#liber holy knight

[crejapasta]

How Knights normally pose

How Knights should actually pose

[kinginthemask]

Traveling companion with archangel Gabriel

Inspiration comes from The Liberation of Jerusalem

[patriot2525]

Has any of the Arc's spared with Cardin since the explosion. Like I can see why Goodwitch wouldn't let Cardin fight any of them. Grimm Arc has a strong chance of "accidently" killing him. Commissar Arc has a strong chance of deliberately killing him and while Russian Arc is unlikely to kill him it would be so one sided that no one would learn anything, guy with a Tesla gun and being to old to deal with bullshit Vs a guy in metal armour

The reason why none of the Jaune's had spared with Cardin is do to him Still in the nurses office from his severe injuries. Cardin has 80% of his body burned to the crisp, as well having his entire bones shattered and broken from just being slammed to the ground. And it’s considered that Nikolai went very delicately easy on him, because to him Cardin is a fragile little cockroach that can be easily crashe underneath his boot.

but if we talking about how powerful each of Jaune’s are, it’s very simple.

Commissar Arc #3: he is very skilled Swordsman and gunslinger, his capable with every weapon that imperium has, he even knows how to use some of the Xenos weapons, which he prefer not to use at all due to him not wanting to touch the heretical technology of the Xenos. his semblance Which he considered and very believes that is the God Empress blessing, the Empress light that’s what he calls his semblance allows him to see the corruption of chaos within any men, such example a heretical inquisitor that was part of cult that was planning to destroy a industrial world, was identified by him later on executed by the Inquisition and the green Knight. The Emperor holy light grants him powers that should him from any whispers corruption of chaos making him immune to their powers, he’s only vulnerable when he’s aura is shattered. But despite everything, the commissar is still a simple mortal man, yes he very skilled in battle and in mind, but compared to the other Jaune’s he is the least powerful.

Grimm Arc #2: he is very powerful human Grimm hybrid, His powers given by the God of darkness, allows him to control and create any Grimm he can imagine. His primarily uses his dark magic that makes his enemies fall to fear and despair upon them. Grimm Arc prefers to use stealth and infiltration tactics, he likes to play with his enemies before union doom upon them. he is very sadistic towards his enemies using his semblance and magic to spread chaos to his enemies. He can make his body parts to change into anything he wants like lawn claws, shark tail, wings, or tentacles that he usually prefer to rip apart his enemies peace by peace. Grimm is indeed a very powerful one, but he still has his limits to his power, as well, he still learning how to use them.

Soviet Arc #1: He is the most skilled and Powerful out of all Jaune’s, as said earlier, his semblance and aura has mutated when he was living on earth. it changed his physical body, making him stronger, faster, smarter, and many other things that pass any talented people. His semblance aura amplification has mutated that he can generate his aura non-stop giving him endless reserve of aura, as well, he can amplify every part of his body non-stop to the point that he semblance works automatically with without him noticing at all. His embodiment of a living weapon, he cannot be injured as his body can regenerate any damage, including damage limbs or destroyed organs or anything else. Nikolai is considered the most powerful and dangerous man that exist on earth and remnant. Because of his powers and skills he gained many titles by he’s enemies during many wars he was a part of. The Butcher of London, The Pillager of Paris, Soviet Dracula, And most famously Warmaster. and he has many titles given by his allies and his people. Liberator of Africa, protector of the week, angel of salvation, Marshall of Justice. Nikolai is considered the most powerful and most dangerous out of all Jaune’s, even though he haven’t showed his full power and all of his abilities, so only God knows what this man truly capable of.

so basically his the least of how powerful each of the Jaune’s is. Do you know that I didn’t put everything that I wanted to write as I didn’t want to spoil everything just yet, there’s still many things about Jaune’s that I didn’t show yet. So stick around and you will see what the powers and ability each of them have.

[tgrailwar-zero]

“Crafted by the lair of a Beast” you say. So you are aware of what is growing at the center of the Solar Cell. But the words spoken about us before we were sealed aren’t wrong. It’s just that we have changed greatly since then.

How aware are you of the history of the Solar Cell, why it was created, and what the main goal of that Beast is?

CHARLEMAGNE: "I know of the Beast. The dark, raging fire of a once benevolent goddess. The Beast laid it's seeds within the Holy Grail War of the Moon- and then, when the time was right, it unleashed itself and slaughtered countless Masters and Servants. When the Moon Cell retaliated, it sequestered itself on the Far Side of the Moon, out of the sight of the 'Eye of God'. There-- here, rather-- it incubates. For once it reaches its true form, it can overpower even the miracle that is the Moon Cell Automaton, and then the planet itself."

CHARLEMAGNE: "As such, we have arrived. You see, the Twelve Paladins of Charlemagne are summoned when--"

CAROLUS-TILPINUS: "When the Knights of the Round Table oversleep?"

BRADAMANTE: "When Lord Merlin needs a good laugh?"

ROLAND: "When Hector forgets to pick up the phone?"

ASTOLFO: "When you're getting real desperate for heroes?"

CHARLEMAGNE: "…The Twelve Paladins of Charlemagne are summoned when the world forgets about freedom, justice, and light. There is a darkness residing at the core of the Solar Cell, and we have been chosen to defeat it. This 'Solar Cell' is a place of immense potential- perhaps the beginning of a new humanity, residing within the Moon Cell. As such- we serve as liberators!"

[ravens-inquisition]

⚔️ WELCOME TO THE INQUISITION 🐦‍⬛

This blog is dedicated to the recounting, archiving, and showcasing of "Raven's Inquisition". "Raven's Inquisition" is a Curse of Strahd prequel campaign where we get to explore setting elements and character relations that otherwise could not have been explored in the canon module. The DM @emp-roar is constructing the campaign as an adaptation of the "I, Strahd" novel, where Barovia has yet to be established, Strahd is still human, and the players are all inquisitors overtaking the Tsolenka Valley under the von Zarovich crest and the banner of the Morninglord.

The following tags are available for your eased perusal:

#journal entry (session recaps)

#public notes (in-world discovered lore)

#media (art/media)

#writings (personal inquisitor literature)

#inquisitorial mailbox (QnAs)

#AUs For tags pertaining to the individual inquisitors, please look at their personal accounts below.

By the decree of Count Strahd von Zarovich, the following names shall be knighted to receive upon them the title of

Inquisitor of the Tribunal of the Holy Office of Barovia, Ordo Solis:

Frank was a sergeant who served under the banner of House Dilisnya. Hindered by nothing but his own conscience, he chose to kneel to the Lord of Murder, Bhaal, so that he may strike the political enemies of his master without a pang to his sanity. He was later sentenced to death by his own general, not because of his crimes, but to control the unrest of the masses. This condemned his faith in Bhaal. After his release, his mind is ever-pregnant with the thoughts of meaningless murder, but he chooses not to, for while duty is in his hand, murder is never meaningless.

Ever since the attempted assassination against Strahd, Frank has been called to the battlefield, now riding and fighting beside the count, his commander, and the might of the Voronian army. [Frank's player has since left the table due to personal reasons. He will forever rage under the blazing heat of the morning sun. Sol Invictus, Frank.]

Everyone is entitled to fear. Not all are worthy of harnessing it.

