#dragan aesfrost

[roaldseth]

Art trade w/ @pieadvisor

Going into this trade, I told myself I was going to specifically NOT do the Triangle Strategy option, but it said "Dragan" and "mines" so here we are.

#Triangle Strategy #Dragan Aesfrost #Svarog Aesfrost #I told myself I'd do an Octopath option because I figured you'd enjoy it much better #but this is what the idea allowed me to do #I'm sorry pie #I wasn't strong enough #art trade

[kelbunny]

*Hands you a silly explosives expert*

#triangle strategy #dragan aesfrost #kelbunn's art #also dragan why you so pasty

[bizarrebeasties]

Frederica from Triangle Strategy.

#pixel art #pixel artist #art #cute pixel art #frederica #frederica aesfrost #dragan aesfrost #aesfrost #triangle strategy #triangle strategy fandom #triangle strategy fanart #geela triangle strategy #triangle strategy fan animation #pixel gif #pixel #pixel portrait #pixel sprites #anime #square enix #pixel games #16bit #pixel aesthetic #pixel art game #jrpg #Japanese rpg #Japan #rpg

[draganaesfrost]

requiem for a dream 

#triangle strategy #tristrat #dragan aesfrost #dragan #gustadolph #gustadolph aesfrost #i love dragan so much #i started playing tristrat a few weeks ago and he's stolen my heart #i miss him :( #my art

[triangle-strategy-notes]

Art for Sycras, Svarog, and Dragan! They were all on the same 2 pages together, so I've put them together here as well.

Translation notes:

I tried to find a real meaning for "Hat U30," but came up short. It might be a unique label that the designers gave the hat, or it might just be that I misunderstood the characters.

"What a good idea!!" seemed to definitely have the word "What" in it, but I wasn't completely sure about the rest. It might have also been something like "What are you doing!!" but since Sycras seems to be smiling + there's no question mark, I decided to go with "What a good idea!!"

#triangle strategy #sycras diutte #svarog aesfrost #dragan aesfrost #triangle strategy artbook #I was really hoping we'd get some baby Dragan + Svarog doodles #I just!!! want to see Svarog and Dragan interacting!!! we only really get to see Svarog mourning and I for one think that's really sad!!!! #ts artbook character ref sheets

[soupboatz]

🌟 My Triangle Strategy merch is available again!! Look at all those strategic lil’ fellas 🌟

#triangle strategy #trianglestrategy #serenoa wolffort #frederica aesfrost #dragan aesfrost #roland glenbrook #corentin jennar #serenoa x frederica

[alynnl]

Dragan Aesfrost: Founder of A Mining Town (AU)

So I have been thinking more and more about Dragan Aesfrost and the potential he had if he wasn’t in a tactics/war game and instead was in more of a city builder/crafting simulator type game.

So Dragan starts off doing his research binges in the Aesfrosti archives.  He shows great expertise about all things mineral: metals, gemstones, salt, the works.  Some of his findings start angering some of the Aesfrosti network of Croneys because it’d benefit the common people more than rich and powerful and level the playing field.

It’s peacetime and Gustadolph really doesn’t want any conflict, especially not internally.  So instead the Archduke sends his cousin on what he believes to be a fool’s errand.  He sends him off to conduct his research on a relatively useless hunk of rock that was once an iron mine, but has since been stripped of anything useful.

Dragan sees this as a chance to get away from the Duchy anyways and accepts his cousin’s “generosity.” At first he’s traveling alone, but over time he meets other like-minded scholars of Aesfrost who also had their studies undervalued, and wanderers who don’t have any other home to go to.

They somehow build a village on the relatively barren turf.  It’s nothing short of a miracle when they can actually grow hardy crops like carrots and potatoes.

Testing out his new explosive on the depleted iron mountain, Dragan discovers a mineral vein that was previously untouched by any human hands.

This is where the player character comes in.  They are one of the villagers that was there when Dragan announced his discovery, and they agree to help extract the different minerals and tap into the rest of the peoples’ expertise on what they should craft. 

Over time, as the player character finds more raw materials, has more crafts made, and they see the city grow and prosper, with more houses and buildings going up.  Between their many jobs they speak with Dragan and learn all about him, his family, and why he decided to take the risk and build something completely on his own from the ground up.  How he wanted to show what true merit looks like.  And now he has made something no one can take away from him.

