#iedolas

[acecaelumizunia]

The amount of times Ive rewatched Kingsglaive is unhealthy and I need to be heavily sedated... or put in therapy.

[raven-6-10]

tell me the cursed ffxv idea. I was asleep when you posted about it

So it was like 11 PM when my brain decided to remind me that according to what little we have on canon timeline:

Ardyn was broken out of Angelgard in late March/early April of 721 ME, and

Iedolas has his son at the end of the same year.

Brain: I bet we could make an AU out of it

Me: no.

Brain: could totally connect those dots

Me: don't.

Brain: Iedolas was totally willing to make Ardyn his High Chancellor despite knowing him for all of five minutes and the guy being a Scourge-infested menace.

Me: not. the. point.

Brain: you won't convince me the Aldercapts never tried to add some magic to their dynasty. if Ardyn was in any way capable of getting pregnant, Iedolas would definitely offer the spot as a royal mistress.

Me: . . .

Brain: with bonus points, because Ardyn has a claim to the Lucian Throne. which is arguably more legit than the one of Mors and Regis.

Me: I hate you.

So, anyway, it would require a female, a transmale or an omega Ardyn, but is definitely doable.

By somebody other than me.

@sparklecryptid hey Moose! you like wacky aus, right?! have a plunny!

*yeet*

[zhenniguan]

If you zoom in on the last picture, you'll notice that their eyes aren't fully black...

[laputaskies]

[teapots-and-hats]

"He presided over the empire with an iron fist, never once losing his grip" Iedolas had intense desire for power, and, corrupted by the Starscourge, let it cloud his better judgement. Week 1 of #XVdeadlysins - Greed

[calling4glaives]

Eve of the Signing Party

The next place we see Nyx on guard duty is at the party before the treaty signing. Thankfully this one is a little less confusing. We’ll look a little bit at the setting and the people there as well.

Thank you again to @starjunco for the screenshots. IDs are ALT.

As background information, the wiki has information on the previous iterations of this location in the XIII Verses trailers, concept art and various demos. It talks about how the aquarium and dome have disappeared and reappeared, the area itself has changed, and that even the music (“Somnus”) played during this scene is a reference to the trailers. It also tells us there are posters for the Royal Aquarium that is located in the building, and that the picture in the large water display Nyx and Luna talk in front of depicts Etro, who was quite important in earlier versions of the game but has almost no mention in the FFXV or Kingsglaive we got.

Now on to information we can see in this scene itself!

As stated above, the party takes place on the roof of the Caelum Via (which might translate to “Heaven is the Way”; if it were the more obvious “Way of Heaven/Sky” it would be Caeli Via or Via Caeli, though leaving it in the Nominative could just be a nod to the Royal Family) Hotel & Resorts Insomnia. The name itself implies other locations, though we don’t see them explicitly in the game.

Later in the movie (see the white and gold ad on the left behind Glauca), there is an Altissia location advertised, which says interesting things about trade and connections for sure! Wonder which one came first...

Also on the Insomnian building are the same number/coordinate system we puzzled over on the bridge at the Nyx’s Neighborhood deep dive. There, the bridge had the coordinates N35-41-39, W13-19-36, here the hotel has N35-41-39, W13-21-28, which seem to be rather close indeed.

There is a helipad here (with some sort of crest on it), which raises interesting questions about the state of Lucian air travel. It would seem odd that this exists solely for the possibility of Niflheim visitors, but other than the modified Regalia we don’t otherwise see Lucian aircraft.

There are three tiers of seating at various levels of proximity to Aldercapt and Regis. Nyx (and possibly Drautos) seems to be the only visible guard on duty across all three levels. Even if he takes the posting very seriously (using it to dodge Luna’s attempts to talk, and as a distraction during the talk itself) that does seem to imply he is either the very last line of defense for Luna and/or Regis or just there to look pretty.

Perhaps they negotiated down the number of guards they could each bring, but it does raise the question of where Clarus is...

