#taelpar crag

[ertrunkenerwassergeist]

Taelpar Crag Headcanon

Taelpar Crag: the place where we fight Gilgamesh in the Gladio DLC. The tempering grounds.

In the lore of FFXV, the Crag was carved by Bahamut during the Astral War. So what if the tempering grounds are older than we think they are?

Bahamut carved the Crag. What if people worshipped the place? Maybe built a temple in it and made it the goal of a pilgramige. A pilgramige done to prove yourself a holy warrior. If you reach the end - the temple - it is said you receive Bahamut’s blessing.

The Crag is crammed full with ambient magic, which attrackts all kinds of beasts. So pilgrims never lack enemies to fight. The magic however is not only a leftover from Bahamut’s attack. Since it carved so deep into the earth, it stirred up remnants of Etro’s magic. Magic she used to form the world. Which is why those who die stand up again to fight the pilgrims who think themselves worthy.

Gilgamesh fought his way through once while he was alive to prove himself. he reached the temple and recieved a blessing. At the end of his days, he was pulled back there again by the magicks of the place and the blessing. He died there, doomed to haunt the place as a penance for what he did in life and as part of Bahamut’s plans.

So over time the tempering grounds change meaning. From proving onself worthy of being a holy warrior, to proving onself to be a worthy Shield of the King of Lucis.

[a-world-in-grey]

Life Debts and why Nyx's is a Big Deal

@secret-engima because I've been thinking on this and have Feelings.

Y'all can find SE's original post on Debt Braids here, but a short recap:

Debt is taken very seriously in Galahd. If you owe a debt, it's expected that you pay it off as soon as you can - via goods, services, etc. Very large debts between families can be settled through marriage, but as it requires both potential newly weds to be completely willing (Galahdians don't do divorce, you're married until one of you die), that sort of arrangement is rare.

A Life Debt is declared when a Galahdian believes they owe a debt they cannot repay, usually because the debt is so large, so personal, that a value of the debt cannot be given. In such a scenario, the Galahdian will declare a Life Debt and weave a Debt braid into their hair. A Life Debt is declared on that Galahdian's life. Only they can pay it, and once they die, the debt is fulfilled.

Now, this is where we get to just how serious declaring a Life Debt is. A Galahdian who declares a Debt is declaring that they owe this one person so much, that said person essentially now holds their loyalty over even the Galahdian's own clan and Chief. That loyalty stays until the Galahdian dies. If the person holding the debt dies, the debt passes on to their heir. When the heir dies, the debt does not pass on to anyone else, but even then, the Galahdian is not free from the Debt. Instead, they are free to choose how they will fulfill the debt until they die.

Because Life Debts are such a serious thing, no one can demand a Life Debt as payment. It is only ever voluntary.

So now we get to Nyx's Debt to Regis.

(I won't go into why Nyx declared a Debt - canonically we know Regis once saved Nyx's life, but exact details are for everyone's personal headcanons.)

On the surface, it's not that big of a deal. Oh, it's significant. It's a major commitment Nyx can never take back, but it's not really a problem.

Three things make Nyx's declared Debt significant, even by Galahdian standards. 1) The holder of his Debt is the Mainlander King. 2) Nyx is a Clan Chief. 3) Nyx is the absolute Last of his clan. Any single one of these wouldn't be remarkable, but together they turn what would be a significant but standard Debt into a nightmare.

Regis being an Outsider would normally not be an issue. Oh, there are Galahdians that sneer in private over Nyx declaring a Debt to an Outsider, because they believe Galahdians don't owe Outsiders jack shit. (Is it xenophobic? Yes, but Galahdians have a strong insider-outsider mindset and there will always be extremists in any culture.) But they keep their opinions to themselves because commenting on someone's declared Debt is just asking for a broken nose. Even Regis being a king wouldn't be anything other than an unusual detail (because just what happened that caused Nyx to owe a king a Debt?). The biggest thing about Regis being an Outsider is that to fulfill the debt, Nyx pretty much has to leave Galahd for Insomnia until the king and his heir die or one of them gives Nyx explicit permission/orders to return to Galahd. Which sucks, but that's what Debts mean. Regis - and later Noctis - will hold Nyx's first loyalty until Nyx dies.

