little idea, what if Gangrel helped smuggle Robin and his mother out of plegia and Robin’s mother gave him her power and land as both a reward and to keep it out of validar’s hands, little weird but interesting. Second is that he doesn’t worship Grima so I’m wondering how he reacts upon meeting Grima in Aske? Thoughts?

That would be a fascinating case ovo I think that would make for a really interesting AU, but I also think it has some major risks attached to it. 

I think I remember hearing that Gangrel was getting by as a thief before he ended up as king!  But I think his age is something that really needs to be considered: canon is really unhelpful most of the time when it comes to how old characters are, but I usually see Gangrel as 30 at most (if you want to get technical, I tend to put him about seven years older than Robin).  This means that, if Wren fled shortly after Robin’s birth in order to keep her child safe, Gangrel would have been at least seven, at most ten.  I have a non-canon view of Gangrel’s history, where he was a war orphan from the eastern desert who survived an attack by the Exalt, witnessing the man murder his mother and put his entire village to the torch; even assuming a ten year age difference, he would probably need to be at least eight to account for the festering hatred and vivid memories that he harbors into the future, meaning that he only had a maximum of one year, maybe a year and a half, to develop any kind of thief skills before meeting Wren.  And while pickpocketing might offer a way for a child thief to survive, I don’t think a boy that age would have the physical or mental capacity to help smuggle a pair of highly wanted refugees through unfamiliar territory, since Gangrel had likely never ventured into northern Plegia before.  

There’s also the fact that it assumes power can be transferred directly from person to person.  I don’t generally think that Plegians take individual ownership of land so much as property (due to the communal nature of their society and the fact that cooperation is the only way to succeed in the desert, individual ownership of land only hurts peoples’ chances), but Wren fleeing would mean that she couldn’t take much of what she owned with her.  Validar would take automatic ownership of it unless someone stepped forward to claim it – and as soon as Gangrel did, what would stop Validar from taking him and torturing Wren’s location out of him?  He’s the son of the Grimleal hierophant, after all – he could probably get away with it just for that fact, but given that his purpose is finding Grima’s vessel, I think most people would turn a blind eye.  This means Gangrel wouldn’t have any opportunity to claim what she left except by stealing it (a dangerous prospect, since it would be deep within Validar’s home, which was heavily guarded during the war).  And since I do think there’s a significant split between secular and religious power in Plegia, any power she might have been able to grant him wouldn’t have put him in any better position to become king since her position was on the religious side. 

Also I love the idea of poor Gangrel getting confronted by Grima in Askr so much that I’ve talked about it before 8D it’s quite a shock and he never figures out how he feels about it, but he also never adopts a view of them as gods, and they appreciate it quite a lot

[norbah]

The Plover and the Crocodile

A continuation of this other story: 

http:// norbah. tumblr. com/ post / 182333442252/ another-grima-piece-fgrima-msummoner

Just something that came to mind while thinking about Grima. Didn’t mean for it to get this broody and philosophical. Hope you like it anyway. Any thoughts would be INCREDIBLY appreciated. Thank you!

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

Lucina's eyes were trained on the sprawled form of the Fell Dragon as she approached it, but her eyes flickered upwards to its horns, one of which was currently serving as a perch for a lone human. He was kneeling dangerously close to its edge, hands busy wringing a mop's head over a bucket. He was either extremely confident in his own balance, or trusted the horrid beast beneath him not to move too brusquely. A distressing idea, in Lucina's head. That anyone could trust that treacherous snake... how ridiculous. Her grip tightened over her blade's hilt, bolstering her confidence by its presence alone.

"Move aside, Summoner," Lucina said as she stepped forward, Falchion in hand. "I would not want you caught in battle."

The Summoner blinked in surprise and looked up from where he had been working, already mopping the horn's surface in the time Lucina had been musing. He looked down at her, confusion in his eyes, before panic bloomed in his expression and he twisted around, as if looking for someone.

"What are you doing?" Lucina asked, not expecting this particular reaction. It was with no small amount of dread that she noticed Grima's eyes had opened, and now regarded her, unreadable and cold.

"You said a fight was coming," the Summoner called back down, unaware of the staredown that had been initiated. "I assumed the Emblian army had broken through!"

"Wh-What?" Lucina broke eye contact with the Fell Dragon, stunned. "No! I meant Grima! Move aside so I may slay Grima!"

"Oh. I guess that makes sense." The Summoner seemed calm now. He turned to face Lucina, but instead of hopping down from the horn, he sat down on its edge, legs dangling off, and looking down at her with a calm expression on his face. 

"No. No, I don't think I will."

"What?" Lucina was genuinely bewildered. "But can't you see?! This must be done, Summ-!"

"Plover, please!" He called down before she could finish. "Call me Plover!"

Lucina couldn't help but flush. The Plegians (Tharja, Henry, and Aversa) had taken to affectionately calling him "the plover" once they'd noticed his devotion to the Fell Dragon's hygiene. Henry had explained to the more curious Heroes that they were referencing a small bird from Plegia, which seemed to enjoy a unique relationship with the vicious crocodiles in their rivers. It would clean the reptiles' teeth, pecking away at anything caught in them, and the normally voracious crocodile refrained from closing its jaws around them. Over time, "the plover" had simply become a nickname, "Plover". It didn't help that very few Heroes had actually bothered to ask his name. Or that the nickname seemed to fit him better than any name could. It was a bit embarrassing that he had found out.

"So where's this coming from?" The Summ- no, Plover, asked Lucina from all the way atop Grima's horn. It spoke to how much time he spent on the dragon that he seemed to know which volume would carry best to the ground. He didn't sound like he was shouting.

"It has killed hundreds! Thousands! It needs to be stopped! To be killed before it can unleash destruction here in Askr! Please, P-Plover," she cursed internally as she stumbled over the informal form of address for the tactician of the Order of Heroes, "let me fulfill my purpose!"

