#vergilia van corculum

[the-littlest-kojin]

Story set after Endwalker, so contextual spoilers abound.

~

"So this is the outfit you chose? It is... An interesting set of attire," Taraine murmurs, examining the pile of cloth.

"Put it on, savage," Vergilia teases playfully. "You'll look stunning in it, and it's not like you're allowed to wear armour here anyway."

"I suppose. This is really business attire? Seems... Flimsy."

Vergilia laughs as she pulls her shoe on. "It is flimsy. Meetings in civlised countries don't include swords and breastplates as their dress code. Flimsy and attractive cloth is supposed to be the way. So just trust me, okay?" Sighing, Taraine stands, adjusting the buttons on her new top. "Trust you? A Garlean? Perish the thought," she teases back. "Anyway. How long are we here for?" "I don't know. The Forum wanted to speak to me, as an ex-Legatus, about something. Will you be able to find something to do for the day while I'm speaking to the Forum?" Cocking her hip to the side, Taraine tosses her hair, smirking confidently. "I can entertain myself. Linkpearl me when the meeting is over, I'm supposed to guard you the entire time outside of the meeting." The pair stride out into the sunlight, heels clicking on the stone. "You know," Taraine murmurs, "You're right. I do look stunning like this."

(Screenshot donated to me by the Odori Simp, eternal enabler.)

[castellankurze]

The realization that despite fighting the Garlean Empire through two iterations of the Final Fantasy XIV base game and four expansions, the Warrior of Light has never killed a standing Legatus.

Nael van Darnus, Legatus of the VIIth - defeated in the Coils of Bahamut raid but finished off by Louisoix (at the behest of the primal Bahamut).

Gaius van Baelsar, Legatus of the XIVth - never killed.

Regula van Hydrus, Legatus of the VIth - killed by the primal Zurvan.

Zenos yae Galvus, Legatus of the XIIth - defeated at Ala Mhigo but ultimately commits suicide. Comes back to life but is stripped of his status in Garlemald society before he is killed again.

Former High Legatus Varis zos Galvus, Emperor of Garlemald - killed by Zenos.

Noah van Gabranth, Legatus of the IVth - never fought and is dubiously 'killed' in Bozja epilogues.

Valens van Varro, Legatus of the VIIth - popped like a grape by the Diamond Weapon controlled by Alphonse.

Quintus van Cinna, Legatus of the Ist - commits suicide after the failure to counter the Ilsabard Expeditionary Force.

Vergilia van Corculum, Legatus of the IIIrd - never killed.

I considered adding Solus zos Galvus/Emet-Selch to the list but frankly he's so far removed from his status as legatus after his long reign as Emperor, death and subsequent return as the secret power behind the throne that his one-time status as legatus is more a piece of trivia. The Warrior of Light also technically fights and kills Nerva Galvus, but his status vis-a-vis the royal family is dubious and he's become a blasphemy by the time he's fought anyway.

As such it means the highest-ranking, active-service Garlean officer the Warrior of Light has ever killed in battle is...

Livia sas Junius, Tribunus Angusticlavius of the XIVth - killed at Castrum Meridianum during Operation Archon

(Menenius sas Lanatus is equivalent rank, but the IVth has definitively abandoned Garlemald by the end of Bozja, so whether he counts is open to interpretation.)

[memoriavivens]

Quintus Van Cinna

is quite possibly the most loathsome individual in all of FFXIV (which isn’t to say he necessarily is, there’s some fierce competition). It angers me when I go through Garlemald related content and see people acting like he was some resolute paragon. To briefly summarize his crimes towards us- he puts the twins in actual slave collars, and openly justifies imperialism that he was certainly a leading figure in as the legatus of the very first legion. I’ll have no “it’s their culture to view this as a good thing” excuses here- he’s a military leader, not some cloistered citizen. That’s about it for his onscreen crimes to foreigners, now let’s talk about how he hurts the Garleans themselves. It’s all very blatant, actually- the story makes no secret of how he’s hoarding vital resources that could keep civilians alive in favor of a doomed, naive plan for a counterattack. And when it’s clear at last that this plan won’t work, he doesn’t make any effort to change or even protect his people- he just kills himself. He’s a coward. He’s a glory hound, as evidenced by his stubborn refusal to actually do what he claims he’s doing (protecting the people of Garlemald) in favor of planning another offensive campaign. He is the evil of the Garlean empire given human form, if we’re talking analogies. So this is why it frustrates me so to see him remembered fondly. But it’s not just him that I hate about the way Garlemald is being handled- in fact the current leadership of Garlemald is entirely corrupt and I find it outright irresponsible on many levels for the Ilsabard contingent to pull out now. Need I remind everyone, the current Garlean leadership has allowed literal death machines to roam the streets of their capital city simply because their pride prevents them from letting people help them with this issue. Need I remind you that the surviving senators we meet hog fuel for their bunker while the people in Tertium still freeze. And need I remind you that every influential garlean we meet is openly nostalgic for the days of the empire, days when they would commit cultural genocide continuously, burn cities to the ground, constantly have small civil wars and rather frequently have larger ones, and also TOOK PEOPLE AS SLAVES. I am not trying to say the garleans should be denied help in their time of crisis- just the opposite in fact, for these corrupt leaders are only exacerbating the crisis with their national egotism. National egotism we never get to even slightly condemn. And one final point, back to specifically Quintus- Zenos and Fandaniel didn’t destroy Garlemald by themselves. There was already fighting and chaos in the streets as part of a succession crisis, which they simply took advantage of to create Anima and the Telophoroi. Said civil war had two sides- Vergilia van Corculum led a faction supporting the claimant Nerva yae Galvus, while Quintus led the other side, which believed Nerva unworthy and instead sponsored… no candidate. I repeat, Quintus started the entire crisis just because he didn’t like Nerva. There was no other claimant to the throne, mind. Zenos seems to have been the only other one, and he obviously wasn’t a choice. And Quintus certainly wasn’t going to abolish the monarchy. So as far as we know, this man killed his own empire and started the whole catastrophe for absolutely nothing at all.

