#taelpar crag

[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.

[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

[primamchorus]

Partial Dossier #21 :: Cera Leonis

VOX INTELLIGENCE BUREAU CERA LEONIS

REPORT FROM PAX VOX

FFXV: Reimagined Table of Contents

<- Previous • Next ->

Second and youngest to the Leonis family, Cera is Cor Leonis' younger sister by five years. Two years after her birth, Cera's mother fell ill and passed away. When Cera was eight years of age, hers and Cor's father passed away as well, leaving the two of them on their own. Where Cor enlisted into the Crownsguard at thirteen, the eight-year-old Cera was taken into a foster family where she continued her public education. All the while, Cor's service to the Crown saw much of his payment earned go toward Cera's well-being and care.

Thanks to Cor's assistance and receiving payments from him, Cera was able to focus on her academics, showing herself as academically capable. When Cera entered into her college years, she pursued general medicine at first before pivoting and pursuing Lucian history. It is supposed that Cera pursued this after learning more of Cor's battle against Gilgamesh in the Taelpar Crag. With her studies in history, however, she has provided much insight when it comes to the Solheim ruins.

Though she no longer lives with her foster family, Cera is fond of them and still treats them as such. She now works in the Citadel as a record keeper until such a time her knowledge on history is needed to make more informed decisions on certain matters. Like her brother before her, she does take much of the payments she is given from her position within the Citadel as a record keeper and sends it to her previous foster family.

With no desire to seek a partner nor spouse of her own, Cera did express a desire in having her own child. In this endeavor, she opted for artificial insemination and gave birth to the next in line for Head of House Leonis as well as Valor of the King: Aura Leonis. Due to Cor accepting the offer of ennoblement from King Regis Lucis Caelum, Cera's own blood has been blessed by the might of the Crystal by proxy, thus making her daughter blessed as well.

[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.

[ertrunkenerwassergeist]

Fire Priest!Ignis: five times somebody was surprised by Ignis knowing something random and unexpected, and the one time somebody figured it out.

(Bonus points if the person who figures it out is not Ardyn)

Ardyn figured it out within 3 seconds of meeting Ignis. He doesn't count. (He sits back and enjoys the show)

The first is when Ignis warns Gladio of when Iris's sickness will be flaring up again. Gladio doesn't really believe it. But then it happens. He really wants to ask Ignis how the fuck he knew that, but forgets to do it over caring for his sister.

The second would be when he tells a random stranger where he might find his mother's testament. The stranger is weirded out, Ignis is wondering why he told the guy that. Turns out he's right, though. It also turns out that the guy it Petra Fortis from the City Watch. So now Petra ows Ignis a big one :D

Third is when Ignis tells Cor that Gilgamesh is a hypocritic piece of shit and should not be trusted. He also gratulates Cor for cutting the man's/ghost's arm off. Cor is weirded out, becaus he never told the kids what exactly happened in Taelpar Crag. Before he can ask how exactly Ignis knows about this, he vanishes (and goes to track down Noctis in Deep City for the first time).

On his way down he meets Nyx. He tells him to talk to Petra. Nyx really doesn't want to do that. Ignis just tells him to say that Ignis sent him and to take him to one of the old cellars which were dug into the cliff Insmonia is build around. To incentivice Nyx, Ignis also tells him that he very much looks like his father Ilias. Nyx turns around at once and goes to track down Petra. He's convinced Ignis either got possessed by a Galahkari spirit, or is like the Wise One. Either way, he listens, and lo and behold, in that one wine cellar they find some very interesting documents and some stolen cultural objects.

Fifth is when he is looking after Solaris and Astra and starts to tell them stories about their ancestors. Stories no one should know about. Not that the kids know that. They're just happy about New Stories.

Noctis figures it out when one day, Ignis randomly drags him out of his clinic because 'it's time now'. He brings him to the grave of two Lucis Caelums which were buried close to the old palace. The first was Mendax Lucis Caelum II, titled The True (he's Somnus's son), and the second Atalanta Lucis Caelum, mother to Ardyn and Somnus. Noctis wonders why he didn't figure it out earlier. It's very obvious in hindsight.

[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

[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. ;)

[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 

[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.