Nyx being a Clan Chief is where things start getting sticky. A Chief's first duty must be to their clan. Chiefs, as a rule, do not declare Life Debts. They can't, not when they're first loyalty has to be to the clan, instead of a single person outside the Clan. In the very rare cases a Chief feels they must declare a Debt, they step down from their position as Chief. At least, they should. There's no clan law stating someone with a Life Debt cannot be Clan Chief, but a Chief in such a position will either neglect their clan or their Debt. Neither is something Galahdians regard favorably. There's never been a case where a Chief has refused to step down after declaring a Debt, so none of the Clans have ever had to decide what to do, but it's likely it would not end well.

Nyx being the very Last of his clan means that there aren't any other Ulrics he has a duty of care to as Chief. He is the only one affected by his declaration of Debt, so him remaining Chief Ulric isn't actually a problem. Where him being the Last becomes the final nail in the coffin is if anyone ever joins Clan Ulric. Because unless the Clans somehow find an Ulric that escaped the Burning, Nyx can't step down as Chief.

Nyx's first commitment must be to Regis. Then to Noctis. Not to his people. Not to his friends or any personal relationships. Not to rebuilding Clan Ulric. Any spouse/children/clansmen would always come second unless Regis/Noctis allowed it.

(Do I think Regis and Noctis would allow it, if Nyx asked? Yes. In a heartbeat. But Nyx would have to ask. Might even have to explain, and as a whole, Galahdians tend to be... reluctant, to explain their culture to Outsiders.)

I don't think Nyx really thought about the long term consequences of his Debt, when he made it. He might have, and could have decided that the situation was such that he was honor-bound to declare a Debt regardless. But Nyx has a reputation for not really thinking before he leaps into action, and depending on when Nyx declared his Debt? If it was after the Burning, after Nyx lost literally everyone, he probably wouldn't have been thinking clearly even if he had taken the time to think the decision over. And that's assuming he would have realized the implications in the first place - if Nyx wasn't raised to be Chief, it's very probable he wouldn't have.

Every other Clan Chief would have caught the implications. They would have known, from the moment they saw Nyx's braid, that the Last Ulric would never return to Galahd (not when the likelihood of Nyx outliving a boy 12 years his junior was slim to none). That the Last Ulric would likely remain the Last, condemning the Ulric Clan to die with him.

[charlottedabookworm]

You know how in lotr Aragorn commands an army of ghosts because they broke an Oath to his ascentor and can't rest until they fulfill it?

Nyx Ardynson doing something similar with Gilgamesh and all those ghostly warriors in Taeloar Crag. (On one hand, they won that battle and pushed the Nifs back quite a lot. On the other, now everyone has questions.)

...yeah

yeah i uh- totally know that definitely yeah 100% hides in never actually watched nor read lotr

but anyway literally all i can see is clarus and cor staring at nyx, at where gilgamesh has just vanish from, obviously hating being summoned, seething in his silence but unable to deny the order from the kingsglaive once he'd sworn on his blood spilled upon the ground

and one of them, cor or clarus, ask how?

nyx raises his eyes from where his father's betrayer stood and he doesn't smile. "he swore an oath to an ancestor of mine," nyx says casually, easily. "gilgamesh swore his loyalty and his protection to him and his descendants and he swore it in blood and oath and on the gods"

now, nyx smiles. it doesn't reach his eyes. "he broke that oath, sworn on the gods themselves, and this? this is his punishment."

"in perpetuity he swore and so, as long as a member of that mans bloodline still lives, he is bound. the oathbreaker forced to honour his oath."

what did he do? cor wants to ask, but the memory of that ghost standing in taelpar crag stops him

whatever it is he did, even gilgamesh believed he deserved this

[dayasan]

📷 Tempering Grounds, Taelpar Crag, Cleigne, Lucis

[reflectionsofacreator]

ffxv wiki: oh Taelpar Crag was used in Kingsglaive to hide the Imperial airships for the attack on Insomnia!

[EXTREMELY LOUD INCORRECT BUZZER NOISE]

they clearly state that the ships are some 20 miles south of insomnia, indicating that they're in a canyon either in Leide or Cavaugh. the actual canyon of Taelpar Craig was used in the opening battles of kg vs imperials, hence the big fucking stone arches that are a hallmark of the area

The movie of KG was operating on older drafts of 1) the fucking script of the game and 2) worldbuilding, leading to Cleign/Duscae looking like a desert instead of grasslands and forests that we see in the game.

AGH. WHO WRITES THESE ARTICLES.