He seemed to think for a moment. Lucina caught Grima's eyes again, and started shaking as they fixed on her again. The beast hadn't moved once, and its eyes held no aggression, but... was Lucina imagining it, or was there mockery in those three hellish red spheres?

"She," Plover suddenly called out, breaking the spell over Lucina.

"Wh-What?" the future Exalt could only ask. And it was frustrating to realize that this whole time, that had been her biggest reaction. Surprise. Not decisive action.

"She," Plover repeated. "You keep calling Grima 'it', but she's, well, a she."

"I... How is that relevant?!" Lucina felt so, so frustrated. Even dealing with the other versions of herself didn't vex her like this.

"It's not," the Summoner admitted. "But I felt it was important."  For the first time, Grima's eyes looked away from Lucina and fixed on the Summoner, and Lucina could never have imagined they could look so soft, so gentle. The great dragon rumbled loudly, shaking the earth around them moderately. The Summoner held to Grima's horn with almost casual ease, not minding the razor-sharp edge of the bony appendage. Lucina stumbled a little, but kept her balance, ready to dodge an attack, until she realized...

"Wait," she thought. "Is Grima purring?!"

"In any case, I'm sorry, but I have to deny your request, Lucina," Plover went on, and to his credit, he did look apologetic. "Unless you can answer one simple question."

"Ask your question, then," Lucina declared, confident once again. If this was all that stood between her and Grima's defeat, then she would answer any question unfalteringly. Whatever was required of her. 

"Here goes, then," he said, and leaned forward, as if to look at Lucina even more closely. Grima was quiet once more, and its- her eyes, Lucina grudgingly granted, once more only on her. 

"How many Plegians?"

"I-I'm sorry?" Lucina asked, her confidence wavering only a little. What kind of question was this? The Summoner's idea of a joke?

"I should have elaborated," Plover murmured, but the silence was such after Grima's minor earthquake that Lucina heard him, even if vaguely. "Here it goes again: 

"How many Plegians have died to that sword?" he asked, pointing at Falchion. 

"I haven't-" Lucina began, not quite liking where this was going.

"And just to be clear," he went on, "I don't just mean at your hands. At your father's too. And his father's. And that one's important," he said with a rather pointed look. "I have heard he waged a rather bloody war on Plegia in his time. How many dead, do you think?"

"That was different!" Lucina called up, but a pit in her stomach had opened up at the mention of her grandfather. There was no denying that his actions had led in the long term to Validar's possession of the Plegian throne. Emmeryn had spent her life trying to undo the hatred and resentment born from his brutal actions. 

"It was?" Plover seemed surprised. "I don't see a lot of ways how that could be."

"Of course you don't!" Lucina yelled, getting angry now at his flippancy. "You tend to Grima! You serve it-"

"Her."

"-almost like you worship it!" She went on, not hearing his firm correction. "Almost like you're-" and a thought occurred to her now. A sobering thought that horrified her, but one she chastised herself for not thinking before.

"Like you're Grimleal..." Lucina whispered, horror-struck. It made sense, she realized. His slavish devotion to Grima's comfort and appearance. His claims of Grima's innocence, his insinuations that the Ylissean royal family were as bad... It all pointed to-

"Okay, now I know you've been hitting Gray's Duma Moss a little too hard," Plover called down, snapping her out of her spiral. 

"... What?!" She spluttered out after a few seconds of shocked silence, mortified. Was he implying that she used substances?! 

"Word to the wise," he kept going, oblivious to her distress, "don't keep going after the third toke! It builds up!"

"Stop shouting that!" She hissed, red in the face and glancing behind her to make sure nobody was hearing this. If this rumor ever got back to her father...!

Grima's throat rumbled again, this time in quick succession and with higher intensity, and Lucina went scarlet in the face, in both rage and mortification, when she realized the Fell Dragon was laughing at her embarrasment. 

That brought her back to the present situation, and seemed to do the same for the Summoner, even if he still had a smile on his face.

"No, I'm not Grimleal," he said gently. "I don't worship her, any more than you worship..." his brow furrowed.

"Gerome?" He asked. She blinked, confused. "Inigo?" He tried again. "Severa? Brady? Laurent? Robin? Kje-" he stopped when he saw her go red one earlier, and blinked in honest surprise. "Robin, huh? Way to break the bro code on that one..." he murmured. Grima snorted as well, amused in some way by this knowledge. Lucina could only growl at the two of them.

"Well, I don't worship her. Same way you don't worship Robin, and he doesn't worship you. Not literally, anyway," he finished. Now it was Lucina's turn to snort in derision. How ridiculous.

"How can what Robin and I share be anything like what you and Grima have? They are different bonds in every way, are they not?" She asked, mentally comparing the two in front of her to a twisted version of what Robin and her father shared. Trust and camaraderie beyond what regular people shared. That, at least, she could respect. Perhaps she could understand now why he seemed so hellbent on-

Aaaaaaand he was blushing bright scarlet now. And avoiding eye contact with her. Things certainly couldn't get more awkward, Lucina thought. 

Until she noticed Grima staring directly at her. And as soon as Lucina made eye contact, its massive, bony, scaly eyebrows rose, then fell. Once. And again. And again. 

Desperately trying to ignore the fact that Grima had just waggled its eyebrows at her (and hoo boy, would that one require some therapy to get past), Lucina latched on to the last piece of rational discussion she could remember hearing, and tried to bring this whole thing back to Ylisse. Zenith. Wherever!

"But why compare Falchion to i- to her?" She amended, seeing the testy look on Plover's face. Once that faded, however, he looked relieved to be back on track. He shrugged again.