Rising from the depths of enslavement, no one could have foreseen that a mere cripple would lead a savage onslaught against his masters. A gritty veteran, Cain's dreary origins gave birth to his singular conviction of dominance. This worldview born from despair molded his philosophy regarding the nature of power and the laws that govern all. Despite being fueled by darker ambitions, Cain is not without a heart of grace and kindness. The duality of the man who is both ruthless and compassionate is weighted in balance, reflecting symbolically his devotion to The Scales. Intent on liberating those in shackles and claiming power to ensure it, the "Dreadwalker" finds himself in the service of Strahd von Zarovich, planning to consolidate and secure both.

Anatomically speaking, how do you do?

Once a mere human consumed by an insatiable obsession with necromancy, Violet delved deeper into the dark arts, fervently worshipping the god Bhaal in her pursuit of forbidden knowledge. Gradually descending into madness, she adopted the guise of a pathologist, masking her heinous crimes as acts of scientific inquiry. Her obsession with understanding the mechanics of life and death twisted her mind, transforming her into a ruthless psychopath.

Calandrius Vaerethin is many things: a long-lived elf, a one-time hellrider, or the occasional robber baron. By all accounts he has the physicality of a golden knight, his fair skin complemented with his bright golden hair, as if stolen from the sun, with the composure of someone who has practiced a thousand strikes in his lifetime; though Caland would tell you he is anything but. In truth, he is the last of a long-dead order of knights, who were purged in the days of Old Voron. Now unfettered, whether it be the tenets of the old order of the noose meant for his neck, perhaps it is time to let the ghosts of his past rest. He was always told that his lot was to be the beating wings of the freedom of the sky. Though whether the Last Swan would herald weal or woe, only time and circumstance can tell.

Pikehead is imposing to say the least. Armored from head to toe in steel and spikes, little is known about him or what he looks like underneath the iron. Soft-spoken and tamed, his demeanor hardly lives up to the foreboding presence he commands. Mayhaps it was because of his duties to his late master in Old Voron. A soldier molded into a near perfect machine.

In war, the only thing stronger than fear is hunger. A tyrant is only different from a peasant in appetite.

Raised amidst the oppressive reign of the late King Barov, Omen had to learn how to navigate the streets of Voron as much as the various plights littering it. The circumstances of his birth, coupled with the struggles he faced growing up, taught him to attribute value to the few possessions he truly owned. Value he is willing to exchange for the only thing he ever hungers for: a home.

I promised them it would all get better, but all I brought them was ruin. I cannot fail again, but if ruin is what he needs, ruin I shall bring.

A soldier, a knight, a sword. Whatever he is, one thing that can describe him is loyalty. And why would he be the one that betrayed the kingdom? Who knows. But now, it seems like he got his second chance, and he will not waste it.

"My army settled in the valley of Barovia and took power over the people in the name of a just god, but with none of a god’s grace or justice." -- Tome of Strahd

☼ SOL INVICTUS ☼

[ladygriffith]

REVEALED! The real villain of Berserk: The Skull Knight

(The Skull Knight) (Thulsa Doom)

Kentaro Miura has mentioned that Berserk was inspired by Conan The Barbarian (Robert E. Howard).

Conan the Great is a fantasy novel by American writer Leonard Carpenter, featuring Robert E. Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. It was first published in paperback by Tor Books in April 1990.

In Conan you have the kingdom of Aquilonia (Latin Aquilae means eagle, like Falconia means Falcon).

Conan rescues the dwarf Delvyn, jester to Balt. Delvyn, however, is not the fool he appears, but the secret instigator of the invasion and servant to Kthantos, an evil demon.

Delvyn feeds on Conan's anxieties about his advancing age, while heightening his concern over the amoral and ruthless Prince Armiro. 

Concerned by rumors Armiro has imprisoned his former lover, Queen Yasmala of Khoraja, he decides to liberate her and so gain intelligence on his foe.

He rides disguised across Koth to the Tarnhold, Khoraja's infamous prison fortress. Gaining entry through an underwater passage guarded by a giant water spider, he finds Yasmala indeed present, but in voluntary retirement. Armiro and some of his retainers, who had secretly followed Conan, burst in on the two; in the incursion, Yasmala's maid, Vateesa, is critically injured.  The enemies renew their combat, but Conan falters when Yasmala begs him to spare Armiro, now revealed as her son.

The demon god Kthantos, playing both sides, visits Yasmala, who is nursing the comatose Vateesa in their new prison. The demon attempts to possess Yasmala, a fate she evades only to fall to her death.

News of her demise reaches Conan he assumes Armiro responsible and guilty of matricide, kindling his wrath against the prince all the more. Kthantos then appears in a dream to Armiro with an offer of power; the prince is skeptical, but reports the dream to his subordinates as a holy visitation. 

Delvyn encourages him to envision himself emperor of the world with the godhood such a role implies, a notion previously implanted. After a disturbing dream in which Conan imagines himself drawn to his doom, he awakens to word that an army equal to his in size has entered the plateau from the Kothian side—Armiro and his host, guided by the prince's dream.

The antagonists face each other at the temple, which proves the lair of Kthantos. As the demon god hails them, Delvyn and Amlunia incite the two rulers to personal combat, the prize being mastery of their combined armies and the world under Kthantos's patronage. Both monarchs, realizing they've been used, are suspicious of the god but otherwise game, as each believes the other the instigator of Yasmala's death. Their confrontation is interrupted by Queen Zenobia, driven by chariot in relays all the way from Aquilonia. With her is the partially recovered Vateesa, now revealed as the queen's mysterious visitor. They reveal Conan that Armiro is not just Yasmala's son, but his own as well.

This balks Conan while inflaming Armiro to new fury as he vents on Conan the distress over abandonment that has afflicted him his whole life. The fight is on, and Kthantos manifests in triumph. Vateesa recognizes and denounces the demon as Yasmala's murderer, uncovering its machinations. At this the two kings put aside their quarrel and turn on Kthantos, toppling a shattered pillar into the well from which it issues. The dwarf Delvyn remains, released from his patron's spell, and is revealed in his true form—a giant twice the size of Conan. Shunned by humanity, he had studied ancient lore to achieve vengeance, which had led him to Kthantos. In his diminished guise he had played the fool, enticing kings to the demon's service until, in the troubled Conan, he had found what he deemed the perfect tool, to be first used and then supplanted. Now unmasked and thwarted, he challenges the king. Conan has his soldiers dispatch him.

Under truce, and still uncertain of their feelings for each other, Conan and Armiro resort to their advisers and diplomacy. A modus vivendi is envisioned in which both monarchs will pull back from Ophir and respect each other's spheres of influence, abandoning pretensions to sole mastery of the Hyborian world.

(Conan the Swordsman)

Kull of Atlantis or Kull the Conqueror is a fictional character created by writer Robert E. Howard. The character was more introspective than Howard's subsequent creation, Conan the Barbarian, whose first appearance was in a re-write of a rejected Kull story. Kull's mortal enemy is the sorcerer Thulsa Doom.

Thulsa Doom is described by Howard in "The Cat and the Skull" as having a face "like a bare white skull, in whose eye sockets flamed livid fire". He is seemingly invulnerable, boasting after being trampled by one of Kull's comrades that he feels "only a slight coldness" when being injured and will only "pass to some other sphere when his time comes". Thulsa Doom is the most authoritative and powerful sorcerer. One of his most notable abilities is shapeshifting, allowing him to claim various identities. Often impersonating someone else. He was able to hold his own in a sword fight against Conan or Kull.

Thulsa Doom is also seen as controlling the elements and being able to call up a storm out of a calm sea. While Thulsa Doom cannot be killed – even when pierced by a sword or thrown from a great height – he's vulnerable to steel being driven through his body, such steel acting to imprison him and prevent Doom from getting away.