[dayasan]

📷 Tempering Grounds, Taelpar Crag, Cleigne, Lucis

[primamchorus]

Partial Dossier #20 :: Cor Leonis

VOX INTELLIGENCE BUREAU COR LEONIS

REPORT FROM PAX VOX

FFXV: Reimagined Table of Contents

<- Previous • Next ->

Born to a less-than-affluent family of Insomnia, Cor is the eldest between he and his younger sister, Cera. As Cor grew up, he learned to start training to enlist into the Crownsguard from a young age when at first his mother fell ill. When she eventually passed, Cor redoubled his efforts, training with his father and in early martial combat programs built for juvenile individuals. At the age of thirteen, Cor's father passed away, leaving him and his sister as orphans. During this time, Cor resolved to enlist into the Crownsguard, his promise for combat and the prowess he showed impressing those that would have him.

At the turn of his fifteenth year, Cor became one of the youngest to ever serve the royal security detail under the rule of Mors Lucis Caelum. During this year, he was assigned to the then prince Regis Lucis Caelum in fighting back against the breach by the Niflheim empire and their newly developed magitek infantry. Shortly after, he accompanied Regis in an endeavor to travel to the archipelago of Accordo to restore the Lucian-Accordan alliance alongside Weskham Armaugh, Clarus Amicitia, and Cid Sophiar.

In these travels, the fifteen-year-old Cor reportedly traveled down into the Taelpar Crag and challenged Gilgamesh despite Clarus' attempt to have him stand down. It was considered a miracle that Cor returned alive after having been down there for some time. Thus, after Cor had recovered, he was later given the epithet of 'the Immortal' — though it has been observed that he is not quite keen on this appellation.

Recently, Cor has had the honor of becoming ennobled, thus becoming properly blessed with the Crystal's magic. Head of House Leonis, Cor has rather gracefully come into his own with the magic that now freely flows through him. In addition to his bladework and mastery, the magic he now harbors has shown his great potential for utilizing Aero-based spells.

[raven-6-10]

@a-world-in-grey

I went digging through the official wikia looking for the timeline and lore, and to confirm some stuff.

Apparently, Niflheim had functioning magitech since at least ME 606, when they used it to overwhelm Accordo's defences. That's over century before canon.

The Problem was scaling it down, since they only had those giant robotic armours at this point. And while Ardyn was the one who proposed experimenting with daemon miasma to power the smaller versions, I'm pretty sure that Verstael "I will become immortal daemon-robot" Besithia would eventually get there on his own.

So, assuming he got sufficiently delayed by his main lab burning down and then by cloning Oracles, Besithia might have the breakthrough in magitech production - aka figuring out he needs daemon goo made from infants - in time for the Empire to start fielding them about a decade before canon. (For a given value of "canon")

If that happens, Galahd might the first big military operation where the majority of the forces are MTs, with some human commanders to keep things in check.

Next point, the War.

Because Ardyn have manipulated Iedolas into obsessing about the Crystal and the Chosen King, but it's very likely Niflheim was already preparing for an invasion.

I mean, just look at the stuff that Besithia was allowed to research on a government grant. Ifrit and divine magic, tombs of Lucian kings, improvements to magitech, daemons.

A team of Nifs had a run-in with Enkidu when they scouted the Taelpar Crag looking for magic.

Niflheim kept outpost at Galdin Quay, complete with a port, nominally to trade with Lucis from Accordo but in pinch it could be used to land troops. They had a military presence on those islands between Tenebrae and Lucis.

The war would be delayed without Ardyn there to help, there might be a different pretext, but it would still happen. The preparations are there.

The mindset is there.

(I have absolutely no idea where that leaves Titus, tho)

In Spark verse, would Drautos still be a spy or would his capture and getting turned into Glauca be butterflied away?

Honestly, I don't even know.

It all depends on how the Great War ends up going, which is going to require a lot of worldbuilding on my end because we know so little about it.

Like, we know Besithia made the MTs with the help of Ardyn and his knowledge of the Scourge. He doesn't have that here, so the Imperial Army will still be entirely human, and that changes the game, because Niflheim can't just make more soldiers at the drop of a hat. Not even clones, because this Besithia's cloning project isn't on a mass scale like canon.

But that still leaves questions of Niflheim's military technology level. I hc that Ardyn supplied a lot of knowledge about magitek, or where to find the knowledge for Besithia to recreate, but that doesn't tell us how much knowledge Niflheim already had. Do they have their airships? Do they have the gravity/inertia manipulation technology that Aranea uses to fight like a dragoon? Do they have their magitek exosuits and mechs?

