#location: nabradia

[ff12-ultimania]

history of IVALICE 

The story of this game is narrated according to the Old Valendian Calendar, the very first year begins with the founding of the Galtean Alliance by Dynast King Raithwall.  

The history of Ivalice can be divided into three major periods:

"Ancient Era" before the emergence of Dynast Kings,

"Middle Age" during the Galtean Alliance,

and "Modern Age" after the fall of the Galtean Alliance.

In the following sections, we will follow these three periods and unravel the history of Ivalice up to the year 706 of the Old Valendian Calendar, where Vaan's story begins.

Column: Situation in the year 704 of the Old Valendian Calendar --- Before the fall of Nabradia

The Kingdom of Nabradia, which bordered the Empire of Archadia, had been under constant diplomatic pressure from the Empire. To strengthen relations with her sister kingdom Dalmasca, the Kingdom of Nabradia arranged the betrothal of the second prince Rasler, with Ashelia of Dalmasca.

Meanwhile, in Nabradia, the "neo-Rozarrian faction" which sought to bring in fleet from mainland Rozarria grew in number, causing internal struggle which boiled over into civil war. In the name of suppressing the civil war, Vayne, the third prince of the Emperor of Archadia, marched his army into Nabradia and destroyed the kingdom before Rozarria could send contigency.

The kingdom of Nabradia seemed to have destroyed itself in the civil war, but it was Vayne who pulled the strings behind the scenes. It was Vayne who was behind the scenes manipulating the neo-Rozarrian faction in Nabradia. However, there are very few people who knew about this fact and Vayne’s schemes.

[tarnishedxknight]

FFXII Week ~ Day 5 Prompt: Royalty

{out of dalmasca} Disclaimer: This post may include canon-divergent interpretations of canon characters, info about OCs featured on this blog, and AUs that may not align with the canon plot/characters of FFXII and/or may contain triggering material.

- - - - - - - - - -

We get to see at least one member of four different ruling Houses in FFXII, and they all live and engage in different cultures politically, socially, and diplomatically. Let's talk a little about the different agendas, ambitions, views toward different genders, and views regarding the war that make all of these royal Houses different from each other. Some of this may be based on my own headcanons, but I will include as much canon information as possible.

House Dalmasca of the Kingdom of Dalmasca

House Dalmasca presides over the smallest nation on this list of royal families. Dalmasca is a tiny kingdom that is located very close to Nabradia and culturally shares many of its traditional, patriarchal culture with its sister kingdom.

Dalmasca has only ever had kings, and only men are permitted to join the royal guard and the army. In addition, Princess Ashe's life was laid out for her, dictated by what a princess should learn, do, and how she should behave. She was not permitted to participate in important meetings her father held with his generals or his court, she was denied access to the majority of books in the royal library, and she was not permitted to learn weaponry or join with her brothers to fight in the war. Only through Basch's instruction was she able to gain access to many books, maps, and other writings pertaining to history and the war, and was able to learn the sword. Her brothers, though less restricted, were not only expected to want to fight in the war... but were required to.

When it comes to their stance on the war, House Dalmasca has attempted, unsuccessfully, to remain neutral. Not delcaring themselves supporters of either of the warring Archadian or Rozarrian Empires, House Dalmasca and specifically King Raminas has tried not to provoke either Empire into invading its small kingdom. With larger airships, more of them, and more numerous and devastating weapons than Dalmasca, either Empire could do serious damage to the small kingdom if they wanted to. King Raminas is aware of this, and despite sending his sons and knights to fight in solidarity with the Nabradian army, he fights to remain politically neutral.

Through an emphasis on tradition, royal breeding, and Dynast line blood, House Dalmasca joined Princess Ashelia to Prince Rasler in marriage. This act was taken as a Dalmascan declaration for Rozarria by the Archadian Empire, triggering a military response from them. Seeing a Dalmascan-Nabradian alliance that has declared for Rozarria as a threat, Archadia invaded both Nabradia and Dalmasca, effectively ending both royal lines as far as the general public knew by killing King Raminas, Rasler's father the King of Nabradia, and Prince Rasler. Rumors that Ashelia had taken her own life were then spread to prevent further resistance to Archadian occupation.

House Nabradia of the Kingdom of Nabradia

Like House Dalmasca, House Nabradia is a patriarchal and misogynistic House that is rigidly steeped in longstanding tradition. Like Dalmasca, Nabradia is resistant to change and to challenges of its culture. Nabradia is perhaps even more no-nonsense than Dalmasca, though, and Rasler's father ruled with a bit of an iron fist. Nabradia is far more militaristic than Dalmasca, possessing larger armies and greater presences in the skies and on land than her sister kingdom.

Prince Rasler was eventually left as the last remaining heir of his particular line of Dynast descendants, just like Princess Ashelia was left as the last of her line. Rasler's father, the King of Nabradia, saw an opportunity to make one of his own ambitions a reality, that being the joining of their two kingdoms under his rule. Because of their medieval-style rules of succession and preferential treatment towards men vs. women, both Dalmasca and Nabradia agreed that, in a marriage between Rasler and Ashelia, Dalmasca would be left the subordinate nation to Nabradia. This combined with Raminas being quite a bit older than Rasler's father meant that the King of Nabradia would one day rule over a fused larger kingdom of the two smaller ones someday. Unfortunately, due to the murders of both kings and of Prince Rasler, none of that came to pass.

Unlike House Dalmasca, House Nabradia had all but thrown in their lot with the Rozarrian Empire. There was a strong Rozarrian Resistance force based out of the capital city of Nabradia, Nabudis, and House Nabradia was secretly aiding and funding that Resistance force. It is unclear why the Nabradian king chose Rozarria over Archadia to ally with, but it was to be a fateful decision for both ruling House of the sister kingdoms.

House Margrace of the Rozarrian Empire

Not as much is known about the Rozarrian Empire in FFXII, but what little we are told tells volumes about their culture and politics as well as the social environment of their ruling House. Al-Cid identifies himself as a prince of his Empire, but "one of many." He also seems to have a rather cavalier and dismissive attitude with regard to the rigid trappings of royalty. Yet, he is also clearly permitted to engage in important diplomacy with Lady Ashelia and Lord Larsa.