Thulsa Doom is the prototype for many of the future undead evil wizards in Howard's stories. he is also called the 'Skull face' and he has foresight of the most possibilities.

He appeared when he and his legions invade the lands of Cimmerians for the first time, leading to a massacre of the people there including the young Conan's parents (the father was killed by Doom's dogs while the mother was decapitated by Doom with the father's sword). As the young Conan became a gladiator after years of slavery, Conan swore to avenge his people's tragedy by killing Doom.

Posing as the nobleman Ardyon, he forms an alliance with four rebels who actually dethroned the hero, and set him on a quest to regain his lost kingdom. Thulsa Doom sent members of his Black Legion to ambush Kull and Brule, though they won the fight. Thulsa observed the battle through a magic crystal. Kull and Brule's ship was later attacked by a sea serpent, with which Thulsa may or may not have had anything to do.

Thulsa Doom/Ardyon learned of the curse of Torranna (essentially, if a scarred man wore the crown and sat on the throne, he would be unable to ever leave the throne), which he determined to bestow upon Kull. Thulsa Doom drew Kull into Torranna and had him undergo a series of trials to gain the crown of Torranna. Thulsa Doom revealed himself to Kull, challenging him to one final battle. Thulsa Doom pulled Kull into a pocket dimension for their final battle. Kull managed to slash Thulsa Doom's face with his sword, but was ultimately overpowered by the necromancer. Thulsa Doom returned them both to Torranna, but Kull rallied long enough to push Thulsa Doom onto the throne and place the crown on his head. His face scarred by Kull, Thulsa fulfilled the prophecy and fell victim to the curse himself. Thulsa's power were drained by his curse as the city of Torranna collapsed, seemingly crushing him. Kull, luckily, escaped, and then returned to Valusia to retake his own throne.

Set in the time of King Arthur (though Arthur himself doesn't appear onstage) Thulsa Doom comes back to life after 18,000 years on a sinister deserted island. Recognizing Cormac Mac Art – an Irish adventurer who joined a band of Danish Vikings – as a reincarnation of his old enemy King Kull, Thulsa Doom immediately resumes his ancient vendetta and relentlessly seeks to kill Mac Art.

The Riddle of Steel In the beginning, we see Conan's father explain the Cimmerian lore concerning the ancient Giant Kings of earth stealing the forging secrets from the god Crom. Conan's father tells him that he must learn by himself the riddle of steel. Giving him a hint, he tells him that you cannot trust anything in this world, except for one thing; and, showing him the sword of steel he just forged, he says: "This you can trust." What he does exactly mean by "this" is not clear.

Years later, Conan tracks down and confronts Doom and his raiders. Doom tells him that he has abandoned the pursuit of steel, because flesh is stronger. To prove his point, he beckons one of his cult followers on a cliff to come to him. Enthralled by her faith, she steps off the cliff and falls to her death. This, the ability to lead loyal followers who are willing to die for you, is real strength for Doom, and he reproaches Conan for not recognizing where his own strength is. Then, in his final confrontation with Doom, as he is subjugated by Doom's mind control, Conan looks at the damaged sword and somehow frees himself and kills his enemy with one thrust of the still sharp sword. It is implied that, in that instant, he figured the riddle and the true answer to the riddle. Which these are, however, we are never told  Fans have come up with several explanations over the years. One is the Nietzschean idea that will is indomitable and stronger than both steel and flesh. 

“In this world, is the destiny of mankind controlled by some transcendental entity or law? Is it like the hand of God hovering above? At least it is true that man has no control, even over his own will. Man takes up the sword in order to shield the small wound in his heart sustained in a far-off time beyond remembrance. Man wields the sword so that he may die smiling in some far-off time beyond perception.”

What about Griffith / Femto then

Antagonist Villain

Antagonist vs. Villain

Griffith is the Antagonist of Berserk:

Antagonists are plot devices that create obstructions and challenges for your protagonist, while villains are evil characters with malicious intent

A story’s villain is always an antagonist, but not every antagonist needs to be a villain

Often, antagonists are other characters who have their own goals and their own obsessions. Unlike the villain, they don’t necessarily take pleasure in causing the main character harm—they just happen to have desires that conflict with the protagonist’s desires.

Many antagonists are compelling characters in their own right, since they’re not necessarily bad people. They can even go through character development and grow throughout the course of the story.

Skull Knight is the Villain of Berserk:

The villain in your story is the character whose primary motivation is malicious destruction. They’re usually the main antagonist of the story, causing the biggest source of conflict for the hero. Many of them remain hidden until the finale or hide their true intentions to create a plot twist.

He gave Guts the cursed Berserker armor, feeding off of his life force for vengeance. His hatred and darkness is consuming his flesh and SK wanted to kill the moonlight boy, who had helped Guts not to lose himself and hurt his party.

His astral form prevented Guts from killing Casca and falling into madness. Skull Knight could foretell the future but didn't prevent the eclipse. He also tried to kill Femto to stop the birth of Falconia, the peaceful city for human race.

He started the cycle of revenge and sacrifice when he probably tortured the clergyman who transformed into Void who called the god hand upon him.

Clearly, Griffith was an innocent child before he was corrupted by the God Hand giving him a behelit.

Finale Skull Knight Theory

I think Skull Knight will be the End Boss of Berserk and Guts will have to fight him.

Using the power of the Yobimizu no Tsurugi (Sword of Resonance/Actuation), Skull Knight can cut through dimensions. Time is often referred to as the "fourth dimension" 

Guts will win against him and take Skull Knight's Sword. He will cut through the dimension and time travel to Griffith's childhood.

When the clock struck notice the flashing purple light which opens a dimension and Guts appears before Griffith?

You have the same purple hue when SK visits him and Casca. Also The SK's eyes have the hue.

In Conan you have Doom who looks a lot like the Skull Knight. In Conan in the end he is revealed to be the main villain and Conan has to fight him!

Griffith is torn between his dream which is the castle and Guts. HE CHOOSES GUTS and runs towards him. Meaning they will see through the manipulation of those who forced his destiny and defeat the God Hand as well as Skull Knight.

Griffith's love for Guts is the only thing keeping him from losing his humanity, and Guts's too. Griffith is no narcissist. He is misunderstood and manipulated. As he grew up, he was corrupted. A tragic character, whose true will was taken from him.

Great foreshadowing there. Guts will save Griffith set it all right this time! They will beat their fake destiny.