I hc that Mors had to pull the Wall back to Insomnia because Niflheim's airships allowed them to bypass the Wall entirely, because the Wall didn't have a roof at that point. So Mors pulled the Wall to protect Insomnia and the Crystal, because without the Crystal Lucis was going to find themselves up a creek without a paddle.

Also, it's heavily implied in canon that Iedolas' obsession with the Crystal is partially, if not entirely, due to Ardyn's manipulations. Without those manipulations, we could very well see a drastically different Emperor and Empire.

There might not even be a Great War.

Which means Galahd might not Burn. Which means Titus might not lose his home and might never be captured by the Empire.

[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.

[secret-engima]

Where do you think the original Kingdom of Lucis was? And the original domain of House Fleuret before they settled in Tenebrae? (I'm trying to figure out how the Kingdom expanded over the centuries and I figured I'd ask you in case you had any notes from Deleantur.)

Uhhh, I'm not sure I ever worked it out in *detail*, but I've always believed that the island that Insomnia is on was the original kingdom of Lucis. It's covered in a city now, but it's modeled after Tokyo and that city is- huge. There's more than enough space on that island alone (not counting the tinier islands dotted around it) to establish a kingdom, and *tactically* it's in a good position. It's not so far from the Mainland that you couldn't establish a supply chain for trade or later military expansions, but canonically it took a really really long time for there to be any oceanic daemons. Water back then would have served as a barrier both for human enemies and *daemons*, which makes it an ideal spot for Bahamut to put the Crystal while it charges up.

By the time of Somnus and Deleantur, the Kingdom would have expanded to have some mainland territory, how large is variable really, but I ... personally HC that it covers Cavanaugh (the island next to Insomnia), and some (if not all?) of the Leide area (with part of it being territory/routes leading to the Galdin Quay area because Somnus would have picked Angelgard for a reason and needed a route to get there/have guards in the og timeline) with a port town likely formed either where the bridge will be built in modern times or the Keycatrich area, which we know in Noct's time used to be a town "for rich folks", which means it's probably old. I am- stupendously bad at distances, but I definitely think they're either edging into Duscae in places as well or have holdings up north in that (massive) area of the map we never get to go to.

Idk how big that is for an ancient kingdom, but we don't know how long the Lucis Caelums were kings other than "long enough for Somnus and Ardyn to be part of a lineage". But considering there is only medieval technology to fight them and the Lucis Caelums have both magic *and* the Nox Fleuret family of Oracles (and thus the gods themselves) backing them I can see them expanding either by conquest or just by *alliance*. Smaller kingdoms and nobles signing up for some of that sweet magic protection.

I never did figure out where the Oracles originally were located, but again, considering the tactical advantage of being an island and that the Oracles clearly used to be able to journey to commune with the Astrals via Crystal, I'd put them not too far away. Either on the island of Insomnia itself, potentially on the sister island of Cavaugh (we never see it so who knows what's on it, and hey, that means Titus could be an descendant of the original kingdom of Nox Fleuret), or again, up in that unexplored northern area of the map. It's close enough to Leide and Insomnia that one could journey there, and from oggling it from afar and staring at the map it appears to be heavily forested rather than desert, which fits with the Nox Fleuret's later jungle vibe.

Last minute edit: I cannot remember if I put Taelpar Crag as part of the Lucian kingdom in my Deleantur fic. The part of it we visit in the dlc is in Cleigne, which is pretty far from the island of Insomnia *but* that thing stretches on for *miles*. And I think that some of it goes up into the Duscae??? We just can't get to it because of Map Things.

I also always thought it edged into Leide, mostly because in the Kingsglaive there's a giant canyon that Niflheim hides in near Insomnia and I always assumed it was the shallow end of Taelpar Crag. Even if it's not- none of the ancient kingdoms would have claimed the Crag because it's known as rift formed by Bahamut fighting/killing Ifrit and it's also a very spooky place. So the Oracles of *this* time deciding to pack up and move to the highly magical Crag and surrounding area would not be contested. Heck the kingdoms would probably *give* the Nox Fleuret's some of the land around the Crag on the condition the Oracles make sure none of the daemons, demons, and ghosties they think live down there will come up *here* and harass them.