#occuria

[tarnishedxknight]

Headcanon: The Occuria have a cryptid-like role in modern verses.

{out of dalmasca} I've been trying to decide what role the Occuria might play in a modern or MCU verse. The only two options are that they died out centuries ago, or that they still exist. I've decided to go with the idea that the Occuria still exist in modern times, and they're responsible for several types of cryptid sightings on Earth worldwide, Namely, Occuria beings are responsible for sightings of the Mothman of Point Pleasant, West Virginia... the Nightcrawlers of Fresno, California... the elemental of Leap Castle in Ireland... and glowing stick-like creatures simply referred to as the "rods," found worldwide.

In addition to these more defined cryptids, the Occuria are also responsible for a number of UFO sightings as well. "UFO" doesn't necessarily mean an alien spaceship, but rather it stands for "unidentified flying object," which can refer to a number of different unidentified creatures that are sighted around the world.

Over the millennia, the Occuria's power has waned, and the great reduction in magic, both in the world and in human ability, has caused them to be regarded as nothing more than fairy tales. Most cultures do not even remember them or have accounts of them in their written or oral stories, leading to the diverse collection of cryptid descriptions which these creatures have produced in modern culture. Their city in the sky, where they once lived in the time of Ivalice and a few centuries beyond, is no more. This is why they are spotted in the skies over Earth with greater frequency nowadays.

The "mothman" sightings are the result of an Occuria still trying to guide mankind, which was one of its original purposes. It shows up before disasters occur, hoping to warn unsuspecting humans that danger is imminent. However, the humans of today are less receptive to such interventions, and they usually just end up screaming and running away instead of taking the warning to heart.

The "elemental" of Leap Castle is the result of an Occuria becoming angry and disenchanted with humans. It had taken up residence in the castle, which it likes, and it wants to be left alone. When it's not left alone, bad things happen. It has been responsible for pushing people down the stairs, causing heart attacks and other sudden ailments which can result in death, influencing humans to murder and do other terrible things, and giving the place a general cold, negative, evil vibe. Attempts to get the Occuria to either vacate the castle or coexist with humans have proven unfortunately unsuccessful.

The "Fresno Nightcrawlers" are really just the result of Occuria congregating at night for social reasons. They do get lonely, and since there are only a few left in the world, they occasionally like to get together and go for a nice "walk". Being incorporeal, glowing beings, however, they must mold their bodies into different shapes to connect with the earth and their friends. This results in the strange body shape of the typical nightcrawler.

The "rods" are the result of Occuria who really have waned in power, and all that remains of them are glowing sticks, curlicues, strings, or streamers in the sky. They're translucent, wispy, and have lost much of their glow. They're still sentient, and still like to keep an eye on the human race, but they've gone from mediators to mere observers in this case.

So the Occuria are still around in modern times, it is just that their power and influence have lessened and changed. I wonder what would happen if they found out Ashelia was still alive in her MCU verse...?

#{ out of dalmasca } ᵒᵒᶜ #{ headcanons } #{i... wrote this for absolutely no reason} #{but now it's my canon lol} #{it was actually really fun blaming cryptid sightings on the occuria ngl} #{and headcanons should be fun right?}

[halmarut]

it was written in-game, upon reading this i realised:

(note: the name of shards might be switched around/misnamed because i only know the shards by shape, not by name e_e)

the baubles vayne and dr. cid’s looking for are Dusk Shard and Midlight Shard. this is why they ransacked two kingdoms, nabradia and dalmasca. cid and vayne obtained one of them, but were unable to obtain the other because they have no idea where it is kept.

vayne kept basch alive so he could interrogate him via gabranth. but vayne was stalled by the senate who don’t like vayne rising in power. this makes vayne information-less for two years.

when vayne’s finally free from senate’s grasp by becoming consul in rabanastre, he ran a search on the palace, but vaan stole it from him on the same day.

before, we’ve only known that:

basch is imprisoned and gabranth gloats at him often, the senate hates vayne, vayne is the new consul, nabudis explosion was 2 years ago, vayne and cid are looking for “baubles”.

but these are all connected~

#Speculations #subtext and not in-text! #all of this reeks of occuria interference though. imagine if those two men had both shards #it is very funny that the gods said oh no u wont!! to vayne #tl dr: two stones and two guys = war on ivalice. this is the entirety of ff12