[aiza-luna]

☀️~{AC SYNDICATE: AN ASSASSIN'S PORTRAIT}~☀️

★・・・・・・★★・・・・・・★

★・・・・・・★★・・・・・・★★・

- Portrait of Solange Cotoner at the Headquarters of the Spanish Brotherhood in Barcelona, 1867 -

Lady Solange Teresa Vivianne Cotoner-Artois (1848 - 1926) also known as Lady Solange Teresa Vivianne Cotoner-Frye and Dame Solange Teresa Vivianne Cotoner-Artois, as well as by her nickname "Noble Assassin of Tarragona" and her noble title as "Condesa de Tortosa" (Countess of Tortosa), was an Spanish Philantropist, Naturalist, Paleotologist Noblewoman and Master Assassin of the Spanish and British Brotherhoods of Assassins active during the 19th Century. Born in Tortosa, in the Provice of Tarragona, in Catalonia, Crown of Aragon, Solange was the oldest daughter of Carlos Rafael Cotoner y Moncada, Count of Tortosa and his wife, Aimée Isabelle Henriette Artois and older sister of the famous swordwoman Serena Hélène Josefina Cotoner-Artois. Rightful Heiress to her father's maritime business and noble title, she was raised into the Assassins Ways by Carlos and his sibilings, all members of the Spanish Council of Assassins, much to her mother's worry. She becamed a Master Assassin in 1866, after sucessfully killing her target, the Templar Raúl de La Cruz. In 1867, she was send to England to aid the British Brotherhood, as a spy along her aunt Desirée Charlotte Madeleine Pleydell-Bouviere to Henry Green, also known as "The Ghost". Solange played a important role in the Liberation of London in 1868, and later, she was of vital importance to track down the Piece of Eden known as The Holy Grail, along with avoiding the rise of power of the Neo British Templar Rite in the years of 1870 and 1874. After the Liberation of London, she married her fellow Brother-in-Creed, the British Master Assassin and Gang Leader Sir Jacob Frye. She was the one responsible for the truce and diplomatic missions to Morocco in 1887-1888 in amids of the Spanish-Moroccan political tensions, she was also responsible of the rift and tension between the Spanish Council and British Council, after she stood for their lack of action in regards to the Autumn of Terror. Solange was a direct descendent of the legendary Spanish Mentor Renato Valentino Cotoner, the one responsible to modernize the Spanish Creed in the 17th Century. Solange is a Franco-Spanish Assassin of Moroccan-Moorish, Greek, Russian and German Ancestry. Her family comes from Assassins and Knights at the service of the Spanish Crown.

Solange Cotoner's Wiki / Helix Data Base.

★・・・・・・★★・・・・・・★★・

Comission done by I_Am_The_Vigilante (on Instagram) 🩵

Solange's information and design by yours truly 🩵

[dawnslight-aegis]

glamour progression! some canonical Looks that Kaede has had over the years, lore and reasonings and whatnot under the cut~

early ARR: just some basic, comfortable traveling clothes. she didn't have a ton of money here, and her fighting style was offensively-focused, rather than defensive. she didn't even use a shield yet.

mid ARR: finally scrounged up some basic armor, but she still prefers the flexibility and mobility afforded by leather over chain or plate.

end of ARR: for the Praetorium assault, she joins as an officer of the Immortal Flames, and wears their uniform. even though it's heavy and bulky and uncomfortable.

post ARR: newly dubbed the Warrior of Light, she still favors Immortal Flame colors, but make it stylish. also helps Gerolt reforge Curtana and the Holy Shield.

early HW: after the Bloody Banquet, but before being admitted to Ishgard, she comes across the corpse of a dark knight dumped outside the city gates and takes up his sword. it's no longer safe to wear anything that associates her with the Flames, so she reverts back to her more gladiator-like style, but with light plate

mid HW: can't very well be walking around Ishgard as a heretic, so it's back to paladin for a while. she finds a full set of really nice (and warm) armor and weapons in The Aery and uses them for a bit, but swaps the sword/shield for a greatsword again in the aftermath of the Vault

end of HW: Sid gave her some armor. please imagine Zephirin's face under where her sword is planted in the ground.

post HW: had a new set of armor made to match the style of the set she found in the Aery, carries the Fortemps shield in Haurchefant's honor

early SB: when Tataru Taru makes you an outfit, you damn well wear it. also this is her RDM training arc, Marz is the main character doing WAR stuff here, Kaede is just here to vibe and help out

mid SB: Kaede doesn't care for Doman fashion in Eorzea, she has a hard enough time convincing people she's not foreign. but when in Othard, do as the Othardians do. oh this is also where she got her horn and tail decor! turns out when you go somewhere with lots of au ra, you can find cute auri accessories. who knew.

end of SB: we liberating Ala Mhigo in full red mage regalia my friends

post SB: it's just a cute witchy look, Kaede didn't do the Mhach raids so idk how she even got this one. I just like it. she spent most of the SB patches in Ishgard so maybe she bought it from Leofard or something. for REALLY late post-SB (aka Ghimlyt Dark) please see "early ShB"

early ShB: puts her rapier away when her friends start dropping and she has to go to actual legit war. opts for some heavier actual plate mail, but you can't fight evil if you ain't cute. also she got that top from the bowels of Orbonne Monastery, and it's reminiscent of her childhood hero, Agrias Oaks, so it's important to her

mid ShB: Kaede has Feelings about Voeburt and how it's basically Ishgard but with au ra, ask her about them some time. anyway she tries to PLD for a while on the First but it starts exacerbating her light poisoning, so it's back to dark knight time

end of ShB: yikes, girl. yikes. anyway Voeburtite+Crystarium gear is a nice cross-section of the places in the First that really spoke to her

post ShB: neo-Ishgardian top, Halonic gauntlets, I think it's safe to say she is homesick, someone let her go home and see her man already

early EW: Sharlayan is...not Kaede's favorite place. she went there straight from Ishgard so she's just wearing some of her normal civilian clothes tbh. if you see her out and about in Ishgard this is probably the kind of thing she's wearing

mid EW: Garlemald is fucking cold and depressing, even when you have a nice heavy coat. while she's here she gets her arm broken and her shoulder dislocated, so she has to do red mage stuff until it heals. I didn't include it here but it's the heirloom casting top+ravel keeper gloves+virtu duelist boots.

end of EW: a return to the iconic look after getting her shield arm fixed by Haurchefant in the Aitiascope. also all her friends died. it's a bad time. Tataru made her some boots though.

post EW: holy shit baby girl finally learned how to heal, it only took almost dying to make her stubborn tank main ass learn. she changed her hair because she's On Vacation rn. also she's engaged! idk where the yorha top came from, I don't consider the nier raids canon lmao. her staff has a chunk of the mothercrystal on it though

[skvaderarts]

These builds use DLC items, so just a heads up! More details about each build are below if you are curious. Thanks for voting! And if you spread the poll, EXTRA THANK YOU! I appreciate it! A larger sample size makes this more fun!

Saint of the Bud: An Arcane/Faith/Dex Scarlet Rot build using the Antspur Rapier with the Poison Flower Blooms Twice Ash of War and the Poleblade of the Bud. The Ant Skull Plate shield is a great contender for this build. I'll also be using spells such as Pest Threads, Pest-Thread Spears, Scarlet Aeonia, and Rotten Butterflies. Will use the rotten stray summon and makes liberal use of crafted items such as rot pots and fly pots. Wears the Full Bloom Chest piece and the Mushroom Crown for a truly unhinged look. Utilizes Maleina's Great Rune/Rykard's Great Rune.

Finger Witch: A Strength/Intelligence build with a possible touch of Arcane. This build specializes in finger weapons and spells. Uses a dueling shield. Both the Gazing Finger and the Ringed Finger scale best with strength, and despite the scaling of the staff that boosts finger sorceries requiring arcane for a spell class that USES NO ARCANE (Fromsoft stop doing crap like this. I like arcane staffs, but this was a weird one to pick for that) I will be using it and possibly adding the oracle bubble spells so that I have something to do with the Arcane requirement late game. It utilizes all of the finger sorceries such as Glintstone Nail, Glintstone Nails, and Cherishing Fingers as well as both finger weapons. One hammer and one colossal weapon. An interesting combo, to be sure. It will also use the new finger summon and the finger robes which are VERY disturbing looking. Utilizes Morgott's Great Rune/ Radahn's Great Rune.