[savage-rhi]

Immortal Shield Master List (AO3)

Chapter 1: Resurrection 

Chapter 2: Caelan

Chapter 3: A Truce

Chapter 4: Pit Stop Bickering 

Chapter 5: U-Turn

Chapter 6: Healers Touch

Chapter 7: Vote Abandon 

Chapter 8: Behemoth 

Chapter 9: Storytelling 

Chapter 10: Rakshasa 

Chapter 11: Obscura Materia 

Chapter 12: The Battle of Formouth I 

Chapter 13: The Battle of Formouth II

Chapter 14: Reunion 

Chapter 15: Sparring 

Chapter 16: Chocobos 

Chapter 17: Gifts 

Chapter 18: Lestallum Jive 

Chapter 19: Taelpar Crag 

Chapter 20: Vows 

Chapter 21: Prophecy 

Chapter 22: Hunted 

Chapter 23: Rampage I 

Chapter 24: Rampage II

Chapter 25: Vesperpool

Chapter 26: Oath Breaker

Chapter 27: Hesitation 

Chapter 28: Oath Keeper 

Chapter 29: Devotions 

Chapter 30: Insomnia I

Chapter 31: Insomnia II

Chapter 32: Union (18+)

Chapter 33: Day One

Chapter 34: Gods Bane I

Chapter 35: Gods Bane II

Chapter 36: Gods Bane III

Chapter 37: Repercussions 

Chapter 38: Bargaining 

Chapter 39: The Summit 

Chapter 40: Allies 

Chapter 41: Eripere I

Chapter 42: Eripere II

Chapter 43: Loss 

Chapter 44: The Pact 

Chapter 45: Final Acts 

Chapter 46: Paradise 

[heartxandxhome]

❝ you’re stuck with me now — like bark on wood. ❞  

Horizon: Forbidden West

The heat in Lestallum was beyond stifling. The city itself thrummed and thrived on the temperature with the ladies of Exineris chatting as they walked past in cropped tops and their boiler suits tied around their waists.

The market vendors called for attention, hawking their wears to anyone with a few gil. Store-owners done the same and the kindly man at the front of the Leville hotel informed people how many rooms remained for occupants. It was almost as if the busy city was ignorant of what had happened Insomnia ... that or it didn't have time to stop and grieve its far-larger sister. Shards still needed to mind, energy converted to electricity, and a vastly-growing census to provide for. The only true reflection of the horror were the hunter trucks that came and went in a constant flow.

Seeking some fresh air on the lookout, Sarah looked out over the enormous rift canyon that was Taelpar Crag; how many times was this war going to tear her family apart? Almost an answer to her silent question, Kaleb leaned against the lookout's railing beside her. "What happens next?"

Sarah's words were quiet, almost lost on the welcome breeze, but she nodded at the trucks that pulled into the forecourt. "... I guess I'm afraid you'll be taken away by hunting. Again." Not that this was the same as then; the hunters were helping anyone who needed aid right now and that was to be admired. But she was selfish and didn't want to lose what they had rekindled.

There was a moment of hesitation where she thought it might turn into the old argument from Galahd, but Kaleb shook his head and flashed a cocky smile. "you're stuck with me now - like bark on wood."

And relief washed over Sarah for the first time since escaping the city; she didn't know how to do this alone. How to keep Selena safe and search for Nyx on her own. But she wasn't the same lone woman from Galahd, not anymore. "I think I can live with that."

[somnus-lucis-caelum]

There was finally some light on the horizon ... after so many years o' them fightin', battling and scrapin' t'get by. She'd done thought her ol eyes were playin' a trick on her at first, but that was definitely a watery light on the edge o' the horizon.

Slowly the folks o' Lestallum made their way onto the Outlook to watch the first sunrise in ten years. She'd come here about two or three years ago; David reckoned the city was safer for someone o' her age an' he'd been right. Her boy had somehow convinced the whole o' Meldacio's committee to relocate t'Lestallum for safety's sake; they weren't spring chocobos so t'speak.

But she'd always undertook she'd go back to her home when the sun came back. Jus' maybe there'd been a bit o' her that thought that might not happen in her lifetime. But with that thin, watery light, came a sudden hope she'd be able t'go back to the outpost she'd been born in, the same place her daddy'd been born an' his dad 'fore him. The hunters were Meldacio an' Meldacio was the hunters.