[revenantxprince]

((I might make Lu.ke Mit.chell Rohir's fc, and I'm gonna link the pic below that's pushing me to go with him, though I'm still not 100% certain just yet sfdghkjsfd

#local cryptid sighting (ooc) #((I know his hair isn't quite light enough to fit with Rohir's lineage #bUT I actually have a hc in mind because I had been thinking of saying that Rohir's hair darkened after the crash #because of the Occuria getting involved - or; really; getting uninvolved #but I'm still mulling that over too sfdghkjdfs #rn I wanna get something out for him but I might focus on polishing his info #I should go to bed really but I'm stressed about a big event tomorrow at work so I'm distracting myself lol))

[dipodiidae]

and ffxii is like liberation of night discourse but actually bearable

#the judgements would be vastly improved if they were the occuria instead

[salmalin]

Final Fantasy XII, Ashe, Vayne, "Us V.S. Them" Mentality, and What Makes a Hero

Something I really love about FF12 is that beyond the whole "free will" plotline that underscores basically every FF game, it actually has something else to say. And it gets pretty specific with it in a way that not many other media I've seen is willing to properly explore: the extremely thin line between hero and villain.

Possibly due to the disaster that was its development, Final Fantasy 12 was able to get extremely specific with its themes and messages, and the rush that occurred when a second team came in to finish for an entirely different team may have allowed for most of this to make it to the final game. It's also ridiculously topical and hits a modern problem on the nose—"Us Vs Them" Mentality, and the oversimplification that follows. This is something that I've only ever seen Terry Pratchett attack so violently.

The villains are not villains. They are people, like us. But more than this, they are only villains because of how they do things. But more than that...

The heroes are not heroes. They are people, like us. But more than this, they are only heroes because of how they do things.

In the eyes of a wider plotline, Vayne might have been the hero if not for his methods. This is made clear from the get-go. He's freeing man from the control of the Occuria, after all. He's fighting God—something you always do in the Final Fantasy games. What's worse, he was raised in a situation where his ruthlessness was not just an asset, but a necessity. He'd disposed of his elder brothers, and endeavored to build a world where Gods and Emperors did not dictate the movement of man—only him. It is, in my humble opinion, a response to excessive trauma from a young age. He is a brilliant character, beloved and loathed for his ability, and he is not arrogant about it.

Meanwhile Ashe is the last remaining descendant of Raithwall and seeks her country's freedom. Her characterization could have ended there and the audience would have been satisfied. Except it didn't.

She was angry. Arrogant. Uptight. She made rude assumptions about the people around her. And then...

Then Ashe decided to use the Nethicite.

And after her declaration, the first person to speak is the lowliest in standing of all in the room—a boy who'd seemed unimportant from the very start, who she'd degraded practically on sight. He'd been the most impacted by the war out of all of them; a boy who has had little to say up until this point besides seemingly shallow statements about theft, independence, and revenge.

"You even know how to use it?"

Vaan's words cut through the moment, changing the vibe instantly before Fran can take the scene. It's a good point, and highlighted a critical flaw in Ashe's thinking until that moment.

She doesn't. In a literal and figurative sense, this is the core of the entire story of Final Fantasy XII—Ashe does not know how to wield Nethicite. Not just as a weapon, but as a weapon.

There is rebellion. There is freedom-fighting. Then...

Then there's mass murder of civilians.

One of these things is not like the other.

But Ashe doesn't even see civilians. She's angry at Archadia as a whole for some reason—likely because they were "complicit" during the war. She sees them as all the same, and doesn't even think of them before suggesting using the uncontrollable Nethicite. She's convinced that her people will never get along with Archadians to the point where it's a plot point. She thinks they all want revenge. And seeing what we have until that point in the story... Yeah, that makes sense.

Until it doesn't. Until Vaan—the "unimportant" character mentioned before, the one who spoke, the main character everyone seems to overlook—actively does what she needs to do before it's even spoken aloud.

He trusts an Archadian.

He makes friends.

He puts aside his rage in favor of cooperation.