"Just wanted to point out that if we were to measure something's malice by how many it has slain, then your blade is pretty evil in its own right."

"That was a war. It was different," Lucina argued. 

"Does that make their deaths any more just? I'm fairly sure many of those soldiers also thought they were doing the right thing. I doubt that even half of them were zealots at all, either."

"And what of her?" Lucina asked, anger creeping back into her voice as she pointed at Grima. "What of the many slain by her? The deaths to come if she were to be left unchecked?!" 

"Just as terrible and unjust," Plover said agreeably. Lucina paused. She'd expected him to argue against this. To claim Grima was innocent of any wrongdoing. The dragon herself held Lucina's gaze, almost defiantly. 

"Everybody she killed," he kept going slowly, picking his words with care, "was a life taken. And it was as unfair as the ones taken by Ylisse. The ones taken by Falchion. But it is as you said. It was war. You can't win a war without enemy casualties. The world isn't so nice. Hell, we're at war right now." 

"But just as Ylisse fought their war against Plegia and against Valm, and as you fought yours against fate," he went on, "she was fighting her own war." 

"Against who?" Lucina demanded. Plover grimaced and scratched the back of his head. He seemed almost unsure of his next words.

"Against humanity," he said, glancing away. "Against people who might seek to use her, to hurt her."

"I chose," Grima's voice hissed out from between her jaws, vast and grotesque, sibilant as the wind in a seaside cave. Lucina could feel every bone in her body vibrate as the gravelly sound washed over her, and only through great force of will did she resist the urge to lift Falchion before her, "to wage my war on all of mankind. Let none who might have sought my pain or my service survive. If leaving naught but the bones and ash of the human race was what it took for my survival... then so be it."

"But... But that's insane!" Lucina argued, her voice shaking after Grima's first words in the discussion. "To eliminate all humans over the potential of one seeking to use or destroy you..." 

Plover drew in a deep breath, and Lucina knew from the pain in his eyes that he did not like saying what came next.

"As insane as trying to kill your husband over the chance he might be an unwitting enemy agent."

Lucina's breath caught in her throat, and for an instant she saw red. This man, this non-combatant, this traitorous filth who knew nothing of war was daring to compare her to Grima?!

But... he wasn't entirely wrong, was he? She had turned on Robin. She wasn't able to go through with it, even after he spread his arms wide with a smile and said to go ahead, that his life was hers. But she had turned on him nonetheless.

And she thought of her original timeline. Of Grima's future. When everything in Ylisse, Plegia, and Regna Ferox seemed to be out for her blood. When only her friends and family remained at her side. When the whole world was hellbent on her destruction. How close had she come to despairing then? 

She'd been willing to do anything to fix that, hadn't she? To destroy her enemy And save those she loved, she'd been willing to bypass time in its entirety. But if she'd had world-ending power at her disposal and no loved ones to save... could she really say with any certainty she'd have been that much different?

With a heavy, heavy sigh, Lucina sheathed Falchion. She turned to leave, but Plover's voice stopped her.

"You never did answer the question, you know," he said. But it was quiet, almost gentle. Lucina's fingers found Falchion's hilt again. But instead of the usual comfort and strength its presence brought her, the sword felt heavy with questions she'd never have posed before. To herself or to others. 

How many Plegians? No. That wasn’t the true question. How many people? Plegians, Valmese, Alteans and people of Gra. Humans, Manaketes, and Beastfolk. How many had met their end on its blade?

"Far too many," she finally said, her voice and heart as heavy as the sword at her side. "And yet... as many as were needed," she finished her thought, and felt both revulsion and disgust with herself for even saying it. Because even among the heroes who had killed because they had to, because it was the only way to stop disaster from ending even more lives, death stained the blade. Of innocents in their own way. Her father had told her of the Plegian general Mustafa, for one. And more than that, the shadow of her grandfather darkened the grim duty and noble resolve that the Sword of Seals should embody into something much worse. There? There lay no justification. Only cruelty.

"We do what we must, don't we?" Plover asked her softly. She turned her head to look at him, and found him looking at her with a sad smile. 

But it was Grima she was looking at when Lucina answered.

"Yes," Lucina said. "We do." 

And for the briefest of moments, Lucina thought some understanding passed between the two of them. But it was only an instant. Lucina turned back again, looking at the castle.

"It's not over yet," she called out loudly, knowing they could hear her. "I'm still not entirely convinced. And I have earned a fight with her."

It was a few seconds before she got her answer.

"You have."

Lucina nodded in acknowledgement, and walked away. Maybe it was her imagination, but Falchion felt lighter now than a minute ago. She would have to talk with her father... and with King Marth, if she could find him. Maybe they could help her make sense of this.

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

They watched her go, curious and apprehensive at the same time. Then Grima's eyes turned to Plover. The question was not voiced, but he knew it anyway. 

"I think we gave her a lot to mull over," he said softly. Grima rumbled in response, her eyes sliding towards Lucina and following her as she left. 

"Gave you something to think about too, huh?" He asked with a smile. Grima didn't answer. But with the two of them, that was an answer in itself. He simply laughed and decided to put the words away for today. He still had a job to do, after all. He hoisted himself back onto her horn, careful not to shear his calves off as he did, and picked up the mop. Grima's eyes soon drifted shut, as she fell gently asleep.

As the afternoon wore on, the plover continued to clean its beloved crocodile. Not out of hunger, as other birds had done in the past. It cleaned because it wanted the crocodile to be happy. And the crocodile knew this.

[twist-of-fate-dev]

Plegian Politics

Let's take a few moments to talk about one of the major underpinnings of the story, and one of my favorite facets of the world: the convoluted web that is the Plegian political system.

(After some serious debate, I’m going to tackle this with full-on citations because if anyone was ever curious, this will be a great example of how my mind operates when it comes to this sort of worldbuilding.)