All of this taken together seems to suggest that House Margrace is not facing the same problem of a lack of heirs that Dalmasca and Nabradia are. It also suggests that Al-Cid may be a young son of his House, not directly in line for the throne, or if he is, that he is not all that excited about the position. It is not the first thing on his mind, nor does he let that drive his thoughts and actions. If an heir who is not in line for the throne or who has little interest in taking the throne is still permitted to engage in diplomacy, this shows a level of cooperation and trust within the members of House Margrace that frankly is not seen in Houses Dalmasca, Nabradia, or Solidor.

Could it be possible that all members of House Margrace are valued equally for their ability to advance the future of their Empire and to protect their family? It's a refreshing idea after considering the misogyny of Houses Dalmasca and Nabradia, or the backstabbing, competitive shenanigans of House Sollidor.

A stark difference between House Margrace and Houses Dalmasca and Nabradia is their treatment of and regard for women. There are no restrictions on women becoming soldiers, pursuing various occupations, or engaging in learning and personal development, whether for royalty or commonfolk, in the Rozarrian Empire. The sexes seem to be a great deal more equal, which results in something of a culture shock for Ashelia when she meets Al-Cid.

Although it is mentioned by Al-Cid that other members of his House are pro-war and just itching to get into it hard with the Archadian Empire, he was still permitted to travel to meet Ashelia and Larsa to discuss potential peaceful alternatives. This is another display of freedom and trust within House Margrace that sets them apart in the game, for if Al-Cid was going rogue here, he would have stated that he was under duress, feared for his life, had to get back before he was noticed missing, or any other number of things. Instead, he said there wasn't much time before his House acted on their desire for war, but beyond that, he was willing to discuss peaceful solutions.

House Solidor of the Archadian Empire

House Solidor is the most "interesting" House in my opinion because they... have unique "rules" for their control of the Empire... yet seem to follow almost none of them, heh. They are the only ruling House in FFXII that does not automatically rule through the generations by medieval-esque lines of royal succession and bloodline, but rather, they are democratically elected by the masses and their Senate through an actual election process. However... that seems to be little more than a front for House Solidor actually having the exact same succession as the other ruling Houses, but just not wanting the public to think that's true. And their succession is even worse than having it done through strict rules of bloodline, because they are deceiving their public into thinking theirs is a democratic process.

It is not explicitly ever said, but I'd place good money on the fact that when these "elections" are held in the Archadian Empire, one or all of these things is true:

The election processes are always rigged so that a member of House Solidor always wins

The elections lack other potential candidates because those outside House Solidor are too afraid to put in a bid or simply don't believe they have any real chance of winning

Other candidates are forced out of the election by intimidation campaigns from House Solidor or tend to meet with "unfortunate accidents"

Potential voters and/or Senate members are bribed or threatened to vote a certain way or else

My point is, the Archadian Empire may hold elections on the surface, but there is never any intention other than for a member of House Solidor to continue to rule. That there technically is supposed to be a path for others to rule outside of House Solidor is clear, though, given Judge Ghis' supposition that if he can gain enough power, possibly through the acquisition of nethicite, he can take the throne away from Vayne Solidor. So technically... it is possible, but in reality? Who knows.

This deception and duplicity of saying or promoting one ideal while practicing another also extends to the treatment of women in the Archadian Empire. Although the sexes are legally equal, discrimination, prejudice, and misogyny still exist. There are no female Senators. Out of 20+ Judge Magisters, there are only two female ones, and only one of them do we ever get to meet in FFXII. Drace has certainly earned her place as a Judge Magister, and she does seem to have the respect of her peers... to an extent. But the road to gain that title for herself was paved with jests, insults, insinuations, taunts, and a general sense that no one expected her to succeed. So although women have legal rights in Archadia to work, join the military, and hold political office, they still face far more difficulty in achieving those things than men. So the equality of the sexes is more on paper than it is in practice at times in the Archadian Empire.

Finally, the dynamic within House Solidor is very different from Houses Dalmasca and Nabradia and from House Margrace. While Houses Dalmasca and Nabradia seem complacent inside their rigid cultural system and House Margrace seems able to foster a culture of cooperation and trust within itself, House Solidor frankly cannot... stop... killing other family members. Emperor Gramis's two eldest sons were attempting to organize a coup that would result in his assassination, so he acted first, sentencing them both to be executed. Who did he choose as his executioner? His third eldest son, Vayne. House Solidor is a family characterized and consumed by arrogance, greed, lust for power, ambition, and general cruelty to each other.

Only little Larsa seems to be different, and in my own headcanons for House Solidor in my Dark!Ivalice AU, that's because Larsa actually isn't Gramis' son, biologically. He's Gabranth's son with the Empress, Amoretta Solidor (an OC/NPC I created), conceived through her abuse of her power over the then very young and new Judge Magister Gabranth. You can read about Amoretta, the circumstances of Larsa's conception, and about her death in this post if you like, but please take care, as there are some very potentially triggering themes contained within it! But Larsa never knew his manipulative and cruel mother, and Emperor Gramis was a pretty absent dad. Instead, Larsa was largely "raised" by his mentors, Gabranth and Drace, both of whom knew the truth of his paternity but kept the secret for all of Larsa's life, largely for his own safety. Vayne, on the other hand, takes very much after his mother, with whom he had a bit of a frenemies style relationship with. He looks very much like her, he learned his silver tongue and manipulative skills from her, and he has her disingenuous, carefully crafted smile, masking sinister intentions.

But even if you don't subscribe to my particular versions of these characters, Larsa still is the odd person out in his family. Going just on canon-based information, that could be due to both Gramis' and Gabranth's influences, since both of them have seen what war between nations and within families can produce, and both wanted a different vision for the Archadian Empire. So Larsa was raised to have different ideals than his brothers or even Gramis, and being the precocious, intelligent, observant, and clever child he was, Larsa could see what was going on and was very well educated, so he could also choose for himself to follow a different path... and he did.

[charactercreatorlimbo]

So I'm playing through Final Fantasy XII it's been wayyyy longer than a decade since I last played it. I don't plan on spoiling big things, but may talk about future parts of the game before they happen, but not really spoiling story developments, anything remotely spoilery happens after the read more:

The last time I played this the color was blown out because I didn't have the right converter and and for added fun, blownout speakers.