Blasphemous Knight: A Dexterity/Faith (optional intelligence) build that uses the Blasphemous Blade (Which, funny enough, I've actually never tried despite how popular it is!) and the Spear of the Impaler. It included the now-fixed Messmer's Flame Incantations which include Rain of Fire, Messmer's Orb, and Fire Serpent. It may optionally include Rykard's Rancor (which is where in intelligence requirement would come from since it needs a whopping 40 Intelligence!) and could possibly include the Blood Incantations but only if Arcane is added to the build, so that's not likely. The core build is just the Messmer fire incantations and the two remembrance weapons. Wears the Hoslow/Messmer Knight sets. Utilizes Rykard's Rune. Still seems like a fantastic build!

Putrescent Death Bird: A Strength/Intelligence/Faith/character with an optional touch of Arcane for status build-up. Themed after the Death Birds. Wears the Death Gravebird's Blackquill set. The set boosts jump attacks like the Raptor's Black Feathers set in the base game. They specialize in different types of death sorcery. They can cast spells such as Rykard's Rancor, Ancient Death Rancor, Spectrial Rings of Light, Explosive Ghostflame, and Vortex of Putrescence. Not Tibia's Summons, though. I have standards. Putrescence Cleaver, Helphen's Steeple, and the Spirit Glave. The Eclipse Great Shield would be a good pick. Essentially, It's a very fancy frost build. Utilizes Radahn's Great Rune.

Beastial Tree Sage: A Strength/Faith build focused on pure holy damage. (which is shockingly good in the DLC but more tricky in the late main game due to the number of bosses with extreme Holy resistance.) The weapons consist of two colossal weapons that both scale to Strength and Faith and an optional dagger for a faster option if needed. Those are the Great Club and the Shadow Sunflower Blossom. The dagger is the Cnquedea. The Erdtree Greatbow is also a great fit for this build and will be included as an additional ranged option. They would specialize in Beastial Incantations such as Stone of Gurranq and Gurranq's Beast Claw as well as Holy spells like Wrath of Gold, Elden Stars, Land of Shadow, and Crucible Incantations such as Thorns, Bloom, and Breath. Wears Freya's set and uses Radahn's Great Rune.

Fire Prelate: A build focusing on strength and Faith. Utalizes the Prelate's Inferno Crozier and the Cranial Vessel Candlestand. It also uses the Giant's Flame incantations, such as Giant's Flame Take Thee and Flame Fall Upon Them. Uses either the Hoslow Set or the Fire Prelate set for cosplay purposes. A very powerful and versatile fire build. Uses Radahn/Morgotts/Malenia' Great runes. BONK.

Spellblade Cannoneer: A Strength/Int Build using the Moonrithyll's Knight Sword, the Great Mace with Waves of Darkness, and Rabbath's Cannon. It also may use the Jellyfish Shield, Carian Dueling Shield, or the Cuckoo Great Shield. It utilizes Carian Sword Sorcery such as Magic Glintblade, Greatblade Phalanx, Carian Peircer, and Carian Greatsword. It also contains Glintstone Sorcery such as Gavel of Haima, Cannon of Haima, Spiral Shard, and Loretta's Greatbow, and Moon Sorceries such as Rellana's Twin Moons. It uses Relanna/Loretta's armor sets and Radahn's/Morgott's Great Rune.

SO! Thanks for reading! I appreciate your interest in my builds XD If you want the stat sheet for any of these, just let me know and I'll post them! And if you want to see these builds in action, I'll be streaming them on Twitch. I'm SkvaderStreams. Original, I know lol! But feel free to come and lurk. It's a good time! Thanks again! It's always fun having someone to share my build ideas with. If you ever want one, let me know!

Have a great day!

[crejapasta]

I'm taking a break from building RG Lolo to build this

I've heard good reviews about this kit so here's to hoping I have a good experience building this

[mx24]

predictions for the next chapters of deltarune? predictions for the final chapter?

these aren't super detailed predictions, nor organized, but anyways:

the Roaring will somewhat parallel the end times in the Book of Revelation.

the Titans are actually imprisoned (it fits the themes AND their source!)

the Titans are under the lake.

the red Soul has a Holy Spirit, Sacred Heart of Jesus, and "spirit guardian angel" role in the narrative. (the Holy Spirit has been said to grant unnatural strength).

the Weird Route will have a grim conclusion for Kris, who is much like Judas in it.

there is a Holy Trinity, opposite to the Delta Warriors, made up of the Soul (Holy Spirit), Noelle (The Son), and the Angel (The Father). (m still highly skeptical on this one. i only have partial supporting points, but i think it'd also be interestin, especially with how it'd play into the themes of self-determination and fate. likely not so literal)

Ralsei'll have a major breakdown over the deconstruction of his only known reality.

the Delta Warriors MIGHT experience a physical change. more-so Susie n Ralsei than Kris. let's even call it a metamorphosis.

DARKNER LIBERATION!!

Seam will have a larger role in one of the future chapters, possibly even an antagonistic one.

Jevil returns.

Gaster will not physically appear, at least not in a non-Easter Egg fashion.

Dess will not physically appear (in the present) either.

the Knight is either Mayor Holiday, the Vessel, or Alvin. (it needs to be someone that will have some major emotional impact over the protagonists, so im leanin towards the former two).

no matter the route, Susie n Noelle end up together.

without the Soul's inhabitation, Kris will not be a Leader (class), nor will they look like a knight.

Everyman event.

missing a few i think, but s good for now.

[v-arbellanaris]

in light of this post i wanna talk abt my ocs names!!!! obv some of u were already here for the changes but!!!! the logic behind my da oc names hehehehe

WARDENS

Evadne (/iːˈvædniː/; Ancient Greek: Εὐάδνη): From Greek Εὐάδνη (Euadne), from εὖ (eu) meaning "good" possibly combined with Cretan Greek ἀδνός (adnos) meaning "holy".

Explanation: Felt like an unwell name for a trans Circle mage to choose for herself.

Kalyani (/kæljɑːni/; Sanskrit: कल्याणी): Means "beautiful, lovely, auspicious" in Sanskrit.

Explanation: Default Tabris is Kallian, which seems like a good Fereldan name, but I really wanted to draw on themes around belonging and identity with Kal, and so giving her a name that could be confused for Kallian was something I really wanted to do - to reflect the Anglicisation that often happens to our mothertongue names. Also, desi elves ftw.

Faris (/ˈfaː.ris/; Arabic; فارس): Means "horseman, knight" in Arabic.

Explanation: One of my favourite names.

Aedan (/ˈeɪ.dən/; Old Irish: Áedán): From the Old Irish name Áedán meaning "little fire", a diminutive of Áed.

Explanation: Literally just the default m!Cousland name because I could not be bothered.

CHAMPIONS

Lysander (/laɪˈsændə/): Latinized form of the Greek name Λύσανδρος (Lysandros), and it means "liberator".

Explanation: Pro-mage Hawke. Self explanatory (:

Miranda (/mɪ.ˈɹæn.də/): Derived from Latin mirandus meaning "admirable, wonderful". The name was created by Shakespeare for the heroine in his play The Tempest (1611), in which Miranda and her father Prospero are stranded on an island.

Explanation: I do just like the name but hmmm potentially some thoughts around mage!Hawke and Malcolm dynamics...?

Damon (/ˈdeɪ.mən/; Ancient Greek: Δάμων): Derived from Greek δαμάζω (damazo) meaning "to tame". According to Greek legend, Damon and Pythias were friends who lived on Syracuse in the 4th century BC. When Pythias was sentenced to death, he was allowed to temporarily go free on the condition that Damon take his place in prison. Pythias returned just before Damon was to be executed in his place, and the king was so impressed with their loyalty to one another that he pardoned Pythias.