The water motif continues with this small waterfall and river. It could be a sign of the connection to Altissia (perhaps the chain started there), perhaps a sign that nature or the imitation of it a luxurious novelty in the midst of the very tight urban area, a boast of wealth to pump the water that high and maintain the cleanliness, or perhaps merely a cover to mute the noise of the city and conversation. (though the fireworks likely do an excellent job of that tonight, as well!)

The area is otherwise decorated with the ubiquitous gothic arches of Lucis and geometric patterns, and solely uses a dark blue, maroon, black, gold, and hints of white. Which, appropriately enough, will be the strict colors used in the guests’ dress.

A better view of the middle tier, showing bamboo-like greenery areas and a survey of our crowd. The central gate on this level, through which the water appears to originate, is topped by a six-pointed star or flower, likely a reference to the astrals, which is a nice detail.

The lamps have an art deco feel, perhaps indicating either the age of the hotel or the age it wants to appear, or just a general Lucian aesthetic. I do wonder if the low lighting is less comfortable for the guests from beyond the Wall, who might prefer brighter illumination at night.

You can also barely make out Nyx next to the Aquarium, Regis on the balcony, and Aldercapt and two other important figures from Niflheim making their way up the stairs. Perhaps they were dropped off on the helipad or came through the tiled walkways into the hotel itself.

A close-up of Aldercapt’s robe and the back of the truly bizarre helmet we’ll see a better view of later as the people toast to the Emperor.

And Nyx shows up! Notice how he is very definitely not looking at the Emperor or the commotion.

If we pull our eyes away from our main character, we can see a very interesting statue of a woman in draped clothing with wide sleeves holding a sword above a very colorful collection of bottles. There is a matching statue on the other side. Who or what does she represent?

Beyond her is a/the wall, topped by what seem to be glowing tanks of some kind. These could either be illuminated water towers beyond the (Citadel) Wall, or some sort of light/magical storage atop the wall that helps keep it running, perhaps to replace the ones Ardyn destroyed on the Founder’s Day Attack.

If we pull our attention back to the foreground, between Nyx and the Emperor is a nice grouping of the eight NPC models (four appear male and four female) used in this scene. Keep an eye out for them elsewhere. From left to right: Gray Suit/Gray Hair, Dress with Cap Sleeves/Short Dark Hair, Dark Suit/Medium Hair, Dark Suit/Dark Hair, Blue Asymmetrical Dress/Shoulder-length Light Hair, Maroon Ruffles/Bun, Suit Dress/Short Light Hair, Gray Suit/Dark Hair.

This fountain combines many of the elements of this design - light, water, and statues. And look! Fireworks in other colors! They do exist! It’s also fun to see the light/dark contrast between the two sovereigns.

Another view of the scene, showing the lovely delicate railing of gold and glass. Lurking behind the main figures are Drautos in the background as well as the priest-looking Niflheim Dignitary, similar to the figure who said “Release the Daemon” in the opening battle.

A nice shot of Aldercapt’s robes from the front, showcasing many interesting symbols. The dragon in particular is very neat. Though the cut of his shirt and the harness-like straps across his coat are a bit odd, they are clearly very well made. Nyx is also lurking in this shot. Hi, Nyx!

Here also is the promised front view of the ridiculous helmet. Presumably there are some sort of screens inside, scanning the area and at least allowing him to walk, though the skullcap and the rest of the helmet are also just odd. The collars are very reminiscent of Ravus’s outfits even in Tenebrae before his mother’s death, showing the cultural crossover and similarities. 

The crowd shot of the middle tier shows some very familiar faces, and some oddities. The statues from the bars are also found on this level, and if the central part truly is water-filled as it appeared earlier, those poor guests on the rear squares had quite the journey to get to their spots, not to mention the servers!

Aside from a nice view of Aldercapt's bracers and Regis's cane and brace, we can see the priest-like figure again, and Ardyn! Everyone is still toasting obediently.

And released! The guests can finally sit down. And Luna makes her appearance. How long has she been here? Have fun counting the doppelgangers in this scene as well.

There are tropical fish and sharks in the aquarium, as well as the mini-leviathans. Perhaps another nod to an Accordo origin? Or perhaps the Lucinia Sound and other waters around Cavaugh are warmer than expected.