Yasumi Matsuno deserved better.

Rather than being known for the fashion choices of its cast (tho we'll get there trust me) this final fantasy places more emphasis on the lore and history of the world, which I remember to be pretty neat.

It's the Year 704 in the world of Ivalice a lot has happened in the past, there have been wars between the nations, invasions, stuff you'd expect from kingdom politics. Sending your invading army over to the nearest kingdom is just how you ask your neighbor if they have a cup of sugar they can spare.

Currently Ivalice is is experiencing a golden age brought on by the invention of airships and industrialization advances (brought about by the invention of airships). Today happens to be the royal wedding, see Lady Ashelia of Dalmasca, and Prince Rasler of Nabradia tying the knot.

This wedding is significant in this world because it unites the territory of Nabradia that lies above Rabanastre with that of Dalmasca of which Rabanastre is its capital.

But as is the case with games in this franchise even the most prosperous times can turn turbulent in s a flash, as we'll see in for the desert capital of Rabanastre.

The city of Nabudis in Nabradia which as served as a prime bulwark between this city and the invading Arcadian empire (they ARE called The Empire, the star wars comparisons are completely justified) has fallen, the opposing army will make it to the city by sunrise tomorrow.

Prince Rasler whom hails from Nabradia leads the charge to Nalbina fortress, the last line of defense before Rabanastre.

does every game have to have names and locations that sound so similar, like ya its to show that connections that can be seen in the language alone but I wish there would be more variation present to prevent confusion, I have this bad when trying to remember anything that happened in Elden Ring.

This transition of the airship from its departure from the capital to Nalbina

Playing Final Fantasy 14 means you become immediately attentive when there's a crystal tower supplying a magic barrier in any given piece of media

hey can I play as Rasler now?

shit.

Defending Nalbina completely failed, King Raminas B'nargin Dalmasca of Rabanastre, (also Ashelia's father) is being flown to Nalbina to sign terms of surrender for Dalmasca. Captain Basch of Dalmasca (above) brought Rasler's corpse back home, there was a funeral, everyones sorta feeling it rn

On the night of the signing Basch smells hijnx and is gathering up any able bodies that are still alive from the previous battle, in this case fresh faced Reks who we'll be playing as.

This section has so much detailed geometry for just this tutorial section where all u do is learn how to run and talk to ppl.

There's even some small breadcrumbing done for the player, this red dome stands out in this sea of blue and it's an identifiable architectural feature in the next screen once we pass the level transition.

Me looking for ppl irl with :) above their heads so I can talk to them.

Also having the infantry wearing gym shorts is very funny, also this outfit gets copied and used in Final Fantasy 14, it won't be the last thing that gets repurposed

Seriously there's no reason why this entrance is so elaborate it's not like we're not coming back here.

This shot of the tonberry in front of the moon still striking in 2023 even though it won't even take a minute to scrap.

boom

Somehow it's not destroyed after that, Some of the empire's airships, especially from a distance seem like they should have more capabilities in devastation but this tonberry model uses radio communication with a WW2 era audio compression that for me helps ground the technology in this world.

Dawn is breaking.

Now we're in this gorgeous hallway, but its cut off from the symbolic victory of bringing dawn back from the night. We're completely encased in.

All of the environments have been largely transitory so guessing this room exists to demonstrate the level of clutter players could expect in these spaces. Spoiler- it's a lot for something that originally released on ps2

King Raminas is beyond this door

oh.

oh that might be a problemmm

oh Reks being betrayed and murdered is so you

Ok so this guy above is Vayne. Compared to other final fantasy villain designs he's pretty muted. I like to think that if his design was more memorable and maybe had a unique pattern of speech the game wouldn't need this pickup shot of his face which dispels a bit of the intrigue.

kinda keeps u guessing with these twinks the first has iconic armor that looks important sure, players first thinking that he's the protagonist and then gets one-shotd

then theres muffin Reks we just played as, unbaptized in the fires of war, unprepared for the challenges that lay in front of him, that's pretty close to how these protagonists start out o wait plot got them too, honk now boarding the party Vaan

After it's revealed by Arcadian empire that Dalmasca's king has been assassinated by the captain of its guard. Basch is executed for treason, Princess Ashelia takes her own life, and the empire proceeds to occupy Rabanastre the game doesn't want you to be too down because now its time to bag some rats in a sewer

This is Vaan they've been living in occupied Rabanastre, they had strange textures on their abs that got removed in the remaster

Going from Reks fighting in Nalbina with a short sword to Vaan's here with dagger maybe creates an unconscious connection before the game outright tells you that the gutterpunk is Rek's younger brother.

this was kind of a lot, now's a good place to stop. next update will be checking out Rabanastre proper

[stingslikeabee]

❛   volumes .   gaze  at  my  muse  in  a  way  that  silently  says  ‘i love you’ .

loud and deafening silence starters . accepting

Leaving her home in the company of a travelling troupe had been one of the hardest decisions in Lilian’s life – and also one of the most rewarding experiences as well. She had a loving family and comfortable living conditions back in Bhujerba, but it was only thanks to her craft that she had visited so many different kingdoms and nations and got introduced to such a varied number of people and lifestyles – from the nomadic gypsies in Rozarria to the Bunansa family home in Archades.

And it was precisely under Doctor Cidolfus’ patronage of the foreign and exotic arts that she had met his sons – and one of them in particular. Ffamran was a few years younger than Lilian, but their connection had been… Unexpected. It had been his father who brought the young man over to her, his comments nothing short of encouraging (and borderlining obvious) in relation to his own progeny – a trait she had not really anticipated from a long, respected family line from the imperial capital.

However, despite the initial parental meddling, there was a mutual interest there – and his interest in the dancer went far and beyond her colorful attire or the enticing jingle of the jewelry – he wished to know more about the world, the places she had seen, the food she had tasted – a sample of freedom.

And from her part, Lilian had hardly been drawn to such an instigating and sharp mind before. He was obviously a well-trained conversationalist, but there was a genuine edge to his curiosity. Unlike other youthful heirs she had been paraded to, Ffamran did not talk down to her as if she was incapable of following intricate discussions topics, or ogled her like a prize they sought to win over for bragging rights – there was respect before there was any sort of yearning and pining, enough to briefly had her wonder about how different would her life be if she had just… Agreed to settle?