We know from the outset that Plegia is a theocracy, and that the worship of the Fell Dragon Grima (known as the Grimleal faith) is the national religion.  A theocracy, by definition, is “a form of government in which a deity (or religious institution) is the source from which all authority derives,” so rule in Plegia is believed to come from their chosen divine, himself.  This becomes a problem, though, since Grima was sealed a thousand years ago, meaning that the nation has had no divine to guide them. 

Logically -- again, following that definition of a theocracy -- the Grimleal should be running things in the Fell Dragon’s absence.  But we know from Gangrel’s supports with a male avatar that he was not actually devout: 

Robin: You once worshipped Grima, correct  As a member of the Grimleal? 

Gangrel: Pah, those wrinkled old warts with their dusty tomes?  I was Grimleal in name only.  ‘Course, it was the faith of the realm, so I knew most of its rituals. 

So how did he wind up running Plegia, if he’s not part of the Grimleal?  Especially since Validar has been around for ages and admits in his own words that his lineage has been trying for generations to make a suitable vessel for Grima’s soul, and that he himself was a failed attempt? 

Validar: The Grimleal have worked for generations to create someone like you..a essel worthy of our master.  Simply having Grima’s blood in your veins is not enough...my father was not worthy, nor was his father before him.  Even I was not able to accept Grima’s most sacred gift.  But you?  You had all the makings.  You were perfection! 

Judging by the sheer number of mages that make up the upper echelons of the Grimleal faith, not to mention the fact that the Plegian forces in-game boast an impressive number of tome-wielders (Henry and Tharja among them), it seems safe to say that magic is deeply ingrained in the nation’s function.  We also know that Plegians have some very interesting magical talents not shared anywhere else, including hexcraft.  Tharja, in particular, has divination spells in her arsenal capable of locating missing people, judging by her supports with Kellam and Nowi: 

Tharja: ...and your family?

Kellam: Um, nothing yet.  I’ve been coming here every morning, but...yeah.  My eldest brother has a wife, and they usually answer right away.  But this time, I don’t know...

Tharja: I can check for you.  ...I mean, if you want. 

Kellam: How?

Tharja: I’m a mage, quiet man.  There’s not much we can’t do. 

Kellam: Gosh, would you really?  That would be a load off my mind!

Tharja: Sure.  Now, tell me about this brother of yours, and omit no detail.  If I’m missing important information, the spell might go...horribly wrong. 

Kellam: *gulp* Um...d-does that happen a lot? 

///

Tharja: Anyway, I assume this means you heard from your brother? 

Kellam: That’s right!  He was in the refugee camp, just like you said.  His letter says he and his family evacuated to avoid the fighting.  I’d still be looking for him if it wasn’t for you. 

===

Tharja: Speaking of talons, I need some of your nail clippings.  Just a sliver or two from the ends will suffice. 

Nowi: Um...what for? 

Tharja: Manakete talons are used in dark mage divinations. 

Based on all that, it’s not a stretch to think that, with Grima only sealed in slumber rather than truly dead, it might be possible for dark mages to use such divination spells in order to discern the Fell Dragon’s will.  If such signs pointed at Gangrel, rather than Validar, when it came time to select a new ruler for Plegia before the start of the game, it could explain how someone who barely even counts among the faithful ended up in power over someone entrenched in the Grimleal hierarchy. 

So all this leads us into the chaos that is Plegia’s political system. 

Effectively, after Grima’s Fall a thousand years ago, the Fell Dragon’s worshipers -- still reeling from the loss of their divine, struggling to survive and avoid being hunted down by Naga’s followers -- turned to their mages in desperation, hoping that their spells would provide insight into who could guide them in Grima’s absence.  The diviners they turned to -- the most powerful in the nation at the time -- guided the scattered people to the Dragon’s Table, and there used their spells in order to choose a leader who could see them through the hard days ahead.

Whether it was truly the Fell Dragon’s will or not, it’s hard to say.  But it did work: under the leadership of the one the mages chose, Naga’s followers were repelled and the fledgling Plegian nation was founded.  With their faith in Grima unshaken, the people sought the religious guidance of the Grimleal even as they took their secular guidance from the ruler chosen by the diviners; and when the first ruler passed, the people once again turned to the mages to determine who would take up the mantle next.  This established the curious form of succession used in Plegia: on the death of a ruler, the preeminent dark mage diviners in the nation (six in all, one for each of Grima’s eyes) are called together to read their signs and choose a new leader based on the Fell Dragon’s will.  In order to smooth the transition and ensure that Plegia is never long without guidance, only those who have proven themselves capable leaders are considered, which generally limits the selection pool to the upper ranks of the Grimleal (who lead the nation in faith) and the former ruler’s council (who helped lead the nation in all other matters). 

There have most certainly been rulers chosen from the Grimleal ranks through Plegia’s history, but as the centuries passed and the upper echelons of the Grimleal hierarchy became increasingly fanatical and overzealous (leading into the attempts to create a vessel capable of housing the Fell Dragon’s soul), it has become an increasingly rare occurrence; on top of that, the king’s council has grown wary of the Grimleal intentions over the years, and have made concerted efforts to block them from securing more power.  

And this is the political climate that Robin was born into.  The king of Plegia at the time was picked over Validar’s father before Validar himself was even born, and had ruled fairly and well since.  While he deeply distrusted the corrupt Grimleal hierarchy, he himself was actually a devout believer in Grima, and attempted to lead Plegia based on the religious teachings he ascribed to, up to and including the belief that arms should only be taken up in defense of life and love from true threats; he may have raised an army, but it was done only once the Ylissean Exalt crossed the border with a force of his own.  The Brand that Robin bore from birth marked him in the eyes of the crazed cult-members as Grima’s vessel -- but to the wider faithful, including the ruling king, the Brand signified that Robin was Grima’s own Chosen, effectively the Plegian divine reborn to guide and protect them once more.  Because of that, the king had no qualms about taking Robin and his mother both into his protection, ensuring that the Grimleal cultists could not corrupt Grima’s Heart (or worse). 