Explanation: Thinking about Handers so no one talk to me rn.

Amalia (/a.ˈmaː.li̯a/; Greek; Αμαλία): Short form of Germanic names beginning with the element amal. This element means "unceasing, vigorous, brave", or it can refer to the Gothic dynasty of the Amali (derived from the same root).

Explanation: Chose this one because I wanted a warrior!Hawke, who was only ever really a warrior because of necessity. Of all my Hawkes, Mal is actually the one who adapts to being a noble well (Leandra's daughter, through and through), and so I wanted to explore different kinds of strength.

Alexis (/ə.ˈlɛk.sɪs/; Ancient Greek; Ἄλεξις): From the Greek name Ἄλεξις (Alexis) meaning "helper" or "defender", derived from Greek ἀλέξω (alexo) meaning "to defend, to help".

Explanation: Felt like a super fitting name for a red warrior Hawke tbh!!!!

Joan (/ˈd͡ʒoʊn/): Medieval English form of Johanne, an Old French form of Iohanna (Joanna). A famous bearer was Joan of Arc, a patron saint of France (where she is known as Jeanne d'Arc). She was a 15th-century peasant girl who, after claiming she heard messages from God, was given leadership of the French army. She defeated the English in the battle of Orléans but was eventually captured and burned at the stake.

Explanation: Joan is my pro-Templar Sebmancing playthrough. Of course I named her after Joan of Arc.

Maimunah (/maj.ˈmuː.nah/; Arabic: ميمونة): Means "auspicious, blessed, favourable" in Arabic, in the Malay and Indonesian form.

Explanation: Thought about Malcolm naming his tiny mage daughter and wanted to cry. Also, I've always really loved this name - I knew an adult with this name as a kid, and she was really just... I admired her so much. So why not!!!

INQUISITOR

Isra (/ʔis.ˈraːʔ/; Arabic: إسراء): Means "nocturnal journey", derived from Arabic سرى (sara) meaning "to travel at night" - refers to the Prophet's journey from Makkah to Jerusalem (Isra' and Mi'raj)

Explanation: If you know the context behind this name, then the link to the Herald is quite obvious.

Iskandar (/ʔis.ˈkan.dar/; Arabic: إسكندر): Arabic, Malay and Indonesian form of the name Alexander, which is the Latinized form of the Greek name Ἀλέξανδρος (Alexandros), which meant "defending men" from Greek ἀλέξω (alexo) meaning "to defend, help" and ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive ἀνδρός).

Explanation: I've talked a bit abt it before over here!

Mahanon

Explanation: Default m!Lavellan name.

Ellana

Explanation: Default f!Lavellan name.

Marya (/ˈma.rʲjə/)

Explanation: Actually, I wanted to do Arya but. Um. I accidentally. Anyway.

[daenystheedreamer]

Uhhh ur oomf defends the pixie exclusion act enacted by the Templar Commander Valanya to oppress the surface Dwarves and free mages in dragon age. This draw real world parallels to the heteronormative pro-patriarchal ableist structure that exists in our real world. The mages are queer-coded neurodivergent coded inherently queer characters, while the knights represent the oppressive political police. Furthermore, she romanced Dorian, a gay character with her fujoshi fetishistic oc, a character who supports elf slavery under the evil mage imperium. Finally, ur oomf thinks Solas went too far which is demonstrative of her faux progressive liberalism that claims to pro dalish, pro mage, pro surface dwarf, pro qunarix, etc. etc. I will send the username in dms if u wish! :)

actually got so fucking scared readig those first words holy shit i rlly thought some beloved mutual was about to get blasted in a huge paragraph. anyway if you support the dreaded wizard slorpenfuch who signed the goblin expulsion act un-fucking-follow me now

[four-loose-screws]

FE2 Novelization Translation - Book 2 Chapter 1 Part 2

If you would like to start from the beginning, read a missed part, etc., click here!

FE Game Script Translations - FE Novel Translations - Original FE Support Conversations

If you are interested in donating to support my work, please check out my Ko-fi here. Thank you!

———————————

Chapter 1 - The Second War

Part 2 - The Empty Throne

A gorge filled with water divides north and south Valentia. It also serves as the border between Zofia and Rigel. No one knew when it had been built, but a stone bridge, old yet just as strong as ever as the years passed on, was the only path connecting the two countries. At both the north and south ends of the bridge were stone buildings, both constructed atop a firm foundation to serve as the border defense stronghold of each nation.

Currently at the front gate of Zofia’s stronghold was a single sacred horse, neighing happily that he was allowed to gallop as quickly as he could, hooves directed straight towards Zofia Castle. Atop the horse was his master, Gray, a Paladin who’s furrowed brow and serious expression were in stark contrast to his mount’s happiness. He was one of Alm’s friends that grew up with him in Ram Village. While they had a bond of friendship that would last a lifetime, Gray also viewed Alm as the master he would serve until the end of his days. He did not hesitate even for a moment to join the Deliverance with Alm, and now, he served the Newly Reborn Knights of Zofia with skills that could not be matched.

…Ram Village. It was the place where Holy Knight Mycen had brought Celica, secretly the real Princess Anthiese, after he saved her life, and hid her while she could not return to the castle. Alm was not of any blood relation to him, but he raised Alm there as his grandson. How did Mycen come to raise Emperor Rudolf’s son?

The truth of that matter still slept within the depths of Mycen’s heart, and only Mycen’s heart, but regardless, he contributed the biggest impact towards the development of Alm and Celica’s inseparable bond.

Gray, together with the sniper Tobin, also from Ram Village, had been taught the basics of combat by Mycen. Tobin was currently guarding Zofia Castle.

Gray had been ordered by Alm to serve in the border guard. And though it was not such a big deal that he did so, he was not supposed to rush out of the border stronghold.

“We must go to the castle immediately!”

Gray yelled as he kicked his sacred horse’s side. Because his mount had been born from his Achilles’ heel when he transcended, he did not even have to pull on the reins, trusting his mount to gallop as quickly as possible towards their destination. 

Though he did not turn around, he knew exactly what he heard coming from the border stronghold behind him - blood curdling screams.

…………

“Alm, the throne cannot stay empty forever.” Said Lukas, commander of the Newly Reborn Knights of Zofia’s castle guard. 

His pride coursed through him as a member of the old Knights of Zofia and survivor of Desaix’s coup-d’etat, who continued to fight for Zofia’s liberation as a member of the Deliverance until the day their goal was achieved. Now, he had transcended from Solder to Knight, and was General Alm’s right hand man. At the beginning, though Alm’s skills with the sword were extraordinary, he was still just a villager from Ram Village. But even then, Lukas had foreseen Alm’s natural talent to become a general, and was the fastest to accept Alm as the leader of the Deliverance. He was also the person who took Desaix’s head in the very final moments of the War of Deliverance.

“It is long past time for it to be filled.” Alm said in response. His eyes stared at the empty throne. Though they had won the War of Deliverance and returned the throne to the royal family, even now, after several days, no one had appeared to sit upon it. 

And the Royal Sword, a symbol of the royal family, had been taken back from Desaix on the night of liberation, and placed beside the empty throne as an offering to King Lima IV’s departed soul. But now, it was still simply resting there.