To give up her incessant travelling for a home, a life shared with an admirable man – wouldn’t it be wonderful to follow in her own mother’s footsteps, to create a family of her own?

But Lilian knew it would be impossible – not at that time, not when they had only known each other so briefly. Just over a couple of months – their stay at the Archadian capital had been fruitful and rewarding, but eventually it was time to move on, to become fresh news at a different location… And the dancer found herself struggling to part ways with the young judge.

And that was how she found herself boarding the airship that was ready to take the entire troupe to their next destination – the kingdom of Nabradia was their upcoming step, but rather than the familiar excitement before visiting an unknown land, Lilian felt immense sorrow at the idea of departing. The young dancer found herself looking everywhere for Ffamran’s familiar face in the crowds – and once she saw him, in full judge garb but without a helmet and refusing to break away from her gaze, she almost felt rooted to the ground.

Lilian followed him with her eyes – accompanied his intense gaze as she finished boarding and then within the ship, her face pressed to the transparent glass of the observation deck and both hands pushing against the crystalline surface as if she hoped to traverse that barrier to rejoin the judge on the ground. They never said a word – but the way she gazed at him until they no longer could see each other spoke volumes of the feelings they both kept in their hearts.

She loved Ffamran – and she had no idea of how cruelly fate would intervene to keep them apart for years before they were allowed to see each other again, under different identities and in the midst of a war, but with the same intense, shared longing locked away in their souls.

[cosmiciaria]

Final Fantasy XII Zodiac Age Review (Spoiler Free!)

I'm terribly sorry, but I'm one of those who played FFXII for the first time this year.

 Final Fantasy XII was actually the first game I ever got on my PS2, because the vendor recommended it to me, but alongside that game, I brought many others, including Final Fantasy X-2 (yes, not X, but X-2). By then, I didn't even know what Final Fantasy was, so I tried XII, didn't like the gameplay, got stuck after two hours and never touched it again.

 After 2014, which was when I've played Final Fantasy X for the first time ever (yes, quite late) and fell in love with the franchise, I actually tried FFXII again, to see if I could manage beyond those first hours of story. It turns out, I managed, but got stuck again, at six hours, without being able to leave the dungeon where I was. I was quite underleveled and didn't have many resources to buy supplies, so I said 'screw it!' and never touched it once again.

 I was really not fond of the gameplay. I was all about turn based combat, not this real-time-thingy-but-not-so-real-time. But when I saw that this game was coming completely upgraded for the PS4, and with the new gameplay mechanics from the International Zodiac Job System (which should be called Japanese ZJS, not International), I desperately wanted to play the game. I have a friend who wouldn't stop recommending it to me, and insisted even more when she knew about this new version. I had no excuses, so… yes, third time lucky!

 I managed to play beyond those first six hours, and up until now, I've played over sixty hours, and there's plenty more. And I can say, what a good game! What a good Final Fantasy! How could I pass on this all these years?

 I must start this (or… continue?) by saying that I'm completely, utterly, totally, overwhelmingly surprised. With two previous failed trials, I didn't have many expectations for the game in general. I only knew this was a Final Fantasy game, and it was going to have a guy called Cid, chocobos, magic, crystals and friendship and all that cheesiness. I did not expect a political conflict, I did not expect such a diversity of characters, I did not expect that much of a challenge. Guess what, I was wrong, of course! It is a Final Fantasy game after all, why would I doubt it?

 Final Fantasy XII happens in the world of Ivalice, in the middle of a political turmoil. The Archadian Empire is engulfing everything in its stride, and pretends to claim the Rozarrian lands. In between these two behemoths (no pun intended) we have two small kingdoms, Nabradia and Dalmasca. The king of Dalmasca marries his daughter, Princess Ashe, to the prince of Nabradia, Rasler, thus sealing an alliance. Rasler will take the reins of this newly formed nation and fight the Archadian Empire back, who was trying to step on both their kingdoms to get to Rozarria. Overwhelmed by their power and strength, Rasler falls in battle (because it seems these people had no sense while designing their armors), and the Empire takes Nabradia and Dalmasca under its totalitarian wing.

 Princess Ashe isn't oblivious to what's happening. The Empire kills her father and she, the only survivor of her dynasty, fakes her own death to fool Archadia. She starts working in the shadows, preparing a resistance, an insurgence, and waits for the right moment to reclaim her throne and her title.

 Two years pass, and fate will bring together six very different characters: the aforementioned Princess Ashe, fighting to get back what's hers; Vaan, an orphan and thief, the so called main protagonist but is less protagonist than that chocobo over there; Penelo, who follows Vaan wherever he goes because, yes, they're friends; Basch, a forgotten soldier who lost everything, even his honor, in the war, but is willing to regain his dignity and to defend Dalmasca; Balthier, a sky pirate with whom I may've fallen in love SO HARD; and Fran, a very beautiful viera (a hybrid with bunny) who's Balthier partner in crime and senses the Mist and speaks in encrypted riddles.

 These guys, who seemed to be taken out of a magician's top hat, will be accompanying Princess Ashe in her pursuit of regaining Dalmasca back, revisiting her ancestor's scattered hints across the globe to learn of a power beyond her comprehension. Along the way we'll MEET: many creatures; different landscapes; lots of tracking and backtracking and tracking again; lots of grinding, grinding, grinding, GRINDING; a very weird but crucially important stone called nethicite (of which I still don't understand much about); the almighty and solemnly mysterious MIST; giant bunnies; some guys with horns called 'garif'; some people who are always acolytes and when you see them from a close up you can learn they're actually white MONKEYS; beautiful and 'step on me senpai' BRITISH ACCENT; sky pirates and ships addressed as 'she'; summons who are not the summons we're accustomed, and the summons we are accustomed were put in the game as names of ships; violent chocobos; a thousand hunts; moogles everywhere doing everything and always in the right time for you; A GIANT ASS CRYSTAL WHICH DOESN'T HAVE A FRICKING MAP; Vaan asking stupid questions; Fran sensing the Mist and collapsing into Balthier's strong arms sorry not sorry; a twelve year old boy who acts and speaks better than all of us; and a ton crap of places to visit and maps to fill and dungeons to suffer through.