[rufuruki]

Headcanon Submissions 4!

We’ve had some submitted headcanons and thoughts that have trickled in over the weeks and a few that have been sitting in the inbox for a while, so I wanted to make sure that I addressed all of them. We have quite a few, so I’ve added a cut to continue reading - this should bring us up to date with past submissions!

Lucina is VERY touchy-feely when she's being affectionate thanks to her time in the original future, always wanting to hold something or someone so that they don't leave her. This came as a pleasant surprise to Robin, who didn't expect that she'd be such a cuddler. He personally enjoys that bit and holds her just as well because he wants her to be happy above all else.

- airshipcanon

Happiest Lucina is best Lucina. A Lucina that has a Robin to love is happiest Lucina. Therefore a Lucina that has a Robin to love is best Lucina. Also, she deserves all the cuddles. 

- Anonymous

I've never understood why people like or suggest the idea of "Shotgun dad Chrom" in respect to Robin/Lucina. It's frankly out of character for Chrom. Chrom is a trusting character, to a fault. He also is shown to actually be moved to anger when others are goalkeeping in the love lives of his close family. Robin is his best friend, and he puts absolute faith in the man. He cares about his war-weary daughter's happiness, and he knows Robin well. Yes, Lucina is his daughter, but he knows that she's not really his, per say. He's far from stupid, he knows Robin is with the time traveler and isn't taking away his daughter who sleeps in her crib back home. He's providing happiness to a daughter that he couldn't have. And unless Robin is for whatever reason seen as a loose bedswerver, which is also out of character, since Robin's skittish at so much as the idea of seeing Lucina naked, there's no reason for Chrom to be angry at his friend for being with Lucina. Robin's not simply taking Lucina to bed. He's in love with and marrying her. He's not going to break Lucina's heart. Now, it's reasonable that on his ending, Robin gets a fist in the face from Chrom for doing just that after he comes back, but that's because oh wait, his death is going to hurt Lucina, even if it was temporary. But Chrom being hostile or angry towards Robin just for him getting with Lucina is simply not in character. At all. Chrom's Sigurd 2.0, not Hector 2.0 [that'd be Ike. :\]

- Anonymous           

Though Lucina and Morgan never manage to beat Robin during a strategy game, they manage to pull it off when they team up. Robin disputes the validity of one of their moves and Morgan replies with a full-blown Jack Nicolson style "You can't handle the truth!". Well, it would be full blown if she wasn't smirking and laughing between every word, but I digress.

- baneofloslorien5384

Because Morgan only remembers Robin, Lucina often fears this meant she was a bad mother. Robin tries to reassure her since Morgan fighting with Lucina's style must mean they spent a great deal of time together, but what helps is seeing how torn up Morgan is over here inability to remember her mother. So, the two resolve to make new memories together to compensate for those which were lost.

- baneofloslorien5384

Given her stoic nature, the weight of her mission, her burden of memory, and being the least likely to get a joke, making a Lucina smile is rarely easy. It doesn't stop Robin from trying, though. And, if all else fails, he always has his nuclear option: taking advantage of the fact that Lucina is remarkably ticklish. Though he usually pays for it when sparring, Robin thinks it's worth it. 

- baneofloslorien5384

Though Robin and Lucina had a lot of fun at Super Smash Bros., they had some awkward moments. Reflet is Chrobin and mistakes Chrom and Lucina for her family. And, whenever Chrom and Captain Falcon cross paths, Robin and Lucina spend hours pulling the two apart. But, these are moments the couple will look back upon and laugh later. Much, much, MUCH later.  

- baneofloslorien5384

Morgan gains a cult compose of Grima zealots and Naga extremists. They worship Morgan as a new messiah because she has a combination of fell and exalted bloodlines, they believe that with her dual bloodlines Morgan has divine powers to bring salvation and prosperity. Morgan loves her cult because they shower her with everything from food to treasures and power, much to the disapproval of her parents. 

- Anonymous

Like her mother, Sumia, Lucina finds cross-dressing appealing and can pull it off very well; which is why she could fool everyone as "Marth." Robin sees the appeal in it too, he even confesses to Lucina he may have had feelings for "Marth" since first laying eyes on "him!"

- Anonymous 

Robin and Lucina had a secret wedding. The person who performed the ceremony was Henry given he was a priest of Grima, Lucina did not like being wedded under the name of Grima but she put it aside because she is marrying Robin. Robin is happy with the situation but is irritated by Henry's overuse of death puns. Henry is happy doing the secret wedding for his friend and added bonus he can mess with his brother-in-law Chrom on what he did.

- Anonymous

Just like Chrom's sword the falchion is a relic that's is connected to Naga, Robin has a blade connected to Grima called Grima's Tooth. The blade looks like a black serrated knife meant for sacrificing or ceremony purpose. The exalted line can't wield the blade but the fell blood can. When Morgan is recruited, she has in her possession another Falchion and Grima's Tooth.

- Anonymous

If Olivia is Lucina’s mother: although Lucina is ok with wearing dresses, she feels awful embarrassed when she wears her owned dancer outfit. But that changes when she decides to sneak to Robin’s tent while she dons her dancer outfit. The dance she chose is an erotic one that has her take her clothes off, she picks this one to show her love to Robin and to cement their relationship. The night of passion conceived Morgan out of wedlock.