The wings on the sculpture surrounding the painting is somewhat reminiscent of the armor of the Lucii.

Look at how massive and ornate this whole setup is. The entire area below this upper tier must be support for the aquarium. Fish, a painting, the massive gold and black thing inside, the mirrors in the supports… this is a major display of wealth and technology. It’s no wonder the party was set here. Not to mention it is slightly more neutral ground, for both parties’ peace of mind. Also, note the violin and piano players. They are working hard!

In addition to being nice shots of Luna and Drautos (and the Kingsglaive cuff), these images show off the painting of Etro fairly well. Is she being supported or bound by the organic pillar-like things on either side of her? Her legs are bare, but she is wearing an ornate collar and shirt. What is the lore, Square?!

It’s also very interesting that Drautos and Nyx are set up in corresponding places. What is Nyx’s position that he and the Captain are the only visible guards here? And yet Nyx is not wearing a dress uniform of any kind even here, just the standard uniform with his silver trim and double chain.

Notice how closely Drautos watches Nyx and Luna's conversation, though, and his odd expression as he looks up. Is he smug things are proceeding as he planned, or something else?

Thank you for sticking with us through another deep dive. We hope this was able to help your creative works (especially for Nyx Week!) and maybe even start some discussions. We’d love to hear your thoughts, disagreements, and little things you might have noticed!

Good luck!

[fandomsideworks]

[scrappyprincess]

There's so many steps in front of the Citadel. No man as old as Iedolas could possibly climb them all like he presumably does in the movie. Even Regis's knee probably makes it a struggle for him.

It's unnatural.

[raven-6-10]

@sparklecryptid

Something for Ardyn to wear XD

Robert Wun | Fall/Winter 2024 Couture

[raven-6-10]

@a-world-in-grey

Right, after some deep diving through FFXV wiki and some research into hereditary titles, inheritance laws and various historical and fictional courts, I think I have a general idea of what I want the Niflheimr court in general and the Aldercapt dynasty in particular to look like.

***

Let's start with the inheritance laws.

I settled on agnatic-cognatic (male-preference) primogeniture i.e. the throne goes to the eldest son, then his brothers by order of age, then his eldest sister and so on. And since the Aldercapts don't have Bahamut artificially pruning the family tree to one child per generation in recent centuries, there are actually people related to the Emperor with a legitimate claim to the throne.

(Side-note: some pruning is still happening as a result of children competing for the throne. Iedolas' brothers and one sister had died before he even came to the throne.)

The issue here is that Iedolas is an ambitious man - even if he's not obsessed with reviving Solheim (at the moment) - and wants to leave a legacy. Which means he wants his heir to be his child/grandchild.

You raised a valid point about Iedolas having children before that point. Which. Uhmm. Canon doesn't exactly help here. The only thing we know for certain is that he had at least one son (b. 720 ME) who died at the earliest in 748 ME (because that's the birth year for Solara Antiquum) but was definitely dead when the game kicked off in 756 ME. Considering Iedolas is from Mors' generation that's kind of late to have your first child.

So!

I'm gonna make an executive decision here.

Iedolas did have children before that with his wife. Specifically two sons and a daughter. Possibly some grandchildren even. However they all died due to combination of illnesses, accidents and deliberate action. At that point he tried for another child with his wife, which canonically ended up with her death from childbirth complications within a year. In this au, the son in question was born early - resulting in underdeveloped lungs plus host of other health issues - and died as a young teenager due to pneumonia.

Hence, the order for Besithia to create an heir for him.

***

Situation at the Imperial court is surprisingly stable at the moment.

Just because the Emperor has no children doesn't mean he has no heirs*. The current heir presumptive is his younger sister but since she's rather elderly, the throne is actually probably going to be inherited by his great-niece. The woman in question is from a high-ranking house, married to a man from similarly titled house, has a range of useful political and military connections and a daughter of her own at the time of Prompto's birth.

(Iedolas had been planning to betroth Prompto to his great-great-niece and name the mother a regent just in case he dies before his son is an adult.)