 I'll be honest, the game has a lot of content compared to its predecessor in the PS2. FFXII feels like an open world but condensed into zones (because of the limitations of the hardware, of course). But it's, in fact, the closest thing we had to that genre, and it does it perfectly. There's always something to do besides the main story. There's a ton of optional bosses, of unlockable Espers, of spells and technics to find, of weapons to seek, of maps to explore. There are also many, many hunts available, which unlock new areas in previously visited places, and also some hidden fetch quests, which are a must for those looking for the platinum. The game still doesn't cease to amaze me with its content.

 The gameplay might be a bit problematic at first, but you soon learn to grasp it. You basically can control any of the six party members, and set up the orders for the others to fulfill in a certain order. It seems hard to understand when the game explains it, but hey, if I could, then anyone can! The idea is to give priority to those orders which will save your character's life, and then make the appropriate combinations that suit you for fighting. These orders are called 'gambits', and they're the core of your gameplay. Better befriend them.

 You also have 'License Boards'. These licenses 'authorize' you to learn certain ability, or to wield certain weapon. For instance, to wield Excalibur, you not only need to have the actual sword, but also the license for it. And so on, so on. It goes the same for spells and technics. You can buy them at shops or find them in chests across the dungeons. Just bear in mind that some of them are only attainable in certain parts of the game (COF COF, HOLY, ARDOR, FLARE) and won't respawn later if you don't get them on time. 

 In this Zodiac Age version, we get to choose two jobs for each character. Now, I recommend you search in Internet for the best combinations, for I've made many mistakes choosing those, and I'm in no position of giving any strategy to anyone. I'm just going to say that, if I ever replay this, I'll be having a White Mage/Knight character, and it'd be a badass paladin.

 Dungeons can be a pain of the ass, and there's no shame, I repeat, there's no shame in looking for maps and guides. The Crystal has a great dungeon design, I won't deny it, but it can be really annoying and confusing to traverse. Pharos is also a great example of good dungeon crawling, but it can be really tiring with all its many, many floors. 

(Oh, and in case you were wondering because you’ve already played this game, there are no more ‘forbidden chests’ and the Zodiac Spear is located in another place altogether. So don’t worry about opening whatever appears in front of you)

 I can keep on talking about the gameplay and stuff, but I'm missing the most important thing here. What I liked the most about this game and what enthralled me so much, was the complexity of its characters. As I said before, I didn't expect many things. I didn't expect the characters to be morally grey. Ashe, who is the main driving force in the story, many a time doubts about the right path to follow, and blindingly falls into temptation. Gabranth, Basch's twin brother, has a divided loyalty, a complete devotion to his young master Larsa, and contradictory feelings about his brother. Balthier claims to be only there because of the treasure and the sky pirate spirit, but he soon gets on the personal race thing when his father appears on screen. All this, I've never seen it before in an FF game (maybe there was, but not in the ones I've played – that's a conversation for another day), and I was very glad to find that my characters weren't all on the heroes side. Speaking of heroes, our main villain might be the very first Final Fantasy villain I completely hate; he's not relatable, you can't sympathize with him in any moment, he kills his siblings because reasons, he's just bad because he wants to be bad. And also I hate him because I had to replay his battle three times before I finally defeated him. F*ck him.

 So, overall, I really enjoyed this FF. With each game I play, I fall in love more and more with the franchise. I'm glad I've come back to this one after all those years. The story is mature, the cast of characters is adorable (except for Vaan, sorry) and the soundtrack is on point, with many memorable themes. If you haven't already played this game (like me), this is the moment to give it a shot. And if you're a die hard FFXII fan, just dive in and enjoy the same old ride, but in HD!

 Final Fantasy XII is one of those stories which you've heard about but never actually experienced it. But once you do, there's no way in hell to let go of it.

[hey-rogby]

edgemaverick ha respondido a tu set de fotos: The Great Cathedral of Lea Monde - Vagrant Story...

hmmm lea monde is located where nabradia was so the cathedral was probably the necrohol of nabudis at one time since the architecture is similar

I thought the events of Vagrant story happened on a different continent other than Ivalice :o that would be really cool!

[ff12-ultimania]

The Expansion of Two Major Empires

After the disintegration of the Galtean Alliance, Archadia and Rozarria became particularly powerful. The city-state of Archadia which became republic at the end of the Alliance, forced for the annexation of neighboring countries and in about 100 years became the Empire of Archadia. In contrast, the Empire of Rozarria was established upon the dissolution of the Alliance and followed a relatively moderate course for the next 100 years, but Rozarria was repeatedly defeated in skirmishes against Archadia which had grown rapidly as a militaristic empire. House Margrace, which had led the moderate course of Rozarria, temporarily lost the imperial seat and the empire quickly became a military state to rival Archadia, leading to more intensified conflicts. The kingdoms of Dalmasca and Nabradia, located between the two empires, were inevitably drawn into this conflict.

[tarnishedxknight]

“Ashe… this is Raccoon City. My boyfriend lives here,” Catalina explained. She swallowed hard. Was it safe to have her friend — not a friend, a target — here right now? Did Catalina really want to teach her superiors about nethicite? And why were they even asking in the first place? Carlos’ message had seemed urgent, though, and she couldn’t just abandon Ashe in the middle of their girls’ trip. The more time she spent with the Avengers, the more she considered defecting to SHIELD. “And… and I work here, but I think something is seriously wrong….”

Ashelia wasn't sure why Catalina has been so insistent upon her traveling to Raccoon City with her. If her boyfriend had sent her a missive, was it not something private that was not meant for Ashelia's attention? Perhaps, but her friend seemed very rattled, and for that reason alone, whether it was her business or not, Ashe went along with it. For moral support, if nothing else.

She looked around at the city and immediately sensed that something was seriously wrong, just as Catalina has said. Her brow furrowed with concern. The city looked dark, dirty, and in disrepair. In the distance she could hear-... Was that screaming? "Did your lover share with you his location? Or give you somewhere he wished you to meet him?" she asked.