And he does this so casually that it's in the background when it happens. Until Basch brings it to her attention, Ashe didn't even notice. She was so fixed in her idea of what her people would want that it never occurred to her that yeah, maybe they do want this... in a moment of rage. A moment that would pass.

A moment that would pass in favor of guilt, horror, and disgust if she used the Nethicite.

We get to see Ashe's bloodthirsty nature before any of her other traits, but for Vayne we are shown he is charismatic, intelligent, and thoughtful.

It is Ashe who is the hero.

It is Ashe who is the hero because she does not fight with blinders on. Instead, she loses those blinders in no small part due to Basch, who points things out to her, and Vaan, who literally shows her the way. Vaan loses his rage first. Vaan moves on first. There's dialog around this a few times, and plot movements as well, and it's made pretty clear that every emotional development Ashe is going through, Vaan is going through directly in front of her and without the support that she had for so long. Vaan and Ashe are so acutely similar that it's almost alarming.

Vaan hates Archadians and then he changes his mind. Vaan hates Archadia until he changes his mind. Vaan hates soldiers until he changes his mind.

Vaan hates until he realizes that hate is a symptom, and to cure the symptom you can't just repeat the circumstances that led to the problem in the first place.

The main characters—the "heroes"—very nearly become the villains of a whole other country until they decide... no. No, we're not going to do this. No, we're not going to use this. Instead, we're just going to get rid of it. We're going to get rid of the chance of anyone using this great power again. This power would end the war in a split second before it could even begin. We've got so much of it, we could rule the world.

And then they don't rule the world. They destroy the ability to rule the world, and take that power out of the puppetmasters' hands.

You don't kill the occuria.

Heck, the only person they really kill is Vayne.

There is no "us".

There is no "them".

There are just people—people like us. And we are just as capable of being those people. One wrong step, and we become the people we hate most in the world.

There is no "us" and "them". You have no way of telling if a person is a monster on the inside. There's no way to look at them and know, or talk to them and know, or work with them and know. Vayne is charming and kind and gentle when he wishes to be, yet we only see Ashe's "undesireable" qualities.

She is the hero.

Ashe is the hero because where Vayne was prepared to burn everything and everyone to the ground for the promise of a day that might not come, she was not. Vayne was a battering ram where they needed a scalpel, and her team—six people with questions and some luck—was that scalpel.

Being a hero is not about being nice. It's not about being able to make connections or read a room. It's not even about how kind you are to others with your words. It's about what power we have, and how we are willing to use it. That is what makes a hero.

#ffxii #I'm gonna stop here because if I start talking about Drace I'll be here all day. #ff12 #final fantasy 12 #final fantasy xii #text #mine

[autopotion]

Ppl always talk about how Penelo, Vaan, and Fran get very little content compared to the other three, but tbh Basch hasn't had anything to do for like. Hours. I think he had a couple lines in Jahara and that was it (I'm at the Stilshrine of Miriam).

Fran's content is slight but like, I think it actually has a leg up on the others for being complete; the Eruyt arc is short, but it is an entire arc, with interesting supporting characters, key character moments, and ties to the overarching plot that don't get in the way of the arc (the nethicite, the brief appearance of Venat). Balthier got stuff that didn't get in the way of Fran's stuff, and was the perfect supporting character for her. Vaan even had some good moments where he feels like the guy he was in the first five hours again. Like it's actually extremely solid as far as the story arcs in this game go, and a rare moment where I felt like every writer was on the same page, in this case about what kind of character Fran is.

I don't feel that way about the rest of the cast (barring Balthier who is so obviously the team favorite). Vaan is WILDLY inconsistent as a protagonist; he got over his hatred of Basch like an hour after he met the guy, and it's clear the dev team had conflicting ideas about what to do with him after that, so he slingshots between "hothead kid who is earnest but impulsive" and "the wise commoner kid who reflects sagely on his own shortcomings in earshot of the impulsive vengeance-questing princess so she can one day learn those lessons too." Like I'm not saying he can't be both--ideally he should be both!--but the writing absolutely does not straddle that line at all, but faceplants in one direction depending on what they want from the scene. It's such a shame because I actually really like Vaan and think there are a number of interesting ideas in his concept, but I don't think those ideas stick the landing. The most damning thing about him is he doesn't feel like the protagonist of the game. He doesn't even feel like a deuteragonist in an ensemble cast, he feels like the kid sidekick (like Laphicet). I just don't think that's any way to treat your leading man, and it leads to a lot of writing confusion, and fan confusion, about what the character arcs even are.