[aethernoise]

Just some Vergilia (van) Corculum appreciation shots from the role capstone quests. I just think she’s neat!

[the-littlest-kojin]

The Heretic And The Legatus

"So, Tara. Tell me about your war? You know all about mine, but I must confess, my education didn't really cover the wars in Ishgard." Cradled in the Elezen's arms, Vergilia Corculum looks up at her girlfriend's face, a gentle smile on her lips.

A heavy sigh escapes the Ishgardian's lips. "I'm not even sure where to begin. You really know nothing of the Dragonsong War?" Snuggling closer to Taraine's warm body, Vergilia shakes her head. "Nothing. My Legion was posted in Garlemald proper. I know that Regulus's Legion was deployed to Ishgardian lands - he likely knew more."

"Alright. I will give you the history, from my perspective. Least I can do to try to educate an outlander like you," Taraine teases, her voice light.

"How kind this savage is!" Vergilia mocks back, eyes dancing. "Truly, I have found the kindest savage in all this lawless land."

Laughing, low and sardonic, Taraine pulls her lover closer. "Alright. So as a child, I was taught that the War began after Nidhogg - unprovoked and unjustified - attacked Ishgard, and King Thordan and his Knights Twelve..."

~

"So, having drank the dragon blood... You can now assume a draconic form?"

A pillar of smoke enshrouds the Elezen's form, resolving into the shape of a large, scaled figure. Vergilia stares upwards, her eyes wide, as her mouth works silently.

"So... You're still Taraine?" A laugh - much deeper, shaking the ground - escapes through draconic fangs. "Yes. I am still Taraine. But you remember how I told you I was genderfluid?" "Ah - You are male in this form?" "Yes. And female in my Elezen body. Both are equally my 'real' body, but I am a man like this and a woman like that." "I understand, dearest Taraine. Do not fret."

The silence stretches for a moment before Vergilia steps closer, gently resting a hand on her boyfriend's scales. Silently, Taraine reaches one of his claws out, gently running it along Vergilia's arm.

Silence surrounds the couple as they stare at each other, the cool air surrounding them as they gaze at one another.

~~~~~

These screens were a gift from my off-tumblr friend! I wanted to explore this ship more.

[the-littlest-kojin]

@ashuraarts, who is not even up to the point in the game in which this character appears, has decided to feed my latest character rotation, and drew me this picture of Vergilia.

Everybody, please join me in rotating this underappreciated waifu.

[the-littlest-kojin]

"Savage," Vergilia whispers against Taraine's lips.

"Outlander," Taraine whispers back.

[the-littlest-kojin]

All Knights are offered this choice - to aid this fight in Garlemald. The Garleans are not our enemies; they are victims as much as anyone else.

Scowling at the letter, Taraine sits heavily on the bed, staring at the words. All the friends she had made in the Horde were gone, now. Ishgard was attempting to do better in relations with the Dravanians.

Sighing, she laughs to herself, wry and sardonic. It's not like there was anything less to fight for here. And this letter, at least, demonstrated that the idiots in charge no longer were stabbing first, and asking questions never.

~

Squatting next to the bed, Taraine looks down at the Garlean she has been assigned to babysit.

"You are Taraine?" the Legatus asks, her voice mellifluous.

Sighing, the Ishgardian nods, her gaze heavy. "I am. And you are Vergilia. I am here to make sure you do not harm anybody - and that you yourself are not harmed by anybody."

"You seem... Different. To your countrymen." "I am different."

~

Watching Vergilia talk about the incipient difficulties in rebuilding the Garlean peoples, Taraine's mind races.

All of these things. Logistics. Morale. Did Tioman, or Nidhogg, or anybody in the Horde, ever think about these?

Likely not. But I will think about them now.

[the-littlest-kojin]

"I must confess, it feels weird to have you as my guard. I remember when you were knee-high, following Rhitahtyn around like a pup."

"That was many years ago, Vergilia. Hells, I deserted since then." "I know. That came as quite the shock to me, you know, when I heard about it. You always believed so much in Gaius's message. In Garlemald's message." Nehir sighs heavily, having been bracing for this conversation. "I still do believe in the message. But at some point, you need to examine how that message is being delivered."

Next to him, the legatus is silent, her gaze downcast. Knowing that he has to press the point, Nehir continues, his voice hard.

"In Gyr Abania, we were meant to be improving the quality of life of the 'savages' - but while Gaius made overtures towards such a goal, they still led to people left to eke out lives in the desert, with no support, no help, from all our grand words. And then when Zenos took over-" "That isn't a fair comparison and you know it, pup," Vergilia rebukes him, her voice still quiet and withdrawn.

"...I know, but it's still what happened. We were meant to be making their lives better. Why were we treating them so badly? Why were aan second-class citizens? I heard the line of 'enlightening' them hundreds of times, but I received marching orders to put them to the sword far, far more often than I oversaw shipments of magitek or ceruleum devices to their houses."

"...You're not wrong, pup. Sorry - Nehir. I shouldn't treat you like a child anymore."

"You're only about five years my senior, Vergilia. Don't go thinking of me as an infant."

[ashuraarts]

@ashuraarts, who is not even up to the point in the game in which this character appears, has decided to feed my latest character rotation, and drew me this picture of Vergilia.

Everybody, please join me in rotating this underappreciated waifu.