As soon as she did, however, she caught sight of something moving down the street. Ashelia began to confidently walk forward to see what it was, but quickly realizes it wasn't a what, it was a whom. She saw a person, with wounds all over their body, walking uncoordinatedly, snarling and reaching out for them. The person looked like so many others she'd seen in the Necrohol of Nabudis, fueled by the Mist from the nethicite explosion that had claimed the capital city of Nabradia.

On instinct, Ashelia cast a spell to turn and destroy the person, which proved very effective. The person was nothing more than dust in the wind by the time the spell was completed. "It would seem that the city has been tainted with undead," she said with perhaps a lot more matter-of-factness than anyone of this time period would understand. "Revenants," she said, turning to look at Catalina. "Ravenous, half-insane creatures who were once humes, like you or I. The raised, reanimated bodies of the dead. In my time, Mist was to blame for their creation. But now..." She shook her head. "Something else must be causing it."

[tarnishedxknight]

"Cou-could you tell me abou-about Dalmasca?" Carter asked suddenly - breaking the peaceful silence that had fallen between her and Ashelia. She turned her head to look at her as they laid together, and offered a small smile. Warmth bright in her gaze. "If- if you don't- don't mind. I- I would like to know- know more about your home-homeland."

Ashelia's eyes had been closed, but she hadn't been sleeping. She was simply enjoying the peace that came along with having a nice, lazy moment with her girlfriend. When she heard her speak, though, Ashe opened her eyes and turned her head toward Carter, blinking a couple times. "Yes! Of course I could!" she burst out excitedly, pleasantly surprised by the question. "What do you want to know? I am happy to talk about anything you like!" And that was very apparent in the way she'd come alive simply with the idea of speaking about Dalamsca.

"I loved it so much," she said, her smile turning soft. "During the day, the heat was intense but dry, so it was bearable. And then at night, it became so much cooler, especially when the winds were coming from the direction of the ocean. Dalmasca was located on a peninsula along with Nabradia, you see, so it was bounded by the sea to the far north and south. Whenever the winds came from those directions, the nights were downright cold. When it came from the west or east, they were cool and pleasant."

There was no stopping her now. Her eyes had lost their focus and she was back there again, looking around at things only she could see in her mind's eye. "My quarters was open on one side. It was high up and the palace was guarded, so there was not a fear that someone might come in through the open balcony, but yes, it was open except for a couple of sandstone pillars and of course the curtain that I could draw for modesty's sake, or if it grew too cold. But because of that, I woke with the sun every morning because the light would pour in through the open balcony, even through the curtain. It was always warm and it filled the whole of my room like it was alive and chasing away the darkness."

"There were lizards everywhere!" she said, suddenly looking at Carter with an excited, animated face. "Tiny ones. About this long." She indicated about six inches between her two index fingers. "Or hmm... if you count their tails..." She widened it to about one foot long. "Slender, delicate little things they were. I loved to play with them, but they were also a source of food. If we did not eat them, they would overrun everything, and so everyone did. We ate them in the palace, and rich and poor alike ate them all over the city. We would cure them with rock salt to preserve them, and then we would fry them when we wanted to eat them. I never ate any of the ones I played with, though, because I felt too badly for the poor things," she said, scrunching up her nose and shaking her head.

"I also woke every day to the sounds of the city all around. Even from high up in the palace, one could hear in the morning the large bell rung to indicate the market had opened, and hear people talking in the distance. There was shouting and heckling and laughing and all sorts of sounds, but there were also the airships that came and went. They did so at all hours, but in the early mornings and just before sunset were times when traffic was highest. I could hear the hum of the glossair rings and the power of the engines. I did not realize how much a part of me such sounds were until they were all gone..."

Ashe paused, having a bit of a sad moment, but then was quick to dismiss it in favor of telling Carter more about Dalmasca. "Is there anything specific you would like to know about it?" she asked.

[tarnishedxknight]

They bowed to him. "Understood, your Honor. I have already started the report, so it will be turned in shortly. As for Judge Ynarra, we have witnesses who had seen her with Princess Ashelia and the other fugitives on the Leviathan before their escape. Judge Ynarra was not found onboard after, and Captain Azelas has confirmed she was with them at the Marquis's estate. He has also confirmed she had aided their escape from Judge Ghis."

They already were bracing themselves for Judge Gabranth's anger. "Captain Azelas has reported they are with the sky pirates Fran and Balthier, as well as two Dalmascan orphans named Penelo and Vaan. He has said that it was because of the sky pirates and Vaan that Ronsenburg had escaped Nalbina. Their current location is uncertain, but Captain Azelas has given reason to believe they will be heading to the Jagd Yensa. He says that the Tomb of Raithwall lies west of the Nam-Yensa Sandsea and they may be heading there to find proof of Princess Ashelia's bloodline so she can reclaim her throne."

@disillusionedjudge

Hearing this, that Gylfie was there on the Leviathan with the Dalmascan Princess and aided the fugitives' escape from Ghis... Gabranth's fists tightened. Thought he said nothing and his helm obscured his expression, the sound of the metal in his gauntlets straining under the pressure of his anger spoke more loudly than words as to his mindset. "See that it is," Gabranth said darkly, meaning the report. He wanted it now. Yesterday. Time was of the essence.

This... was worst case scenario, or at the very least, close to it. He needed Ashelia in custody. She was an integral part of Vayne's plan, and without her, without the ability to marry her and take Dalmasca through somewhat legal means, Vayne would become increasingly unstable. His designs on Dalmasca would turn ever more violent. What's more, Gabranth knew of the proof the Princess sought, he just didn't know where it had been located. If she were to retrieve it and it fell into Vayne's hands, he would have the exact weapon he needed to obliterate Dalmasca in the image of Nabradia, just the weapon he needed to bring most of Ivalice to its knees.

Deifacted nethicite...

The Nam-Yensa Sandsea was a perilous place, crawling with the Urutan-Yensa, among other hostiles. The Tomb of Raithwall was rumored to have its own perils attached. They were no place for an asset as important as the Princess of Dalmasca.

"Prepare the Penumbra for immediate departure," he said. "And I intend to read the evidence report on board," he added, implying that it had better be ready soon.