Although he’s worked very hard to make something out of nothing, Dragan still feels like something is missing.  That something are his kin who still think fondly of him: his father Svarog (who is still stuck watching Twinsgate) and Frederica (who has just been married to Serenoa of House Wolffort.)  While he knows they have their own lives, he wishes to see them in-person, after being apart for so long.

The player’s last task is to deliver an invitation to each of them for a family reunion.   The next few days are spent waiting, where preparations of food, drinks and music must be ready for the guests’ arrival.

On the promised day, Svarog, Serenoa, Frederica, and their respective retinues arrive.  The atmosphere is warm, the feeling joyful, and the music, the best any of them have ever heard.

Dragan has a little too much to drink at the celebration, and acts a bit more forward as a result, praising Frederica for “landing such a good catch” in Serenoa and proudly claiming the future belongs to “all of us, standing here.”  He rambles further, but soon comes to sincerely thank all the hardworking people of his new town.  He hopes it will continue to thrive as they work together.  Everyone shares a toast to the future, hopeful that it will be a bright one.

#Triangle Strategy #Dragan Aesfrost #100% pure wish fulfillment don't mind me #Peaceful Norzelia AU #Everybody Lives AU #Mining Town AU #I know it's simple #and there probably could be Drama but #It's a feel-good thing don't judge me

[oddlittlechocobo]

I started playing Triangle Strategy (I just finished chapter 3) and I really like it so far! I think Roland and Dragan are my favs so far. They’re just little guys

#triangle strategy #ts #square enix #roland glenbrook #dragan aesfrost

[tristrattournament]

#triangle strategy #polls #frederica aesfrost #dragan aesfrost

[randomnameless]

Who do you think is the most misunderstood character in TS?

Most misunderstood means I have the right characterisation in my pocket, which I can't claim I have, even if some things seen on Reddit are really close to the "August 2019" takes about FE16.

But instead of tackling the Behemoth that is Roland, or even Frederica...

Let's talk about the catalyst, Dragan himself.

Guy is presented as this overtly ambitious man, who is used by his older cousin as an excuse to start the war, because older cousin is an ass who always planned to get rid of him, and the younger cousin laughs at his misfortune.

Dragan was also deeply beloved by his father, Svarog, and looked fondly upon by Frederica, his other cousin.

Tragic Dragan? Yes, without a doubt.

However, Dragan, for all of his wishes to "let the young people reform the world" instead of being shackled by old things/people... drowns in his ambition and in Aesfrost's "might makes right" mindset.

When he discovers the salt in the mine, Dragan's first reaction is NOT to contact and tell his Father what he discovered, or share it with the world - nope, Dragan wishes to use this intel to further his own ambition and take Thalas's spot, becoming Aesfrost's Number 2.

However, he makes the grave mistake of threatening Gustadolv, something that, well, you shouldn't do if you value your life.

Worst (?), to "negotiate" with Gustadolv, instead of, just, telling him "hey I found salt here, what if we start pissing on Hyzante because their monopoly is whack" - something that would have, assuredly, made him Chancellor, especially if he said "By the way don't kill me, I am the only one who knows where to dig/how to dig to find those crystals", he would have won his game - he became confrontational - challenging Gustadolv and even, daring to suggest he could betray his very own country, Aesfrost, to Glenbrook. Whether he would have done it or not, Dragan was potentially a traitor to his own country, ready to "sell" it, or at least not give Aesfrost the ultimate ressource on Norzelia, to gain a place in the "nobility" he so deeply desired.

Because Aesfrost's muhritocracy favors the strong, and the strong needs to crush people to show how strong he is - by challenging Gustadolv, instead of just, working with him, Dragan tried to show how "strong" he was...

Too bad he picked Gustadolv.

Dragan's threats only served to lampshade how dangerous he could become - but as dangerous as a mole, ready to do anything to become "strong", pretty much like Silvio who can also betray his country and Lords to sit with the winners - and, just like Silvio, how weak and unprepared he was.