- Anonymous

[grandsonoflightike]

Sasha's New Shadeliel Cult Chapter 1

Story Summary: This happens after "The Truth About Tiki's Knowledge About Grima's Aura". This Character Sasha In the Title is an OC female Shadow Manakete Who seeks to revive Medeus in the Awakening Era. The Shadeliel worship the Medeus The Shadow Dragon.

Chapter Summary: The Risen turn out to be alive but they only attack The Shadeliel Cult and Chrom wants to lead The Shepherds of the Awakening Era to see why the Risen don't attack anyone but the Worshippers of Medeus. This leads them to find out a certain someone is alive.

Background Song:  Monster by Imagine Dragons

Chrom says "Lucina, Robin, and Morgan, finally you arrive."

Robin says "We had to get all my tactical books."

Sumia says "That is why you have that many bags."

Lucina says "Yep. Cause Morgan has a copy of all of them."

Chrom says “Anyway... Shepherds, the risen have returned but they only attack the new Evil Cult calling themselves the Shadeliel.  I wish for us to investigate this.”

Tiki thinks “The Risen Have Returned? Grima does that mean you have returned?”

The Shepherds head out to the area where Chrom found Robin and Found an army of Allied Risen and Enemy Shadeliel.

The Shadeliel Leader of the Battle shouts “Exalt Chrom has arrived!  Prepare to destroy him, Shadeliel!”

Chrom shouts “Uh-Oh! Shepherds, defensive measures now!”

Tiki looks toward the risen and sees a non-risen Swordmaster among them.  Tiki points this out to Chrom and he tells Robin and Lucina to go check it with Tiki.  Robin, Lucina, and Tiki head toward the Risen but the risen don’t attack them instead defend them from the Shadeliel.  Robin wonders why the risen are defending them.

Tiki says “Why indeed.”

The Non-Risen Swordmaster sees Robin so she runs up and hugs him.

Lucina says “Hey get your hands off my man.”

The Non-Risen Swordmaster says “So you did become the shepherds’ Tactician and marry the future version of Exalt Chrom's Daughter.”  She lets Go of Robin and says “I am Linda the Mother Of Robin and Former Wife Of Validar.  When I learned of your purpose in the Grimeleal, I grabbed you and ran away.  We settled down in this field but then your future version came and wiped your memories and I couldn’t approach you because you awoke when The Now-Exalt Chrom woke you.”

Lucina says “So you’re my mother-in-law?”

Linda says “Yes.  I would love to see this world with you guys.  The Shadeliel are my enemies as well as the risen’s.”

Robin says “Wait, the risen and you are allies.”

Linda says “Strange enough they appeared to come to protect me from the Shadeliel.  It defies any known knowledge as the Shadeliel worship the Creator of the Dragon Curse Medeus and the One Who Cursed Grima into his state.  It is why he, after being heartbroken, became a threat to the world.”

“Wait, Grima Had His Heartbroken?  Who was his lover?” Lucina says.

Tiki says “Me.”

Lucina says “Lady Tiki, you can’t be serious.”

Tiki says “I am.  When I was young and so was he, I met him and fell in love with him.  It was when I lived in The Cho’sin Village, I was bored and was sicken of being praised so I left the village.  I met Grima who Memories were all gone.  All that was left of him was one thing his name.”

Robin says “Just Like Only I could only remember my name?”

Tiki says “Right... I met every week on the same day at the same time after that and I was eventually caught by The Cho’sin Leader at The Time.  That was when I realized my feelings and the week after that Grima and I made Love.”

Lucina says “As Kids?”

Tiki says “You forget we are Manaketes so we age a lot slower but we still Change inside like normal.  My mother didn’t like this and made me stop seeing him.  It was because of what he is.  An Alchemical Experiment made from dragon blood combined with A Human.”

“That is what Grima is.” Robin says “Amazing.”

Tiki says “Yeah, after 5 years the cho’sin leader finally had my Mother let me see him one last time and he waited in the spot we met all that time.  He Loved me and Animals liked him thanks to me.  If only the humans and other Manaketes would try to accept him, he could have changed to be like Robin was after defeating Grima’s Mad State.”

Lucina says “Free from his duty as the Fell Dragon?”

Tiki says “Yes.  It’s just my mother didn’t know this and I didn’t try to tell her so she promised to resurrect Grima as he was before he went mad.”

Robin says “The Risen might be following the Resurrected Grima’s orders.”

Lucina says “We got to tell Father this.  All of it.”

The Risen Suddenly start advancing to defeat the Shadeliel Leader of the battle.

Robin says “Looks like now is a good time to let Chrom know.”

Robin, Lucina, Linda, and Tiki advance to Chrom and explain to him the full truth.

“If that is true, then... Shepherds, help the Risen defeat the Shadeliel.  They are our allies against this evil cult!” Chrom Shouts.

Frederick says “You sure Lord Chrom?”

“Yeah The full story will be explained to everyone after this battle.”

The Shepherds start to advance to defeat the Shadeliel and just as Robin thought they are an ally army who turn their blades on the Shadeliel only.  

Chrom shouts “Time To End This, Shadeliel Leader Of The Battle!”

“Alright then.” The Shadeliel Leader of the Battle Says.

They strike at each other but neither falls.  Suddenly a Female Risen Sniper with a weird Longbow approaches.

The Female Risen Sniper Says To THe Shadeliel Leader “Time to deal with you, Shadeliel Leader of This Battle.”

“Finally I can destroy you, Traitorous Risen.” The Shadeliel Leader Of The Battle Says “And Then I’ll go for your leader.”

The Female Risen Sniper says “Not on your life.” She fires her weird longbow and it defeats The Shadeliel Leader of the Battle.

The Shadeliel Leader of the Battle says “This is only beginning, Shepherds and Risen.”

The Female Risen Sniper outside the battle says “I know.  I am Vannas, I am the Queen of these risen.  Our true leader is our god, The Resurrected Grima.”