[tarnishedxknight]

When Faegalad sailed to Valinor, she believed she would never leave. The time of Elves was over, after all, and she was not keen on experiencing the Valar's punishment for those who tried to leave its shores without permission. History told her enough of what would happen, and that was enough to encourage her to keep up an act of contentment. To pretend she was happy in a place that was almost too perfect. Because... she should have been happy. Happy to be in a place free of fear and evil - to be reunited with her friends and family once more. And she was, but... it was a feeling of discontent she could not quite place or name. A feeling she dared not show in fear of how it would be taken.

But when the Valar began to look for scouts to tell them what had become of the world beyond Valinor's shores, she wasted no time in volunteering. Leaping at the chance to sail away with permission, and to explore the world she once knew. They had warned her much had changed over the many years since her people's departure, but she was not deterred. She was eager to leave - to be part of the world she once knew - and did not take to heart the Valar's warnings as seriously as she should. But, if they recognized this, they did not change their minds, and permitted her to sail.

Nature, it seemed, had other plans.

Days into her trip and finally nearing land east of Valinor, her small swanship was overtaken by a massive storm. Faegalad did everything she could to keep it from falling victim to the massive waves, but it was too much for her and her ship, and it was swiftly overtaken. And as her ship went under, the one thing that flashed through her mind was that she had failed before she could even reach land, and braced herself to be waking in the Halls of Mandos as everything went black.

As Faegalad awoke, she was barely aware of her surroundings as she wretched and violently coughed up the salty water - her whole body aching horribly as she struggled to push herself up onto her hands. She was hardly aware of the feel of blood trickling from her scalp with the seawater, hardly aware of the horrible sting from the wound, and stared down at the sand as she struggled to catch her breath as her stomach slowly settled. As her mind slowly came to, and began to realize she was upon sand. That she was alive, and not at all waking in the Halls. But... where...?

Her arms trembled, and she let herself sink back down as she squeezed her eyes shut. Trying to gather as much strength as she could to heave herself to her feet, but... unable to do so. Unable to lift herself off of the pieces of wood that once made her ship. The sun was a welcome warmth against her soaked body, but did little to allow her mind to make sense of her situation. If she could just... get up...

{I’m going to set this about two years before the start of the game, so before everything with Dalmasca went down, before King Raminas was assassinated, and before Nabradia’s capital of Nabudis was destroyed. At this point, Raminas is weighing his options for potential alliances and ways of safeguarding Dalmasca’s future, even as she is sandwiched in between the warring Archadian and Rozarrian Empires. Basch is 32, a knight by title, but functions more like a cross between a general and a captain of the guard. His time is split between the royal palace in Dalmasca’s capital of Rabanastre, fighting with his men on the front lines alongside the Nabradian Army, and helping gain information for Raminas by scouting battlefronts and unclaimed lands for resources and potential additional alliances. It is during on of these scouting missions that this thread takes place.}

While everyone else aboard the airship was cursing the weather, Basch was thankful that the storm had not engulfed them until they were over land. Storms were rare for Dalmasca, but they occurred with the highest frequency along the coastlines, far from where most major cities and settlements were located. For being a desert nation, Dalmasca had many miles of coastline. An overabundance of salt water, but not potable water Dalmasca had, bounded by ocean to its northwest, south, and east. But although storms inland were few and far between, the ones that formed over the sea could be deadly, to ships that navigated both current and air alike.

The midsized cruiser had begun to get knocked around by the high winds, and so Basch had ordered the windows armored and the power sources protected. Sometimes storms passed quickly, and the ship that he, his modest company of soldiers, and the ship’s crew were currently were in was perfectly capable of passing through a minor one relatively unscathed. It soon became clear, however, that this was not a minor storm.

“Drop below cloud cover. Wait for a lull in the turbulence and then take her down,” Basch said, looking out over the panel of controls and through the bridge’s windscreen.

“We’re not far out now, sir. We could push the engines to break through the storm,” the captain said.

“We could, but there is no need. We are not under duress. One more day will make no difference. Better not to gamble with all our lives for little gain,” Basch insisted.

“Aye, sir,” the captain said with a nod, for although he was the captain of this vessel, Basch was the Captain of the Order of the Knights of Dalmasca, and of His Majesty’s Royal Guard. That made him in charge.

Basch appreciated that the ship’s captain was willing to question orders instead of blindly following them. While insolence and disobedience was counterproductive, offering well-informed insight was helpful. Basch hated to see men so afraid of punishment that they were unwilling to speak their minds. Because of that, he had always tried to make himself an approachable leader. He found that having a good rapport with his subordinates and comrades led to better communication... and fewer lives were lost that way. It set him apart from someone like his close friend Vossler, whose leadership style was considerably sterner and decidedly unforgiving.

Mercifully, the landing was uneventful, though one could hear and in some areas of the ship even feel the wind whipping around outside. The ship was locked down, and as there was likely to be a dangerous sandstorm out on the beach because of the wind, Basch ordered everyone to stay put until morning. With the rising of the sun, the ship’s crew, some of the soldiers, and Basch all emerged to assess any damage before they continued on their journey back to Rabanastre. Some of the soldiers began scouting the beach for any useful supplies and to make sure there were no immediate dangers while the crew worked to complete some minor repairs to the ship’s carapace. Soon, one of the younger soldiers was calling to Basch.

“Captain! Over here!” the young man yelled, waving at him from some distance down the beach.

Squinting in the bright morning sun, Basch didn’t know what the young man had seen, and so he set out down the beach, telling the crew where he was going in case he was needed. When he reached what his soldiers were alerting him about, Basch was rather surprised to see the wreckage of a ship. There were no ports nearby, so its presence here was odd.

“Looks like a shipwreck,” the soldier who’d called him said. “I’ve never seen a ship like this before.”

“It came by sea,” Basch said, looking over the wreckage. No airships were made predominantly of wood anymore.

“Even so... have you ever seen a ship that looked like this, sir?” the soldier asked.

“Nay,” Basch said with a shake of his head as he continued to survey the wreckage.

“Where do you think it sailed from, captain?” said another nearby soldier.

Basch crouched, slowly running his hand along intricate carvings on a mangled piece of still-damp wood. “I could not venture to say.”

This caused the two young men to look at each other warily. They knew their captain had seen many more lands that they had, so if he didn’t know what make of ship this was...