To make those threats against Gustadolv, Dragan needed an army, needed something that would have made him "unkillable" or at least force Gustadolv to negotiate with him. In a way, Dragan followed his country's values "the strong wins" but forgot that following values, in Aesfrost, is worthless, if you do not have the power to back it up.

Might makes Right : Dragan tried to show his Might, and was crushed.

In the end, he can have the last laugh in the Liberty Ending, since his "friendship" with Serenor gave him the book and all the intel needed to use the salt - hijacking Gustadolv's plan to rule over Norzelia (well about that...)

But Dragan didn't want to laugh, he wanted to live and take Thalas's place, so it's not a win for him, he completely and utterly lost.

In the end is Dragan just a loser?

I don't think so. I think he genuinely wanted to help people and ultimately Norzelia, but he is very ambitious. Unlike Silvio, who we see plotting and counterplotting and doing Silvio things, Dragan's only show of shadiness and Liberty (as in Gustadolv's Liberty) to be free to do whatever you want... involved possibly betraying his country, family and people.

Would he have done it? IDK. The sheer fact he even thought about doing it - and wrote it to his cousin - is enough to tell me, though, that Dragan was truly Aesfrostian to the core, and embrassed Gustadolv's values.

Even if it led him to his death.

Which is, BTW, why I really love Aesfrost in this game, because TS finds subtle ways here and there to inform the player that, no, Gustadolv's mentality and Aesfrost really suck, and are destroying the country and its people too.

However, all this subtility went to Aesfrost, when Hyzante was hit with the general "religion BaD Idore BaD Hyzante BaD" which is very striking.

For one Sycras telling goodbye to his family because in True Aesfrostian fashion he buys Gustadolv's propaganda and will fight against people who aren't trying to kill him nor kill the people - we don't have any random hyzantese thanking Layla for her "shiny purple rock", and how, idk, it managed to save their old grandma or their kid, nope.

But that's a topic for another post lol.

#Poor Dragan #TFW Aesfrost sucks and you're so engrained in that mentality that in turn you become a sucky character #Silvio like #Triangle strategy spoilers #they really forgot what subtility was with Hyzante lol #they're all evil and have no redeeming points you won't even see randoms from Hyzante portrayed in a good light #like Sycras and his fam #ffs Sorsley is a slime ball #Enigma exists to die #Ayxame is Dragan if he had military power and some recognition #Kamsell is here to protect Hyzante and its people but there's no Kamsell's children or wife #Layla receives the backstory and cries #and Idore is well Idore

[kyndaris]

Let Us Cling Together

Back in my high school years, I uncovered a great gem of a game that was playable on the PlayStation Portable (PSP). It followed the life of a noble called Ramza Beoulve and his good friend: Delita Heiral. The narrative, with its focus on corruption and oppression, blew my teenage brain away. That a game could tell such a compelling story and explore such depths of the human condition didn’t seem real. To this day, Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions is one of my favourite games because of the strength of its writing and tactical-minded gameplay. 

And so, when Square Enix announced a tactical role-playing game with a plot that would navigate the harsh realities of war and those that would claim dominance over the land, I was sold. Even if it had the stupidest name.

Triangle Strategy is developed by Tomoya Asano, producer for Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler (similarly terribly named video games) and implements a lot of the graphical quirks of these two titles. Particularly touted is the hybrid 2D-HD mix. While it’s not the prettiest game, I still enjoyed the cover art for the main characters and the adorable sprites that I was able to control on the battlefield.

From a gameplay standpoint, Triangle Strategy strips back quite a lot from the old games. There’s no class changes beyond simple promotions. While I didn’t mind these changes, it felt like a lot of the depth in previous titles was gone. Serenoa Wolffort would always be a swordsman. Roland would always be on his horse, wielding a spear. Still, it meant improvising with the units on hand and deciding which characters to bring along. Did I bring a healer? How many mages ought I bring to the field to nuke the enemy from afar?

Whereas in previous titles, one would simply switch to the job and keep the same character that they prefer on the field. Having it scaled back also meant that weapons and armour options were also removed with a much heavier focus on accessories. Why give us plenty of gold if I don’t have much to spend it on? Also the emphasis on upgrading weapons and unlocking certain stat bonuses also felt a lot more simplified than was necessary. More options or locking certain abilities behind mastering a specific weapon might have kept some novelty to the game itself.