Slowly makin' her way down the steps from the Leville, Ezma felt her age more than she'd done in a long time, but she'd get to that outlook an' see the sun rise over the chasm of the Taelpar Crag. Blinkin' as someone fell into step beside her, the hunters' leaer looked up ad there was a happy smile on her face as she recogised the tall, handsome young ageless man. "Ya mind lendin' me yer arm, old friend?"

There'd been a time, an entire lifetime ago when her age had matched his apparent one, an' they'd shared a privacy no one was privy to, an' that trust still held to this day as her young great-granddaughter raced by with other young'uns t'see the sun for the first time. But Ezma had a smile for Somnus instead as she linked her arm with his and leaned on his support. "Will ya finally get some rest now too?"

It had been done.

Noctis Lucis Caelum had mended what had been broken in Somnus' time. he had finished, what the First King could not. And Ardyn was free. Finally. Ardyn and all those that had been bound by a fate that no one of them had wished, for millennia.

Somnus was one of those, too.

Finally he was allowed to move on. His soul travelling further into the Beyond. And be reunited with those he had missed for so long... he had wished for this.

But also... there were a few souls still in Eos that he had to bid farewell to. One of them was Ezma.

So as the first rays of sunshine poured over the world again, Somnus appeared alongside the light. Of course he would lend Ezma his arm. She was the head huntress after all. One of the people that had saved countless lives in Eos. Her life's work could not be measured by neither scale nor tape. She had changed the trajectory of thousands of lives for the better. Few could claim this kind of influence. And fewer could claim that it was for the better of Eos, even in its darkest time.

Her question was left unanswered for a few moments. It were those magical moments when the sun finally appeared beyond the horizon. A sliver of gold. So white and bright that everyone who watched had to avert their eyes. Surprised and happy squealing from little children who saw such for the first time in their young lives. Stiffled crying, full of relief. Cheers and laughter. It was a silent chorus that greeted the light.

Somnus had closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in deeply.

"I will finally be able to rest now, yes."

That was what she had asked. And it was something he had already told her a long time ago. Still. This now made it final. This would be their last walk together on Eos.

"My time to depart here was long overdue. You know that, Ezma. And while it was a curse, I also was lucky to find people like you in this long time. You were a truly rare one. I was honoured to make your acquaintance. Truly."

Somnus turned his head to look at Ezma, a gentle smile playing around his lips. Taking half a step back, he took her hand to lift it to his lips, while bowing down. Just the hint of his lips against her hand, like the old-fashioned greeting he knew.

But it was not the hand of an old lady he was holding onto anymore. No.

It was that of a young head huntress in her prime. And there was a certain glow to Ezma's own form. Sparks of crystal magic dancing around her silhouette. And the sun's first rays actually cast no shadows onto her face - they fell through her just like they did through Somnus.

The moment the King of Kings had shattered the shackles of fate had been the moment Somnus' soul was freed, too. He would have never been able to come back to Eos the way he had been before. A physical form was denied to souls... and no human would have seen him. At least no human alive.

He had once promised Ezma that he would guide her on her last journey. And he was here to see that promise through.

In the end... Ezma would have been right with her estimation. She would go back to her home - but not in her life time. Barely not. Her young greatgranddaughter had raced past her at the Leville's steps. But not out of ignorance. No. Little Ana would have stopped and offered her own arm to Ezma - had she been there. But Ezma was not.

The matriach of the hunters still laid in her bed back at the Leville. The first rays of light falling through the windows. Letting dust glow like magic, as they painted bright lines over her sleeping face. A sleep that knew no awakening.

Somnus rightened himself again, still holding her hand tight, as the world around them continued on - without them. A small nod as he saw the realization in her face. But he would not let her despair. he was here. To guide her on this journey into a world that laid beyond Eos.

"Are you ready then, Ezma?"

@ezma-auburnbrie

[swordofthreekings]

The Young Marshal

(Contemporary timeline au)

Twenty years old Cor Leonis was just named the Marshal of the Crownsguard.

When he was barely thirteen, he tried to give a false age to join the Crownsguard. When he was called out on it, he claimed it wasn't fair to refuse him, and that he could best anyone there. Clarus Amicitia took him up on that, meaning to humble the young man some. When Cor fought him to a stand still after half an hour, Clarus had no choice but to admit that he had the skills necessary, if not the maturity. Cor swore he would show them he could handle it if they would just give him a chance. They decided to, and he did. To officers, he was a model recruit. To anyone else, he was a holy terror.