Basch’s head shot up and he stood to see movement up ahead. Heading to what looked like debris from a distance, he soon realized it was a person... and she was still alive. “Miss?” he said, crouching by her side, hoping she spoke this language. As he lay his hand gently upon her shoulder, he felt how cold and damp she was, and detached his cape from his armor. Laying it over her, he tried to get her attention so that he wouldn’t startle her as he checked for any major wounds. “Make ready a room on board,” Basch said to the two onlooking soldiers, sending them jogging back to the cruiser. Turning back to the woman, he kept his tone soft and gentle. “Miss...? Can you speak? Do you know where you are?”

[ff12-ultimania]

the Light of Kiltia

The Holy See of Bur-Omisace The main temple of the Kiltias, located in the northern part of Jagd Ramooda.

The Sacred Mt Bur-Omisace was the first place where the Prophet Kiltia spread the teachings. The small islands floating in the nearby sky, together with the temple where the High Prophet resides, create a solemn atmosphere suitable for spiritual enlightenment.

The temple is surrounded by houses of the faithful and a number of bazaars catering for pilgrims, but in recent years, the conflict between nations intensifies, there has been a surge in the number of tents occupied by war refugees from all over Ivalice. The refugees are being fed and cared for, but even kindness has its limits.

Gran Kiltias Anastasis

race: helgas sex: male age: 184 years old (120~130 years in hume standards) place of birth: mt bur-omisace

the Dreamsage who disapproves conflict

The Gran Kiltias is the leader the Kiltia sect. He has been entrusted by King Raithwall to watch over Dalmasca and Nabradia, and his rulings have a strong influence throughout the land.

He is known for his generosity, but also strict when it comes to those who misuse his power or commit crimes. Not only that, The Gran Kiltias shows concern in regards to the rights and wrongs of the world, including the matters of the refugees seeking shelter at the foot of Mt Bur-Omisace.

The Gran Kiltias is one of the most intelligent and long-lived of the Helgas, and known as the "Realm's Wisest Man" because of his ability to dream and see more than those who are awake.

[stingslikeabee]

FFXII verse

Lilian Rani Drysdell was born in 677 OV in the sky city of Bhujerba, daughter to a Bhujerban mother, Eleanor, and an Archadian father, Edgar. From her mother side of the family, women had always traditionally pursued some sort of art - her grandmother had been a moderately successful actress, her mother used to sing somewhat professionally, and Lilian turned out to be a skilled dancer. 

With her talent and the support of her parents, Lilian was instructed in the local costumes pretty early on, enough to earn her a place at the birthday festivities of the Marquis of Ondore IV when she was barely over 18 and juggling her studies, her hobby and looking after her younger sisters, born in 683 OV. 

It was at such occasion that her dancing captured the attention of a travelling troupe – composed of people from different countries and varied skills, who had been hired for the party. They invited Lilian to join them – a chance to see all of Ivalice, from the distant villages to the nobility palaces... And she took it with joy. 

Her following years were spent everywhere – the Rozarrian Empire, the Kingdom of Dalmasca, the Republic of Landis and the Kingdom of Nabradia were all places she got acquainted with, but the Archadian Empire was often the location of most of their presentations. Living with so many different individuals in her troupe taught her a bit of other languages, to get used to foreign cultural traditions and to build relationship with loyal fans until war became inevitable and travelling was ultimately suspended as countries started to fall to the mighty power of Archades.

Only then Lilian returned home – forced by dire circumstances to part from her dream and only to realize that Bhujerba no longer had anything for her after the last, months-old letters. Her family had been in Nalbina, a mere stop on their way to Archades hoping to hide from the ever-present threat of armed conflict in the sky city despite the Marquis’ efforts – but they never escaped the merciless raid from Archades. Lilian became, like many others, a victim to the greed of a place she once thought to be a second home of sorts.

The empty family home, the distressing news that came from the planet below every day – all these events led her to experience profound grief and shock, almost enough to plunge her into a bottomless depression – if it hadn’t been for friends and neighbors who brought her back from the abyss. It was during one day of non-stop crying that she was suddenly approached by the Marquis himself in plain clothes, his expression marked by both pain and iron determination.

Whispers of her situation had reached him, and the Marquis saw in her tragic story a way to get revenge for her family – for Bhujerba. Now, he was the local ruler, closely monitored by the Archadian Empire and powerless to act but in the shadows – and even so, the Resistance had limited reach. But what if she had privileged access to the noble houses and palaces they sorely needed eyes and ears on?

Despite the horrors of war, a renowned entertainer would surely still be welcomed by the elite of Archades – no city would love an exotic, expensive and talented woman with stories from foreign lands more than the capital of the Empire with their penchant for flaunting their own riches and power. If Lilian was willing to be a spy for the Resistance, the Marquis could place her at the heart of the enemy – even if she was partially Archadian herself.

And that was when Lilian became ‘Melissa’ – a new persona, advertised as this dancer who was as graceful as a Galbana lily and sweeter than the Ivalice-famous madhu. For the traditional Archadian eye, she embodied all things foreign – the warmth and the spice of other lands where summer skies were the rule, with her dance being lively, colorful and sensual – carefully balancing the necessary elegance to be sought after by the Archadian nobility and the right amount of mystery to be considered almost scandalous in a country where appearances matter so much.

All that was left for Melissa was to prove that she could attract more flies with her honeyed words and moves than the Resistance ever could with hard, cold steel.

Note: So, FFXII has been my favorite entry of the franchise for years now and I needed to have a verse for XII too - and despite this being born on a whim, I just couldn’t miss the chance to adapt somehow the story of Mata Hari for the FFXII world, particularly given the political intrigue and the world war going on.

Particularly for this verse, Melissa isn’t as ‘kind’ as she is by default - she looks and talks like she is, but she is truly looking for a weak spot and for the juicy secrets to feed back to the Marquis. She plays up the delicate, exotic foreign card - particularly in hopes that the judges and the military men around her will feel comfortable and loose in the presence of expensive alcohol and talk about things they presume she doesn’t understand (or cares for).

I also imagine that the Bhujerban dance to be something similar to the stereotypical ‘Indian’ dancing we see in the western media - given how the city follows some sanskrit for words/naming, and how people dress/walk around, Melissa would dress in a fashion that is heavily inspired by the colorful and eye-catching Bollywood, but making it a bit more sensual and sexy to align with the Mata Hari idea. ;)