While the battles were engaging (and could certainly be hard especially in the latter chapters), it was also forgiving in the sense that losing a character in battle did not mean losing them forever. That was a relief compared to Fire Emblem. What I would have preferred however were fewer mental mock battles and additional battles within the chapters themselves. Or even a couple ad-hoc battles as the Wolffort retinue traversed the land of Norzelia within a day or two (at least it seemed that way when everything was gated behind narration).

Despite these minor quibbles, the battles were the highlights of the game. Each encounter throughout the twenty chapters kept me on my toes. Of course, there were also other battles that I missed out on based on my choices but the situations I faced were certainly devious in some of their setups.

Speaking of choice, quite a lot of Triangle Strategy’s advertising focused on where the character’s convictions would take them. Certainly, as I played, there were options aplenty. Thankfully, not all choices were so clear-cut black and white. Even though I was loathe to give up Roland in one of the early chapters, doing so made sense from a utilitarian perspective. If I thought of my people and their safety, the choice to give up one life to save the lives of the many would not be a hard choice to make.

The fact that the characters were all so likable also served to pressure me in choosing one option over another. In saying that, Chapter 13 had three options for taking back the capital of Glenbrook. There was the utilitarian approach: destroying the dam and flooding the city. There was the ‘moral’ choice of blowing up the bridge and keeping the fighting within the palace itself. And last of all, there was the ‘liberty’ approach of sneaking into the castle, taking out all the high-ranking officers and blowing up the Aesfrosti warship.

Picking the ‘liberty’ option was viewed by many as the ‘do whatever needs to be done.’ It was considered the nasty and wicked plan. But was it really? The utilitarian one - in my eyes - at least, would have caused more damage and excess deaths. It certainly did not seem like the best option to retake the capital. Benedict, especially during this chapter, seemed willing to do anything to win at all costs. Even sacrifice the innocent townspeople. If a plan was going to be considered wicked, destroying the dam and flooding the town would have been it.

As with all stories focused on intrigue and political backstabbing, Triangle Strategy also proved a little too predictable. Proof, I hear you ask? Well, you shall have it in two words: Silvio Telliore. As the opportunist ‘Littlefinger’ of the game, it was clear from his offer in Chapter 8 that he was going to betray the Wolfforts.

Was I surprised? No.

But was I disappointed? Yes.

I felt it would have been an interesting twist if Silvio had actually decided to side with the Wolfforts. Or even if Serenoa had the grand idea of sending a messenger bird to House Falkes and have all three High Houses of Glenbrook ally together. It was a missed opportunity that saw a great man perish to General Avlora when the writing could have done so much more.

Just like the Polygon review, I also have to say that Triangle Strategy focused too much on telling the players rather than showing. Dialogue was aplenty in my playthrough. Oft times, it felt like I was clicking through a visual novel with the occasional battle scattered within. That is not to say that the world-building was bad but it did feel like the characters wanted to exposit a little too much on things that had already been mentioned previously or were clearly obvious.

That aside, why did Triangle Strategy have to pull an Aerith? Geela could have totally cast a healing spell on Dragan. Why would she have allowed him to just die in Serenoa’s arms? They certainly had Geela heal Minister Lyla (who also appeared to have been struck a lethal blow).

Still, the plot for Triangle Strategy was still enjoyable. It might not be on par with Final Fantasy Tactics but it didn’t need to be. This was its own game, set in its own world. What it was able to provide me was suitable enough to sustain my lust for a good story of politicking and resource grabbing. True, the Holy State of Hyzante, the Grand Duchy of Aesfrost and the Kingdom of Glenbrook played into a lot of stereotypes with how they ruled (order versus freedom, anyone?) but it helped to keep motivations simple.

Even if in the Golden Route, Serenoa and friends had to face off against a demi-god wannabe. Tick that off my JRPG checklist. 

Considering the number of lore that was not addressed, such as the Rozelle homeland and their history, I would have liked to see more. Mixed in with a few fantastical beasts and perhaps a sequel would be quite enthralling. Too long, games have been focused on war. Why not sprinkle in a bit of adventure in the next one? Something akin to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance? There’s a lot of potential in Norzelia. Triangle Strategy kept it simple with only huge hawks that can seat humans on their backs but here’s hoping that more games start leaning a little more into more interesting enemy types and creatures.