Frederick shouts “Grima?!”

“Frederick calm down and let us explain.” Chrom says.

Frederick says “You knew he might be alive and that is why we worked with The Risen?  Alright I respect This order, Lord Chrom.”

Chrom, Tiki, and Linda explain the full story of what is going on with Grima and Of Grima’s Previous Relationship with Tiki those 1000 years ago.

“I see.  So That might mean Grima means to protect the world now.” Frederick says.

Vannas says “He does because He wishes to defeat the creator of the Dragon curse once and for all AKA Medeus.”

“Wait, Medeus might come back?  How?” says Lucina.

“Through some kind of Ritual the Shadeliel’s Leader is cooking up who is a Shadow Dragon Manakete loyal to Medeus.” Vannas says.

Chrom says “If this is something that threatens the world, Then the shepherds will help Grima and His Risen battle this threat.”

“I thank you, Exalt Chrom, for trusting us.” says Vannas “We take you to our capital.”

TBC...

The Background song is for the Risen.  It is the Theme for The Risen and Grima so expect it appear in the next chapter as the background song too.”

[iturbide]

I loved that last snippet you posted! Though that does raise some questions, namely abt Grima. Him sometimes posessing/controling Robin is already cool, but what changed that he can do that? I'm super curious overall how he fits into the story, could you tell us a bit about him here? Like, you talked before how he was worshipped as Plegia's protector, and I'm curious abt how his character developed in this world

I’m so glad you enjoyed it I’ve been mulling that particular scene over for a while and trying to figure out how to write it, so I’m glad it turned out well!

but oh my friend i am always delighted to talk about grima c; 

One thing to note from the outset is that we’ve actually seen Grima before.  Twice.  And even when Grima’s influence isn’t at the fore, there have been moments when Robin’s reactions weren’t necessarily his own.  Grima is a constant presence here, subtle, just out of sight – and it all traces back to events in the last few millennia. 

So this requires some delving into ancient history.  A lot of things remain the same from a general timeline standpoint (though I don’t follow the Accordion because I take some issue with its progression of events; this ended up being a pretty solid breakdown of how I see the chain of events), but a few things are notably different, and they become very, very important. 

To start with: Forneus didn’t just get divine dragon blood for his experiment.  He managed, somehow, to lay hands on a viable Divine Dragon egg – an incredible, terrible feat given the fact that the degeneration had taken its toll on fertility rates and the Divine Dragon tribe had been decimated by the war.  He wasn’t just performing alchemic experiments on blood, he had the real thing and used alchemy to modify and manipulate it, which resulted in Grima having the strength and many of the same general abilities as the rest of the Divine Dragon tribe, but with some oddities mixed in (a few things he can’t do that they can, a few more he can that they can’t) because of how that magic influenced his development.  In the end, Forneus superstitions and his increasing mental instability made him try to kill his creation when it finally emerged, only to fail and lose the tiny dragon to the darkness of the labyrinth, which kept him safe from Duma’s destruction of Thabes and gave him room to grow until Alm and Celica accidentally broke the seal that let him out into the world. 

Because Naga had retreated to the eastern half of the Archanean continent following Mila and Duma’s exile (due in large part to the fact that she couldn’t maintain life in the desert without Mila’s assistance), the creation ended up settling on the western side.  His presence caused disturbances in the normal weather patterns, bringing more rain to the dry landscape, and soon enough the struggling desert populations began to flock to the dragon and establish a greater presence.  These first humans called him Grima – and once he realized that it was their name for him, he began to respond quite readily.  

Besides making life easier from an agricultural standpoint, Grima also offered humans shelter and protection from outside threats, both natural and manmade.  He earned his title of “the fell dragon” through his fierce retaliation against those who caused harm to his people and his lands – but in general, he was a very calm, reasonable dragon who let people do their own things and just liked to watch, frequently doing flyovers of his territory just to see what they were up to. 

Unfortunately, Grima never stopped growing.  He just kept getting bigger and bigger as the centuries passed, until finally Naga couldn’t possibly miss him.  Despite the fact that he showed no signs of degeneration and was by no means a threat to her people or his own, she judged that the risk he posed should he succumb to madness was too great – so she made her bond with her Chosen human and went to war with the fell dragon. 

Now, Divine Dragons with that much power tend to have some strange abilities.  Naga, for example, can hear the prayers of those who reach out to her (according to Nah’s support conversations with Morgan).  Grima, being a full-blooded (if somewhat strange) Divine Dragon, had his own set of talents, though he understood them rather poorly – namely the ability to read the thoughts and hearts of those he could lay eyes on.  And one look told him all he needed to know about Naga’s Chosen: he was, indeed, a powerful man – but he was also cruel and self-righteous, and Grima knew that if he won the battle then Grima’s people would be in great danger.  And with Naga’s backing, the fell dragon’s chances of victory seemed slim at best. 

So Grima turned to the people closest to him and granted them a small boon: not a full blood bond, the way Naga had with her Chosen, but a small fragment of power to help see them through the troubled times he feared would come.  That gift was intended to help protect the people in his stead – and from there, Grima charged them with gathering as many as they could and heading west, away from the battlefield to come.

Grima had no army, when Naga and the first Exalt came.  Grima fought alone, and fell alone, in a desperate attempt to save his people. 

And that should have been the end of it.  But what Grima didn’t know, thanks to his poor understanding of his own powers, was that the blood boon he granted those people would endure, passed down from one generation to the next over a thousand years.  He didn’t know that a cult would form within the faith dedicated to his name, devoted to restoring the fell dragon’s blood to its full might.  And he never, ever expected that there would come a day when a babe bearing his Mark was born into the world. 