It was time to finally bring everything to an end. That was why Lukas had secretly called Alm to speak with him, and with the consensus of the rest of the Newly Reborn Knights of Zofia, the two were allowed to meet in Zofia Castle’s throne room, which they had previously declared sacred grounds that no one could enter without good reason. The Knights were burning with the desire to take down the Rigel Empire that had plotted the downfall of their country, and avenge their royal family. And the flames were reaching their peak. Alm believed that mad Emperor Rudolf’s death would be the foundation for peace across all of Valentia. And more so than that, he believed it was his one true destiny as a Fighter.

…After the War of Deliverance, everyone thought that the royal family’s one remaining direct descendant, Princess Anthiese, would immediately return to the castle, but they had yet to see even a flicker of her shadow. The Knights heard that she was alive and in the desert to the northeast, hurried to clear the road traveling northeast that had been blocked off by the aftermath of the giant earthquake, and deployed several units into the desert to escort her to the castle, however, the intel they gathered while within Jesse’s Mercenary Kingdom did not include any meaningful information about the princess. All they learned was that she had already left, and started heading north. Which was not in the direction of the castle at all.

The Knights still did not know that Celica, General of Mila’s Restoration Army, was the very person they were looking for, because she did not carry herself like a princess would at all. 

They had even started to wonder if the news that the princess is alive had been fake, and were now questioning everything, bringing down the overall mood within the castle.

“The princess is alive. We have no other choices than to believe that to be the truth.” Lukas said. “Regardless, our current problem is not whether or not she is alive. Nor is it really that important that she comes to the castle.

“The news that the princess is alive certainly gave the Knights the morale to defeat Desaix. And Desaix’s defeat made Zofia’s citizens believe that the royal family was restored to their rightful place - there are no doubts about that now. Though word has traveled that the princess is alive, what more so made the citizens’ hearts confident in the return of the royal family was the strength of our Knights. What we need now is to turn the citizens’ belief into reality. And that reality does not necessarily have to come from a direct descendant of the royal family. Only if Princess Anthise returned home to the castle could that be an option.” 

Lukas continued, “Alm. If the throne remains empty, then the country will soon be in danger. Logical reasoning and discussions of your lineage can come after. What you should do right now, as general of the Knights, is take the throne yourself.” He suggested at the end of his speech.

…………

The high-pitched sound of his sacred horse’s horseshoes flying off and hitting a nearby rock made Gray’s ears ring before they disappeared into the wind. He felt in his own Achilles heel the sharp pain of his mount’s bare hooves hitting the stone road beneath them. Because sacred beasts are born from a fragment of their master’s body, the link between the two is absolute. Regardless of who it happens to first, if one is injured, then the other will be as well. And if one dies, then the other will soon die as well.

“We just need to make it to the castle!” Gray’s body suffered just as much pain as his horse’s did. As he closed his eyes and grit his back teeth as hard as he could to endure it, the wind slowed and became intertwined with the scent of the tide, which he crouched from atop his horse to get a good whiff of.

Gray opened his eyes, and saw the outline of the beautiful castle. From the southern stronghold, he had once created a painting of it while shivering in awe of its beauty, intending for his work of art to one day be hung in the throne room. Though his vision was distorted due to the intense pain he was in, it was just as he had depicted it. Its marble walls had been made from seashell plaster, giving it the appearance of snow-capped mountains. It glittered with bright, noble colors in the sunlight, as if the sun itself was expressing how radiant it was.

When Gray rushed across the stone bridge over the moat with a final burst of speed, the gatekeeper recognized him, and immediately opened the gate.

“There is trouble at the border…!” He shouted as he flew within castle grounds.

…………

“You know why I immediately knew how strong you are, right?”

Alm responded to Lukas’s proposal to become the new king by utterly refusing it, and he would not budge. To further try to persuade him, Lukas started to reminisce on their time together so far, while slipping in his reasons as to why he thought Alm would make a great king.

“It was all because of the cross-shaped mark on your right hand. That was the beginning of everything. When I came to Ram Village to recruit Sir Mycen to lead the Deliverance, you mistook me for a Brigand, and your three friends pinned me down.

“But they too are now leaders of the Knights of Zofia. It’s funny how things have changed. …If Kliff was still here, we would likely already have the one thing we lack now - a full-fledged mage unit ready to be deployed at any time. It is a major loss that he is no longer with us.”

The mage Kliff, alongside Gray and Tobin, grew up in Ram Village, and was the third of Alm’s closest friends. The tempests of the War of Deliverance caused many lives to be lost. Another one of the reasons why Alm was so hell-bent on taking down Emperor Rudolf was because one of his best friends had been killed.

“When you raised your sword to cut off my head, I saw it. I recognized the cross-shaped mark on your right hand as the mark of a prodigy. And now I am all the more certain that you are a prodigy. As your friends held me down and I asked with my eyes what you truly felt in your heart, I still do not know what you were thinking then, but regardless, you lowered your sword, and asked me my name. That was also the moment I vowed my loyalty to you.”

“Not only did your eyes have no intention to fight in them, but they were also trembling in fear at the thought of losing your head.” Alm answered him.

The two were both sitting on the stone floor of the throne room, in the same position.

“Your eyes also told me that you knew with every fiber of your being that I would not cut off your head. That was when the fear that had taken hold in your heart transferred to mine. You are the person who knows the path I should follow. And you are the light that will lead me down that path. That was what I sensed, and in that moment, I was afraid of the fact that the person who knew my path in life was right in front of me.”

Mycen knew that Emperor Rudolf was Alm’s father, and that the only possible outcome of his participation in the War of Deliverance would force him to walk down a tragic path that would make him kill his own father. That was why Mycen would not allow Alm to leave Ram Village. And because Lukas knew absolutely nothing about the truth, he saw no reason not to take Alm with him outside of the village.

Alm’s skills with the sword would become a great strength for the Deliverance. And as Mycen’s grandson, he would make for a perfect general. And that is exactly what happened. Alm rallied the Deliverance together, taking the castle back from Desaix’s clutches.

“Then what do you say?” Lukas asked, inching his knees closer to Alm. “If you saw me as the light guiding your path, then will you accept my proposal now? Alm, you are the person fit to become Zofia’s new king. It is what both the people and the soldiers of the Deliverance truly want.”

But Alm still rejected it. The idea itself of becoming king was not what made him hesitate. His goal was to take Emperor Rudolf’s head himself. 

And Rudolf’s soldiers were all transcended units and fierce fighters. Even Rudolf himself was an active soldier transcended to the highest class of all Cavalier units, Gold Knight, considered the ideal Unit by all sword-wielding Units beneath him. The Knights of Zofia still had no idea how powerful he was.

He and Alm could very well be equally matched, meaning that they may simultaneously kill each other. And Alm did not think that someone whose sole wish was to kill their enemy should become king. If Alm became king, then the people immediately had to accept his death - their king’s death. He was afraid the impact that would have on the country would be too great.

A king always had to think about living and caring for the people. But the nature of Alm’s actions always risked his life. From the very beginning, it was not possible for him to sit on the throne.

“There is no possible way that I can become the new king. Because…”

The moment Alm was about to tell Lukas exactly why he was refused to take the throne, though no one was supposed to step foot in the throne room, a group of Units rushed in, alongside the echoes of their hurried footsteps.

The group lined up in front of Lukas and Alm, interrupting their private conversation. They were all the most elite members of the Newly Reborn Knights of Zofia, and their comrades in battle. The first two were the best Units in the Zofia Castle guard and survivors of the old Knights of Zofia, the Knight Forsyth, and the Sniper Python. Also present were the Sniper Tobin of Ram Village; as well as the Saint Silque, a servant of goddess Mila who had sworn to also serve Alm until the very end.