At fifteen, after several successful missions as a Crownsguard, he was assigned to protection of the Royal family. He and the Prince were the same age, but with him being watched by his Shield, Cor spent more of his time at the palace, assisting Clarus in keeping guard of the King and Council. At first, he hated it, thinking it meant they didn't trust him to be on the front lines anymore. Eventually, he realized that it meant they trusted him more.

With Clarus moving more into a role on the council, Cor felt he needed to prove that he could take his role as Shield, despite not being an Amicitia, despite coming from a poor background. He went to Taelpar Crag, to the Tempering Ground in an effort to beat the Blademaster and prove himself once and for all. But he failed. Near death, Cor fled. While others would be amazed that he survived the attempt, being the only person to do so, Cor saw it as nothing more than a failure. He hated the nickname Immortal that people gave him because of it.

At eighteen, he was "promoted" to be the assistant of the current Marshal. He considered this a punishment, if anything, since now his days were filled with paperwork and training rather than active guard duty and missions. It was preparing him for bigger things, though.

At twenty, Cor was promoted to Marshal of the Crownsguard.

He tends to be less reckless than he was as a boy, but not as composed as his normal, main verse, falling in between.

[mtraki]

Headcanon Request: 6 Headcanons for Gilgamesh

Hmmm… I don’t have many established headcanons for our Blademaster.  The game just kind of used him as a set piece or a prop.  We don’t learn a lot about him or his real impact on the world outside of being one more ancient big bad to conquer– and that it apparently shaped Cor’s history, but even that isn’t fleshed out.  As you know, my dear, I prefer building on more original materials than blank canvases.  So here are some headcanon questions I have and my thoughts on them!

1. Gilgamesh and Ardyn?

It’s never explicitly mentioned that Gilgamesh was Ardyn’s Shield.  We assume so, because he was the Shield of the Founder King and Ardyn is the Founder King– right?  I’m not entirely convinced, though.  Ardyn was erased from history.  If anyone is remembered as the “Founder King” it would be Somnus.  Ignis mentions Ardyn as the Founder King, but Ignis would also have special access to records that managed to escape destruction.  Gilgamesh is also zealously loyal to the Lucis Caelum line and its prophecy– which Ardyn is the antagonist of.

He might have been Ardyn’s Shield, before Ardyn was stripped of power and cast aside by man and god alike…  But that leads me to my next question and theory!

2. Haunting Taelpar Crag?

The wiki suggest that Gilgamesh may have been involved in the War of the Astrals because he’s there in the wound in the Star that was caused in all the fighting.  Yeah maybe.  But why is he a ghost?  Most ghosts you fight are daemons, and as far as anybody can tell, Gilgamesh is not a daemon.  He’s a powerful spirit.  Fine.  Cool.  Why?  Why doesn’t he get to ascend into ever after?  Or is that something I’ve missed concerning the afterlife in all of FFXV? (Let me know!)  I think there are three alternatives here:

- We could go traditional “unfinished business”.  His zeal for Lucis Caelum keeps him around until the King of Kings does his prophecy thing.  This is probably what was intended, but honestly, it makes me want to throw up.  I’m so sick of how wanky this story is about that family…

- I better like the punishment alternative.  Angelgard is rumored to be where Ramuh passes judgement.  If Gilgamesh was Ardyn’s Shield, and stayed loyal to Ardyn instead of Lucis Caelum and the prophecy… perhaps he was punished for it.  Now he serves his penance to prepare the Shield of the King of Kings to be a proper fit for the prophecy, like he wasn’t.  Maybe THAT’S why he’s so overzealous and blood-thirsty about it! (And maybe that’s why he spared Cor: because Cor was there to be more useful to Lucis Caelum)  Again: super wanky, but I can only do so much without deviating from canon entirely…

- Adding on to above: maybe the opposite happened.  Maybe Ardyn was betrayed by Gilgamesh.  Nothing happened to him in life, but Ramuh was sure to judge and curse him in death for his treachery.  “You are so eager to serve Lucis Caelum?  Then see your ‘good work’ through to the end.” sort of deal…  Justice is justice, after all, and betraying a King of Lucis Caelum (even a blacklisted one) probably doesn’t come cheap.