Grima felt it, when Robin entered the world.  His body was dead and turned to nothing but bone and dust, but after a thousand years his soul suddenly had a physical connection to something, grounding him somewhere rather than simply existing formlessly and watching the passage of time.  Grima has been there as Robin grew up, has seen the world close-up for the first time in centuries…and has realized, too, the dangers in it for not just the people he left behind, but for this child who bears his blood. 

That connection is a strong one, and the fact that Grima’s soul is bound so closely to Robin means that things can bleed over between them sometimes.  Grima has a visceral reaction to Falchion, for example, because he remembers the blade that took his life, while Robin interprets the sudden surge of emotion as fear at where things are headed.  More often, Grima uses that bond to interact with Robin (though he interprets it as just mentally debating with himself, and Grima’s happy to let him think that), or to channel power to Robin when he needs it, giving him a surge of strength or magic to get out of a tight spot (basically I headcanon that Ignis is actually Grima lending Robin power in battle).  But when things are dire, and something Robin loves is at stake, when he loses himself to panic or fear or rage – that’s where Grima will step in to ensure that Robin does not lose that which he holds most dear. 

Grima’s careful about this, of course, never actually pushing Robin aside and possessing him completely.  They exist in parallel – as though Grima has taken Robin’s hands and begun to lead him through the steps of an unfamiliar task, affording them incredible power with Grima’s focus to make the best use of it.  That is a lot of energy to channel through a human, though, and it takes a serious toll on Robin’s body – he’s not kidding about the burning analogy, that much energy puts his every system into overdrive to increase his speed, his reflexes, his strength, his magic – meaning that even at his very best, Robin can only sustain Grima’s full might for about five minutes, ten if he really pushes it (and then his recovery period is significant).  

(Fun note: the first time that happened, it was completely by accident.  When they stumbled across that burned battlefield, Robin’s horror perfectly mirrored Grima’s own, and the resulting resonance pulled them into parallel with Grima getting his first actual taste of interacting with the world through a human body.  It was Henry that jarred them both out of it, and pulled Robin back to the fore while Grima ceded control.)

Ultimately, Grima has no interest whatsoever in returning to the world.  He’s content with the way things are, and being able to watch things the way he used to (actually it’s better, since he can get closer than he could in his flyovers); combined with the fact that Robin is intent on keeping Plegia safe for his own reasons, Grima is more than happy to lend him power when he needs it – and is actually quite pleased by Robin’s very peaceable nature, and the way he resorts to violence only as a last resort rather than fighting first and asking questions later (since Grima himself attacked only after the first enemy blow had landed). 

And as a final, random note: Robin can read people the same way Grima could, though not with the same clarity (he can’t actually read minds, but he gets very strong impressions when he interacts with someone for the first time).  Grima himself still has that ability, though, and when he’s at the fore he can get the full measure of someone from a look and then leverage it to its full advantage. 

[iturbide]

tepig62900 replied to your post: 

I love these, God I'm glad someone else recognizes what a b**** Naga is and that Tiki and Robin/Grima wouldn't stand for it You are great

I’m honestly really glad that people have been responding so well to these because these are ideas that I worried wouldn’t go over anywhere near this well.  Naga’s painted as a hero, a good and glorious goddess, and the games where she appears are all presented from the perspective of her chosen, her supporters...and a lot of times that seems to be taken at face value.  This take feels almost heretical sometimes, when taken in the context of the larger fandom’s attitude, but it’s also something that I stand firmly by -- just like I stand by the idea that Plegia’s not evil, the Grimleal faith is more than Validar’s twisted cult, and Grima is a victim who can still be reached and redeemed (also not the most popular opinions, judging by some of the anons I’ve gotten).  So I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this full-on enthusiastic support to expand on the concept because it really does mean everything to me. <3

tepig62900 replied to your post: 

But Naga turning to Tiki and Robin and when they also refuse she's absolutely flabbergasted. Tiki is her daughter, at least she should recognize the threat of the Fell Dragon and see that it should be destroyed. The Fellbloods were slightly less surprising but Naga expected that they would care more about their own safety and the safety of those around them over letting the Fell Dragon live

Exactly this Naga was less optimistic about the Fellbloods, since they’re obviously tainted, but she had still expected that since some of them willingly sacrificed their lives to seal Grima permanently, they would have readily done so again.  She would go so far as to express her disappointment at how willingly they’ll throw the lives of their friends away, when those very bonds once saved their lives -- she didn’t think them so cold.

(At that point the Chroms and the rest of the Shepherds would close ranks because that was utterly uncalled for and even Libra would get a very sour taste in his mouth that this is the Divine he’s been worshipping.)

And she really would have expected more from her daughter, especially since Tiki should know the destruction the Fell Dragon is capable of, having witnessed that resurrection once already -- not to mention that she’s once again defying her mother.  Naga would ask if Tiki is really willing to risk this world and all the friends she’s made here -- and for what?  And Tiki would tell her, with her hands balled into trembling fists at her side, that she would be risking her family -- not by cutting the Grimas down, but by fulfilling her mother’s demands.  And Naga would be completely speechless as Tiki turns and hurries away (back to the creche, back to the Grimas, for that protection and that calm that comes from this family she’s found here). 

@jayswing96 replied to your post: 

I need a full story is Naga just having a bad time trying to get rid of “evil” and poor Summoner just... with everyone else.

Someday let’s be honest I would love to write this because Naga deserves nothing less than this.  Every time she tries to convince the Summoner of the error of their ways, Heroes close ranks around them or otherwise interfere; every time she tries to rally others to stand against the Grimas, she’s met with silence or disgust; her daughters will not speak with her of their own accord and she’s interrupted more often than not when she tries to engage; she cannot for the life of her fathom the Fell Dragon’s hold over them all (when really, the Grimas have no hold, they’re just being decent -- Naga’s the one being overbearing, making demands, and refusing to believe she might be wrong).