Because they had not yet come to a conclusion deciding whether or not Alm would ascend the throne, Lukas at first thought that everyone hurried in to each give Alm their own advice, but when he saw someone among them who was not supposed to be in the castle guard, he became nervous. The weakened Paladin among the group, being supported by Tobin and Forsyth on either side of him so he could walk, was Gray, who was supposed to be serving as a member of the border guard.

“What’s wrong?!” Lukas question was more of a scream as Gray slowly collapsed to the floor. Gray was supposed to be guarding the border with the other survivors of the old Knights of Zofia, including the Paladin Clive; his younger sister, the Falcon Knight Clair; and his beloved, the Cavalier Mathilda. Until they received new orders, they were not supposed to come to the castle.

Gray forced himself to say through gasps for breath so heavy his shoulders were heaving. “I’ve never seen anything like it!”

Everyone knew what he would say next.

“An army of Witches crossed the stone bridge. Rigel has dared to cross the border!”

Rigel made their move faster than the Newly Reborn Knights of Zofia could regroup, making a declaration of war, even if they were not saying the words aloud. After losing Desaix, causing the foundation of the invasion to crumble, they thought Rigel would have lost their morale. But now, Rigel was doing the exact opposite, and starting an all-out war.

“Clair and her falcon are managing to keep them at bay along the shore, but there’s too many of them. They’re like a tsunami! It’s only a matter of time until our entire border guard is wiped out!” Gray shouted.

Silque calmed his arms, waving around in a panic, by taking his hands into her own, and healing him. 

Lukas turned on his heels towards the throne. Then, he took the Royal Sword from against the throne and into his hands. He offered it directly to Alm.

“Our true enemy is the Rigelian Empire. This is a battle between nations. Alm. As the new king of the Kingdom of Zofia, order us to deploy from this castle.”

With Lukas’ forceful words, and everyone’s eyes on him, Alm could argue against it no longer. He made up his mind and took the Royal Sword from Lukas with his dominant arm.

The Royal Sword, now reborn to fulfill its true duty yet again, shined brightly. It was heavier than the sword Alm had used until now, causing him to unexpectedly need to put more power into the muscles of his right arm to carry it. Everyone noticed that this made his cross-shaped mark darken to a deeper black color than ever before. 

[lynx-1512]

Completed ff7

Holy f... it was RAW.

The pure emotions after getting done with a really difficult boss (bc I skipped Knights of Round, Ultima) then rewarded with another exciting sequence, as Cloud is in a void alone with his archenemy to settle things once and for all, and conquers that mf bloodying him.

That Omnislash was cinematically timed, since I've not acquired it before beating Sephiroth. Not to mention that pure shock on the face of the person I least expected.

Never felt that powerful beating a villain.

(it sure was a chore to combat in this game but I'm liberated now that it's done with)

[beevean]

WIP Saturday

(supposed to be Wednesday but you know)

I was tagged by @monochromatictoad! I do have a WIP, several in fact :D and I tag @the-crow-binary and @viralvava, if you guys are willing to share!

Since I'm stuck here, I'll get the chance to post the most complete part :P

~

On Walter’s throne, Joachim was bored.

And he was so sick of being bored.

Oh sure, at first he was delighted to see the throne room from that new perspective – no longer on his knees kissing Walter’s ridiculously ornamented boots, but sitting where the wretched despot used to sit, looking down at the pathetic creatures crawling in and out the hall.

(he could still smell his stench on his throne, fresh blood and meat and polished metal Joachim couldn’t stand it he hated it hated it hated him him him)

He had been weak and helpless for so long, that he didn’t know what to do with his newfound power: it was a liberation and a burden at the same time.

At first, he passed the time killing some of the monsters that bowed down to him, shaking like rippling water. Some of the uglier ones, the slimy ones, the mermen who still dared to show their faces around him as if he didn’t have enough of them and their blood that stank of rotten fish; it was easy, to decapitate them with his swords, or cut off their limbs to leave them to bleed out, or exert more of his power to crush their windpipes and lungs. They made funny noises when dying: they made for lovely music. And it felt so, so good to do so not because his body cried out for nourishment, seized by despair and the primal need for survival: but because he could, and there was nothing who could stop him, not anymore.

But even that grew stale. Death had no gravitas, for someone who had transcended it.

So Joachim spent some more years exploring what he used to call his home, to refresh his memory.

(Not all of it: he gave the watery caves a wide berth. He’d rather descend into Hell and break his legs there: it was bound to be a more pleasant stay. The sound of falling rain still made him jolt on the throne. He could kill any eventual witness to that sorry spectacle, but not the shame burning in his dead guts.)

(One day, he finally sealed the entrance for good measure, and his cackling resonated up to the surface.)

The new enormous chapel, polished to a shine and bathed in the silver moonlight, only made him scoff. He could stare at the giant crucifixes and the statues of holy women without his eyes melting: they were mere counterfeits, bait for the knights’ hope and faith. How like Walter, to meticulously create something so ostentatious as a form of mockery. Joachim had no affection for the Christian God he was forced to worship in his life, so no emotions ever stirred him – he counted it as a victory against his dead master, who used to drink Joachim’s anger like distilled blood.

He’d visit the abandoned theatre quite often, force the vain succubi to give him a show, to transform into Joachim and Walter and reenact the moment he had slayed the former Lord, perhaps with a little embellishment for his amusement. And Joachim clapped, clapped hard enough that the sound of his joy echoed into the empty hallways! If they were creative enough, he’d even spare them.

He didn’t understand why the inhabitants of the castle were so terrified of him. So maybe he had a little too much fun cleaning up the place, but he had no intention of imprisoning anyone, so they should be grateful that their new Lord was much more merciful. Not that he cared about the opinion of lurid creatures who enjoyed their useless freedom when he rotted in the bowels of the castle, forgotten by everything, lower than the maggots that squirmed in decayed corpses.

The alchemy laboratory brought back memories that Joachim could have done without. Walter had taught him the basics of alchemy, in that place, he had told him about the Ebony and the Crimson Stone, the greatest treasures for a vampire to hold. And Joachim looked up to him, to his knowledge, and he had allowed him to fill his head with his obnoxious voice, and allowed him to touch him with those filthy paws of his, and…

Well, Walter was dead, and Joachim still remembered how to read, albeit slowly. He could soak in the rest of Walter’s knowledge by himself. And curse him for even thinking of appreciating one thing about that bastard, but his wealth of knowledge was immense, and a more than fulfilling pastime.

But the gardens were by far his favorite wing of the castle. Air, fresh air, for him and only him to feel on his skin! He even breathed it, as if to replace the stagnant humidity that had become part of his body. And oh, how he had missed the night sky, the stars spreading over his head rather than those stalactites he had watched grow, waiting for them to impale him. He enjoyed laying on the damp grass, drawing in the air with his swords, and stare at the immense, red moon shining upon him, a benefactor he had forgotten about.

Soon, the castle became tight on him. Another cell, just bigger than the one he had called his home for… he was afraid of knowing how much time had passed ever since that fateful day, when he tried to show Walter that he was no mere toy, that he deserved the throne more than he did.

Never. Never again. Never again will he be stuck!

He hadn’t realized that Walter was his reason of living. Not just because he had gifted him with eternal life; the reason he never melted himself away under a waterfall was because for countless time, he had anticipated the sweet taste of revenge.

He feasted on that revenge. And then what?

Joachim had wasted enough of his immortality.