3.  Speaking of Ghosts…

He’s got an army of ghosts who serve him.  Cor says they’re the spirits of those who dared the Tempering Grounds and died.  I usually don’t like to contradict the Marshal, but… how does he know that?  Did somebody tell him?  Does he recognize some of the corpses?  For argument’s sake, let’s just assume he’s right.  Well then that means…

4. Gilgamesh is a Wizard?

Or something.  Not only is HE a ghost, but he can a) ensure everybody he kills is trapped with him as a ghost and b) they turn from trying to defeat him to absolute loyalty to him.  So either Gilgamesh himself has some powerful magic or…

5. The Proving Grounds are Cursed?

The only people with magic, canonically, are the Oracles and Lucis Caelums.  So unless we delve into a mess where the Blademaster was one of them, it’s more likely that something is magic about the area.  It’s established that elemental/magic power can be pulled out of the ground.  Perhaps that place is a locus for pooling magic, manifesting itself as a curse, so that everyone who dies there is trapped?  Maybe that’s how Gilgamesh got there too?

6.  Gilgamesh and Cor

It’s very clear that the encounter with Gilgamesh had a very profound impact on Cor’s life– not just the cool (but shameful) moniker, but apparently the encounter humbled the hot-headed youth into the pragmatic man we know in the game.  What was also very clear to me, however, was that Cor had a very profound impact on Gilgamesh– and I don’t just mean the arm and sword thing.  As Gladio works his way through the ruins, the spirits throwing jabs and threats, they mention Cor several times.  They sound like they were impressed.  Cor even makes a self-deprecating joke about it.  I don’t think the ghosts recognize him at all, but that makes sense with ghosts anyway.  Still, somebody came through here and impressed them enough for them to remember somebody did it, even though there are corpses and swords all through that chamber you fight Gilgamesh in– so Cor wasn’t the first/only person to make it that far.  But he was the most memorable.

Cor also has the means of opening the chamber.  I don’t know if that was supposed to be something significant, but it sure looked significant and ritualistic, especially if you consider that Cor may have taken that sword from the Proving Grounds after losing his.  Even if he didn’t, I think it’s clear that Gilgamesh intended for Cor to come back.

But Cor was different, now, changed by his experiences.  He had no intentions of facing Gilgamesh again, and I think he damn well knew if he followed Gladio into that chamber, it wouldn’t have been about Gladio anymore.  Gilgamesh would recognize him, even if the other ghosts didn’t, and it would be all about Cor.  This is why Cor didn’t help with any of the trials.  Not to test Gladio, not because the ritual required it, but because he wanted to make absolutely clear to everything in these caverns that this wasn’t about him this time.

And I think Gilgamesh was honestly very disappointed.  This might just be me meta-ing again, but the resolution of the fight was really awkward and lame.  The answer to Gladio’s problem was just to believe in his own strength after all.  There you go.  You win.

Lame.  Especially considering all the people who died, who likely thought the same thing “Just believe in my strength!”  Even hot-headed young Cor probably did!

So it seems to me that Gilgamesh just kind of… phoned it in.  “Yeah, I guess that other guy really isn’t coming in… What a shame… Alright, fine, you can win… Yep, yep, whatever– Oh I know!  I’ll give you this sword that used to be his and maybe he’ll come in here and face me at last! … No?  Worth a shot…”

The Immortal has many fanboys.  I headcanon that Gilgamesh might be the original. ;)

[geochic03]

Taelpar Crag

Grand gorge dividing Duscae and Cleigne. This trench remains a testament to the severity of the War of the Astrals while also symbolizing the rift that separated the Six.

According to ancient scripture, the name "Taelpar" once referred to the region that now encompasses the gorge. As the gods fought against one another during the ancient war, however, their vicious battle scarred the very earth they once hoped to protect, tearing Taelpar in two. Rumors have recently circulated about imperial forces sending expeditions into explore the caverns of the canyon, but those reports have not been confirmed.

Back to Master List

[ertrunkenerwassergeist]

Crow friend Cor: Would nyx warm up to the crow eventually, since it would be around all the time? Cor probably thinks any magic the crow is drawn tonis a curse and nit some skill he has. Would Nyx try to help him figure out what the deal with any magic he has was, or how to live with it?

Nyx wouldn't necessarily befriend the crow, but treat it with respect and as an ally. Though with time he becomes less jumpy around it.

Nyx is worried the moment Cor mentions a curse. Of course he'll help figure out what it is. Best case scenario is either they manage to break it, or twist it into something else.