And I also don't feel like Ashe herself escaped the inconsistent writing! I think in some ways her plot is very clear, but in most of the scenes she's in, she's hardly interfacing with the party like... at all. I hate to say it, but she often has more dynamic relationships with the guests, most strikingly Vossler and Larsa, than she does with party members who aren't Basch (and later Balthier). She does talk to Vaan, like they're clearly trying to do the "commoner foil to the princess" thing with them, but... again, I feel like those Vaan scenes are written inconsistently, so it just kinda comes off as Vaan spouting off unearned platitudes while Ashe is like "oh I see! [continues to pursue vengeance for the next fifty hours until the last Vaan Speech finally sticks]"

Idk. I feel like a much more interesting arc for Vaan & Ashe is like... okay, so Ashe is the Occuria's candidate, right? But it's implied they're also grooming Vaan as an alternate if Ashe doesn't work out. While Ashe sees Rasler, Vaan sees Reks. But while Ashe still feels so much fury about Rasler, Vaan stops expressing anger about Reks after he's resolved his shit with Basch in the first five hours of the game... so he seems like a pretty weak candidate for the Occuria to pin their hopes on. I feel like an interesting pitch would be for Vaan and Ashe to actually be in lockstep for like, most of the game (which is what the Occuria's illusions seem to suggest anyway). Vaan learns Basch didn't kill his brother. Cool. Someone still did though, which means someone's still to blame, which means he can't let go of his anger yet. Easy enough to make Gabranth his new target. And then, in the later hours of the game, after their big adventure, Vaan is waffling more, thinking about what Ashe's vengeance would mean for his home, and the other common people of Dalmasca, and firmly plants his feet on the side of No Vengeance, Not Like This, just in time for the climax at the Pharos. In many ways I feel like the pieces of that plot are already there, and may or may not be what the dev team thought they were writing! But, as it is, it just kinda falls flat. Tbh I think that's because the writers had inconsistent visions about what Vaan's internal world is like.

As for the others... I mean, Penelo got all her shit cut, which is beyond sad. But Basch also gets his rough edges smoothed out after Vaan stops hating him--I mean, I think he gets some good stuff with Vossler and his own brother, but he's curiously absent from a lot of Ashe's conversations about power-seeking, mostly just kinda watching her from afar with either stone-faced concern or a bland smile. Though many fans point to Basch's existence as like "see! this one's not like the other Final Fantasies, it's got this grizzled old guy in it who's closer to the main plot of the game than the protagonist is!" (and also bcuz they're still on that Basch Was Always Supposed To Be The Protagonist theory that got debunked), Basch doesn't actually get all that much content, let alone enough to carry him as the protag.

Idk. This is the same criticism of FFXII that people have made many, many times, but it really is just a wildly inconsistently written game. The first several hours are extremely strong, and then not only is the story doled out in increasingly smaller portions with less frequency, but the writing loses track of what most of the characters actually want. No wonder fans attach themselves to Balthier, he's easily the most consistently written character in the game. Every other character either suffers from inconsistencies (Vaan, Ashe), or is consistent, but runs out of material (Fran, Basch), or has basically been written out of the story (Penelo).

DGMW I still love FFXII though. Definitely a GOAT for me. It just clearly and obviously suffered from the abrupt change in the development team and Matsuno's fraught departure.

#SORRY THIS GOT LONG LMAO it's just stream of consciousness thoughts #ffxii blogging

[cielsosinfel]

I'm not articulate enough lately to write out my thoughts, but I really love how Ashe's arc develops... Given no time to rest and process her grief at the loss of the love of her life, of her family, of her kingdom and the safety of her people, of the failure to protect anything she held dear. Desperate for a solution, a way back to normalcy, to set things to rights for everyone who looked to her for guidance, for an assurance of peace.