Now let’s see if The DioField Chronicle can sate my thirst for a meatier strategy role-playing game experience.

On a side note, I finally know how to pronounce ‘demesne.’ 

#video games #triangle strategy #dragan #cordelia x avlora? #serenoa wolffort x frederica aesfrost

[rainbowdonkee]

New character Hangyon!

VA: Yohei Matsuoka (Dragan Aesfrost - Triangle Strategy, Burnt Cheese Cookie - Cookie Run Kingdom)

Artist: Ozaki Domino

"Nihao~♡ As you can see, I'm not a suspicious person. This child is my friend. Cute, right?"

"Hangyon approached the lonely Hangyodon and made a contract with him. He is Badobarm's younger brother. He has a suspicious & questionable behavior that no one seems to understand. He considers realistic ideas boring and often gets into arguments with Piquero and Taxum. The fairy on his shoulder is Lili."

#ozaki domino #yohei matsuko #yohei matsuoka #sanrio #Hangyon #hangyodon #fragaria memories #gacha #ike men #フラガリアメモリーズ #サンリオ

[kelbunny]

Drawtober 2023 - Day 6 - Ignite

Papa Svarog + Tiny Dragan!

How do you draw older men rip

#drawtober 2023 #Kelbunn's drawtober 2023 #Kelbunn's art #Svarog aesfrost #Dragan aesfrost #My favorite two TriStrat NPCs #triangle strategy #triangle strategy spoilers

[crystalelemental]

Demo for Triangle Strategy complete. Did both options for the split path.

Story-wise, things were slow to pick up, and I wouldn't exactly say that they've gotten better in that regard, but there's at least a slight hook. Granted, because I read the notes and such, but it counts.

I'll start with the less exciting path. Hyzante feels kinda bland to me. It's really, really transparent what's going on and generally what their deal is. "All are equal under the goddess, do not ask about the slave class in the salt mines." Their equality is completely fabricated, unsurprisingly, and the chapter's battle is going to do all in its power to really hammer in that this is not a good place. Though its means of doing so is, admittedly, super fucking funny to me. Yeah, this rogue researcher stole documents and is running off with them because he wants to be in control of his own research. Like...my dude. We know the names of famous physicians in this center. Fame and notoriety and your name attached to your work is still a thing. The only reason for you to do this is because you want royalties along with it. The ice mage talks about a more reasonable aspect - being told what to research rather than having creative freedom in your pursuits - but that's not what the battle is about. Hyzante, as a result, just feels kinda middling to me as a route. I have very little interest beyond its ties to Frederica's people.

Aesfrost, by comparison, is kinda neat. They want to push the notion of meritocracy, where everyone is free to do what brings them fulfillment. Except for the part where they're poor, and this absolute freedom means corruption at the highest levels as soldiers are in on illicit salt trades. But like. At least the group there feel like people. Hyzante feels very stale, in part because no one there exudes any kind of personality beyond worship and all that. Aesfrost is a colorful group, with Dragan being super ambitious, Thalas being a little snot, Erica seeming like she's the smarter of those siblings but not in a position to act, that one guy you meet on the way in who seems super chill with Roland, and even the head of the nation who has an introduction that...kinda sums up my feelings on the general presentation.

During your interaction with him, he asks what you think of this joint mining venture. This is like the third time someone asked me this, and my response has been consistent: "it's a good venture that will benefit everyone equally." And he's the first to kinda push back on that, replying "So you think just because the spoils are equally shared, that will bring peace? Since when have men ever sought to be equal to their peers?" And that's such a great introduction to this guy. What a great way to showcase exactly how this guy things, and where his values are as someone who believes fully in this meritocracy and its necessity.

But they keep this going into Serenoa asking what he means, and getting the line "I can't stand people who would impose equality on others." And it feels like it shifts into a very heavy-handed presentation.