I just had a thought. You know about my Taelpar Crag headcanon? What if Cor reaching Gilgamesh was enough to count as completing the pilgramige? He would have recieved the blessing of Bahamut, if Gilgamesh hadn't done something merciful and cruel at the same time: he cursed Cor. With the curse in effect, Bahamut could not bless him. Was the mercy of it intended? Only Gilgamesh knows.

[a-world-in-grey]

In Bring Back Memories, was the attack at Taelpar Crag planned to take out Sola or was it just bonus that she was there when it happened and they really just wanted to take that place? Did Drautos even relay her movements to Nifs, or wasn't it something they cared about?

It was planned! Niflheim's been trying to kill Sola ever since her enlistment in the Kingsglaive was leaked. It starts off small - ambushes while on missions from MTs, but then it escalates to an attempt using a King Behemoth of all things a few weeks before Sola's Coming of Age.

After 3 bases get swarmed by daemons while Sola's back in Insomnia, Sola deploys to their most critical point. Everyone knows by now that Sola's presence will draw the Nifs like moths to a flame, but they also know that she's a damn juggernaut on the field and responsible for saving the lives of half her comrades.

After almost a year, Sola is exhausted. She's not happy about being assigned to Taelpar Crag - no glaive is happy getting that assignment, Taelpar Crag is a nightmare to defend - but she can't deny that the 3rd regiment desperately needs reinforcements. The attack on Taelpar Crag comes at the end of the 3rd's deployment, when they are exhausted and waiting for fresh reinforcements from the 5th.

Titus absolutely helped plan this. Arranging for Taelpar Crag to be hit hard enough for Sola to get transferred there, telling Niflheim when the 5th would be deploying to replace the 3rd so that the attack would hit the outpost when everyone was most exhausted.

[dayasan]

📷 Tempering Grounds, Taelpar Crag, Cleigne, Lucis

[ahkaraii]

I headcanon Cor went down for one final jaunt into Taelpar Crag when he decided he'd done all he could in this life.

Gilgamesh welcomed him back with open arms.

totally self indulgent headcanon tied into this: upon death, cor becomes another sword that gilgamesh wields, and the one he takes off-world with him when he finally leaves Eos.

Gilgamesh in final fantasy lore is a unique entity that trapezes around worlds looking for fights and weapons. he is nearly always encountered with a local-world sword as well as multiple weapons of his own personal arsenal. cor -- naturally -- becomes a katana, probably named lionheart or sword of kings or somesuch moniker, it probably changes from world to world.

when used in battle, if fed spiritual energy, a spectre of cor can fight alongside him like a vergil clone, either as the >55 year old cor died as or as the 15 year old gilgamesh first met, depending on whether the wielder requires finesse or feral brutality.

In this manner, cor truly becomes immortal, and used in the way he liked best: in battle, fiercely defending those he has deemed worthy and given his loyalty to.

[savage-rhi]

Immortal Shield Master List (Tumblr Edition)

Chapter 1: Resurrection

Chapter 2: Caelan

Chapter 3: A Truce

Chapter 4: Pit Stop Bickering

Chapter 5: U-Turn

Chapter 6: Healers Touch

Chapter 7: Vote Abandon

Chapter 8: Behemoth

Chapter 9: Storytelling

Chapter 10: Rakshasa

Chapter 11: Obscura Materia

Chapter 12: The Battle of Formouth I

Chapter 13: The Battle of Formouth II

Chapter 14: Reunion

Chapter 15: Sparring

Chapter 16: Chocobos

Chapter 17: Gifts

Chapter 18: Lestallum Jive

Chapter 19: Taelpar Crag

Chapter 20: Vows

Chapter 21: Prophecy

Chapter 22: Hunted

Chapter 23: Rampage I

Chapter 24: Rampage II

Chapter 25: Vesperpool

Chapter 26: Oath Breaker

Chapter 27: Hesitation

Chapter 28: Oath Keeper

Chapter 29: Devotions

Chapter 30: Insomnia I

Chapter 31: Insomnia II

Chapter 32: Union (18+)

Chapter 33: Day One

Chapter 34: Gods Bane I

Chapter 35: Gods Bane II

Chapter 36: Gods Bane III

Chapter 37: Repercussions

Chapter 38: Bargaining

Chapter 39: The Summit

Chapter 40: Allies

Chapter 41: Eripere I

Chapter 42: Eripere II

Chapter 43: Loss

Chapter 44: The Pact

Chapter 45: Final Acts

Chapter 46: Paradise