So most of the politicking is currently about getting into the good graces of the imperial heiress and discrediting the rivals. The most opposition is from warmongers (Ulldor) as she's much less militant than the current emperor, so will likely focus on consolidating the imperial gains in Tenebrae and addressing social issues instead of continuing the conquest.

***

As for where that would leave Prompto (or whatever Iedolas would rename him)?

I'm headcanoning that Niflheimr royals don't introduce their kids to public until they are at least 10. Before that there might be rumours, especially if the Empress is obviously pregnant, but nobody will confirm anything outright.

There's a bunch of historical reasons behind that, but mostly it's very useful if you need to, erm, adjust the family tree.

And right now it means that Aldercapt still has time to get his kid back instead of writing him off as a lost cause and trying again or just formally declaring a new heir from among his relatives. Because nobody will bat an eyelash on the boy not being seen before his formal introduction.

If the Nifs actually recover him, he will be raised in a secluded estate on the outskirts of Gralea with staff being responsible for his upbringing and Iedolas visiting often to check on him.

***

*I was inspired by the House Arryn. Somebody once joked that even if you are five generations removed from lordship, you can still end up being the Heir Arryn. A peasant sneezes in the Vale and they've lost half their house members.

[queenoffishingandcookies]

Considering Lucis is heavily inspired by Tokyo, I’m kind of curious what traditional wedding practices in Lucis would have been like, back before Niflheim said that most of the continent was now their property, even if technically it was still ruled over by the Lucis Caelum’s.

I like the idea of traditional Lucian wedding being layered similar to traditional Japanese wedding kimonos, with motifs similar to armor (if it weren’t actually literally armor of some sort), and for the royal family specifically it would be similar to Bahamut’s wings, like a cloak of feather’s shaped like swords.

Probably actual literal swords, knowing the LC’s, actually. Oooh, elemental swords - like, you make to cloak to display mastery over powers of elemancy.

I have like a whole post I’m still trying to put together about traditional kimonos worn by Japanese brides, and although unrelated to FFXV in anyway, it was honestly what got me thinking about what sort of fashion Lucis would have worn in previous eras, back before the modern day.

Also, I like the idea of the royal family have a smaller, traditional ceremony away from prying cameras and eyes, because as soon as television and radio was invented, royal weddings had to have been telegraphed.

Like Noct’s and Lunafreya’s official wedding would have been heavily spread across the entirety of Eos, and then they have a smaller and more private devotional ceremony - I don’t know, the idea just struck me as cute.

Which now makes me curious on Niflheim clothing traditions, considering Iedolas’s robes and so on.

[hiddeneosbymrsflowerpot]

Not hidden but perhaps overlooked. In Altissia if you climb the winding stair that head up to the gondola station that takes you to Listro Park, half way up there is a square with a fountain and a winged statue. If you get close enough to the statue you can check the inscription.

"A goddess as merciful as the sea is wide, May Leviathan long protect this land. Peace be unto the Province of Accordo. Iedolas Aldercapt, emperor of Niflheim"

Rather of ironic considering what happens next.

All images copyright Square Enix Co Ltd.

[raven-6-10]

@a-world-in-grey

Alright, so!

Aldercapt finally loses his patience, because he still has no heir - either he didn't manage one with his wife or they died later on - so he orders Besithia to make one in a lab and deliver the kid once it's been "born" and is old enough to travel.

Now, the main labs are out of question - they're all specialised for mass production and the Emperor does not need fifty of the kids - but there are smaller labs that Verstael sometimes uses for more sensitive projects. He can totally do this!

Unfortunately, the smaller labs are also where he stores the back-ups of data from the MT project on off-site servers. And the security there is lower than on the main MT production facility. Low enough that a certain Lucian spy decided it makes a better, safer, target for an infiltration.

In Cor's defence, it's not like he knew what the baby in the lab was for - Besithia labeled it as a personal project into DNA sequencing; he knows better than to even imply it's connected to the Emperor - but the fact remains that Niflheim is in a Very Awkward Situation. Because the Lucians don't know so they won't demand a ransom and the Nifs really don't want to tell them.

(Glauca gets a phone call in Insomnia.)

That Prince Prompto fanart might have possibly spawned another plunny. Wanna hear it?