Which was the major issue with Hyzante too, and kinda what I'm setting up to expect with this. Hyzante was super on the nose, going really far out of its way to push how much everything is a lie, and make sure there's an understanding that despite outward statements of equality, there's a clear slave class and ruling class, and absolutely no potential for upward mobility. Aesfrost is a little more dynamic, but that line about imposing equality feels like it's very strongly making sure you know this guy isn't just ambitious and all about competition, he feels like any intervention for equality is a net negative, and sometimes there are just losers cast into the dregs. It's not like...embarrassingly over-done, but give how long these intro chapters go for story-wise, it's the kind of thing that could've been parsed down.

Now, the flip side of this is that, with the supplemental bits, you actually get a great picture of why things are like this, and it's really interesting background that is keeping me engaged with what's going on. The book in question talks about the peace agreement following the Saltiron War, and how nations fared. Glenbrook is apparently a big name, and has access to a lot of general resources that keeps them in a strong position. Hyzante has access to salt, which is a necessity for life, and has always lived luxuriously as a result. Aesfrost, by comparison, has iron, which isn't as essential, and exists in a harsher climate with less to offer than Glenbook.

The book really only mentions that trade was hard for Aesfrost, and that during the war, their already small population suffered the most casualties. What you can pick up between the lines is that this goes back way before the war, where their position was always pretty bad, and likely part of the catalyst for war was their demands for better opportunity. Hyzante, as a nation all about rigid class structure and hegemony of power to their ruling class whether it admits it or not, has an invested interest in keeping the rival nation under the control of their salt distribution. Given the comment on losses during the war, it sounds like Aesfrost was poised to lose, and had the war carried on, they likely would've been in an even worse position as Hyzante could make more forceful demands as the victor. But the peace that exists isn't exactly beneficial for them either, they're the clear loser even in the peace accord, and the main takeaway you're given is that the people of Aesfrost as largely in poverty.

It takes some supplemental material to get a bit of this, but I think overall it's painting an interesting landscape with a lot of questions about the world. I'm enjoying it and plan to keep going. Apparently the nearest GameStop to me (like half an hour away) has one in stock, so I'm hoping to pick it up tomorrow when I get Unicorn Overlord. Unicorn Overlord comes first, I really liked that one, but I'd like to get both if I can.

#triangle strategy

[draganaesfrost]

some triangle strategy doodles from over the past month :) please ask me about erador’s grilling apron collection btw it’s my favorite topic

#triangle strategy #tristrat #dragan aesfrost #serenoa wolffort #frederica aesfrost #erador ballentine #benedict pascal #corentin jennar #my art #i am physically incapable of drawing dragan the same way twice idk why #his hair looks different to my eyes every time i look at a ref for him. he's so strange #and i need to microwave him

[triangle-strategy-notes]

The Power of Salt

Salt is foodstuff necessary for human survival. But that isn’t all it is. It has myriad applications beyond the kitchen, and contains within it the power to change our world as we know it.

In this book, I, Dragan Aesfrost, have recorded the results of my research in the Grand Duchy’s Archives. The culmination of everything I learned poring over ancient texts from all across Norzelia...

...for example, salting food is an excellent method of preservation, but doing so on a large scale is untenable due to the mineral’s costly nature. If we could preserve large stores of food, it would be easier for people to travel over longer distances, or help us trade goods and supplies in even greater quantities. It could even become possible to explore the hitherto unplumbable depths of the Hyzantian desert, or to sail beyond the Great Falls in the south. Even more indispensable are salt’s medicinal benefits. My predecessors use what limited salt they have to conduct various experiments. Through salt’s scarcity makes it nigh impossible to put their findings into actual practice, they have shown that salt can be applied—to great effect—in developing medicine, producing materials such as leather or glass, and animal husbandry. Their research even suggests salt can be made into a volatile blasting agent.

I expect further possibilities will be discovered as the research progresses… Though whether research can progress remains to be seen, with the Source under Hyzante’s tightfisted control. But we must not abandon hope for the better Norzelia salt could help us realize.

Someone must clear the way forward, else this new era of prosperity will die before it is ever born. What I am attempting to create will be vital to this effort. The potential of salt is the potential of Norzelia’s future… And that of all of us who dwell within this great realm.

I dedicate this book to all those who, like me, are striving for a new era. May it help guide us to a brighter future.

- Dragan Aesfrost

#war chronicle notes #dragan aesfrost #salt #triangle strategy #great falls #hyzante #aesfrosti archives