And the nethicite... what started out as a quest to destroy the nethicite leading her to have that power placed directly into her hands, to use for her righteous cause. Being torn between the knowledge it's a force of unparalleled destruction that has cost countless lives, that could ruin Rabanastre once and for all if the Empire decides to use it against them... And the knowledge she could end the Empire's imperialist march once and for all, and Rabanastre be free forevermore, saved the fate of Nabudis... The knowledge she could so easily destroy every life involved in destroying hers.

The fact the Occuria speak so clearly of her being a tool, a weapon they are pointing at the object of their ire- they don't care about Rabanastre or her struggles, they care about Venat and how this muddles their own concerns with the weave of history- "mark of your worth" as a tool. and still, Ashe can't tear her eyes away fro mRasler's phantom, from her own grief and emotional trauma, to stop and wonder about what exactly the Occuria are saying.

#ffxii #i should make a separate #rue plays ffxii #okay there we go #ashelia b'nargin dalmasca

[4th-make-quail]

Actual update! I had a whole whirlwind of an excellent time today, lots of progress and MAXIMUM FEELS.

First up: got to Archades, fought Cid for the first time! Met Reddas! Cid and Balthier's interactions here are so fucking good, and Cid really plays up the role that's expected of him.

Got to Balfonheim! Which means my fave cutscene full of stuff no one ships!! Ondore/Reddas my beloved.... He has a Bhujerban ship, u know 🥰🥰 anyway, I love this conversation between Reddas and Ondore, it's so loaded it gives me all the brain wiggles

Onwards and onwards, to Giruvegan! I was struck by how much the waterline and silhouettes made me think of Camp Bronze Lake in xiv, it's really beautiful. One of the many times I've wished for a freecam or photomode in tza!

I'd totally forgotten about the cutscene with Ashe and the Occuria, it was so fucking good!! She finally begins to realise where her path might take her, and the scene itself is immaculately acted and animated. Ashe's trembling lips in the closeup of her mouth, fantastic.

And my stopping point for the day: one of my fave cutscenes! I love so much about this one. Cid and Vayne talking about Larsa, the discussion on nethicite being baubles or not, the appearance from Venat. They also both look gorgeous as well, ofc. And Vayne does this SUPER CUTE happy cat slow blink smile at Venat and I'm unwell about it!! I'm also unwell about Cid Profile, as ever. Ough...

Anyway, this might be doable! I'm having some struggles on bosses and on normal mobs which is interesting, because I'm normally a huge grinder. Thinking I might need to do a lil clan centurio backtrack, at least to get Decoy, because not having a dedicated tank is tricky. All in all, I've got too used to my main lv89-91 save with ultimate weapons HAHA, oops. Also this bitch is CONSTANTLY SKINT. I KEEP RUNNING OUT OF PHOENIX DOWNS. A travesty!!

#ffxii #nethicitebones ffxii job fiesta #cidolfus demen bunansa #ashelia b'nargin dalmasca #Reddas #halim ondore iv

[eleemosynecdoche]

Question for the experts of Tunglr: is Ultima, the High Seraph, leader of the Lucavi/scions cast down for rebelling against the Occuria, transmisogyny-adjacent or transmisogyny-exempt? I have a Grand Cross ready to cast on any fool who says, "c*s".

[aetherotransformer]

i want them to put the dialogue your units say when they cast spells back into the inevitable fft re-remaster and make it as flowery as the wotl localisation. and the weird side stories nobody remembers. and make the lucavi speak in metered verse like the occuria for no other reason than i think it fucks. and installs a trigger in your brain so when you sexualise rapha you explode

#guy standing in corner meme they dont know the name of the smn arr relic (veil of wiyu) #was based on a jp only side story inside ff tactics #that only tangentially had to do with the game

[tarnishedxknight]

OC Muse: Caelen (Cael) B'Nargin Dalmasca

[Bio and other information below the cut!]

Type of Character & Fandom/Source Material: OC character, Caelen (KAY-lehn) the Occuria, from the FFXII fandom.

Full Name: Caelen B'Nargin Dalmasca

Nickname: Cael (pronounced like "kale")

Alias: "Cael Skjult"

FC: Emil Andersson

Alignment: Chaotic Good with Neutral tendencies

Race: Hume (human)

Age: Anywhere from early to late 20s, usually, depending on verse

Gender: Male

Sexual/Romantic Orientation: Bisexual/biromantic

Family: Father, King Raminas B'Nargin Dalmasca; mother (deceased); seven brothers including twins Eclipsis and Ignis (written by @revenantxprince); one sister, Ashelia. (His family may be alive or dead depending on timeline and verse.)