*looks at enclosure full of bunnies marked “ffxv aus”*

You know what, fuck it, why not, they’re ready spawning more on their own, one more won’t hurt.

[zaruba-needslove]

that's the thing isn't it. He doesn't know he's royalty because he's the bastard child of Ardyn izunia. man's immortal so he must've banged people in his years "living".

he could still be a lucian and whatnot... I guess I see a lot of prompt in Keiwa XD

/he's the bastard child of Ardyn izunia/

Oh ho... now you got me interested, fufu. Cos of Ardyn www (and even if we should switch Ardyn with Kekera I'll still very much like this setting www - I mean, both Ardyn and Kekera DID start as good people after all www)

THIS I can buy www... cos before I thought you're gonna be making Keiwa be bastard child of Emperor Iedolas 😂 so my mind just noped at that imagery (leave that kind of ancestry to Micchi lol, he can either be the son of Emperor Iedolas or Chief Verstael hahahaha)

[axnewxera]

// I've been replaying a lot of Final Fantasy XV lately.

I love Ardyn SO MUCH. He is such a fun character and I might revive my muse for him soon. Also the Leviathan boss battle about halfway through the game is genuinely one of the COOLEST moments in the entire Final Fantasy series.

Buuuuuut I also have thoughts on a XV verse for Rufus!

Rufus, in the Final Fantasy XV verse, is the son of Niflheim's emperor, Iedolas Aldercapt.

As Ardyn slowly began rising to more and more power and corrupting the emperor and the rest of Niflheim's top officials, Rufus grew weary and put together his own personal makeshift Crownsguard, drawing inspiration from Lucis. His Crownsguard are the Turks from FF7: Tseng, Reno, Rude, and Elena. They become their own traveling party, primarily using a Magitek engine to get around.

Initially, Rufus and his party keep an eye on Noctis, who is pretty much public enemy #1 of Niflheim, and Ardyn, who Rufus suspects is up to something. They clash with Noctis throughout his journey but are relatively civil toward Ardyn and claim to just be supporting him.

Rufus's fighting style and abilities are pretty much what they are in VII's Remake and Rebirth, but I think he would put more emphasis on using his shotgun as a mode of quick transportation around the battlefield, to mirror Noctis's "throw a weapon and teleport to it" trick.

As Ardyn's corruption of Niflheim's entire leadership team becomes more and more apparent, Rufus would start more openly helping Noctis. I'm thinking he has a big part in helping Noctis through Zegnautus Keep and starts openly fighting against Ardyn and the daemons in that point of the story. Maybe he even tries to ally with Ravus before Ardyn gets to him.

Once the emperor becomes a daemon, Noctis finds the Crystal, the world is plunged into darkness, and Ardyn's true colors are revealed, Rufus goes into hiding and is thought to have died alongside Niflheim's other top officials - I think it'd be fun if his faked death involved a battle against Ifrit or something to mirror his battle against WEAPON in VII. He secretly finances Lucis's Crownsguard and the scattered safe havens throughout Eos, while simultaneously trying to find a way to stop Ardyn and end the eternal night himself in Noctis's absence.

Once Noctis returns after his 10-year slumber and heads for Insomnia... I'm thinking Rufus is somehow responsible for breaking the Wall that Ardyn put up around the Citadel, similar to how he eradicates the force field over the Northern Crater in VII.

Once Ardyn and Noctis are gone and light is restored to Eos, Rufus would be a big part of the rebuilding of society. He would start specifically trying to rebuild Niflheim and forms a shaky alliance with what remains of Lucis.

[thesleeepybeee]

...

Now hear me out.

Verstael Besithia keeping Prompto from being daemonified to create the perfect clone of himself that can take over his life's work when he dies...

...BUT...

...upon Verstael having Ardyn transport Prompto for his meeting with Iedolas, you know, to show off his creation, Ardyn finds out the child is being abused by Verstael and decides to take him under his own wing instead.

Like, maybe raising a kid brings back some humanity in the man after everything he's been through, and yada yada yada...

Idk. It's silly as hell, but I'm making art of it anyways, so yeah.