Occupation: Prince, soldier, and then blacksmith and leatherworker

Potentially Triggering Material in Threads: war; violence; trauma; mental illness; manipulation; anxiety; fear; panic attacks; depression

Positive Personality Traits: He's warm, kind, empathetic, he loves children, and when he loves someone, he loves hard. He's also a lot braver than he gives himself credit for.

Negative Personality Traits: He can be very quiet, he can get easily frustrated, and sometimes his anxiety gets the better of him. Sometimes his emotions keep his head out of the game and cause him to make bad mistakes. He can have a bit of a temper if pressed about something he doesn't want to deal with or if he's called "crazy." He also tends to catastrophize, thinking of a million possible negative outcomes and worrying about all of them before they even happen.

BACKGROUND: 

Caelen was the sixth son born to King Raminas of House Dalmasca, a prince and one of Dynast blood simply because of that fact. By the time he was born, his eldest three brothers had already perished in the war. Plague and war took the other two older brothers, leaving Caelen, his little twin brothers, and his baby sister Ashelia as the only surviving siblings.

Caelen was very badly emotionally affected by both the plague and the war. Having lost almost all his brothers and his mother to illness and falling in battle, he was terrified of the day when he would be told to do his duty and defend Dalmasca in battle as well. He found some comfort in Basch, who was always encouraging and willing to help Caelen hone his fighting skills, but others, such as his father as Vossler, were less encouraging. They reminded Caelen of all those who fell before him, and of how he could not let them down. As a prince and next in line for the throne, he ought to be brave and represent Dalmasca on the front lines alongside Nabradia.

Basch tried to tell Raminas that Caelen's heart was not in it. He was not a soldier, and even more so, he was not someone comfortable will killing. Raminas simply said with a heavy heart, "He will learn, for we all must. Such is the way of war." But instead of learning, Caelen fell into a deep depression after his first taste of battle. Basch had done his best to stay near him and protect him, but Caelen had been traumatized by the death and suffering he witnessed. He fell ill, and Basch thought he would follow in the footsteps of his mother, dying of a heart that could take no more of war and death, until one day Caelen miraculously... felt better.

He seemed calmer, he smiled more, and he was not dwelling on the oppressive weight of his duties as prince or the horrors of war. When asked what had changed, he said he owed his improvement to a friend who had told him everything was going to be alright. Basch sent a letter to Raminas, begging the king to allow Caelen to return to Rabanastre because he was not well. This "friend" could only be seen and heard by Caelen, and Basch assumed the young man had cracked from trauma and pressure. But before Caelen could be sent back home... he disappeared.

During a particularly harrowing battle, Basch lost sight of the young prince. And in that moment, he was gone. Not dead, gone. Although he meticulously checked the dead for Caelen's body, it was never found. It was as if he had vanished completely. Assumed dead, a funeral was held in Rabanastre without a body in the coffin, and one more failure for which he felt deep guilt was heaped upon Basch's ever-growing pile.

What had actually happened, was that Caelen was mistakenly picked up by Archadian forces as one of their own injured. Once he was in Archadia, Caelen fled into the anonymity and poverty of Old Archades to start life over again, away from the throne he didn't want and the war he didn't believe in. It would have been terrifying, to begin again in an enemy land, but of course... he did have his friend with him to help...

Everyone had thought Caelen crazy, but he really was seeing and hearing someone who was willing to stand by him - or float, rather - and help him through life's trials. "Fear not, Son of Dalmasca. Soft and kind your life was destined to be. Alone, you are not. Abandoned, never shall you be. Listen well, and heed the words of one who would see you thrive," this being had said. And, never having met an Occuria before, Caelen had no idea the creature, called Munoh, even was one. That was something they revealed later, after a bond had been formed over many months.

Caelen felt safe, cared for, liberated, and most importantly, he wasn't alone. Munoh helped him to survive in Old Archades, and Prince Caelen B'Nargin Dalmasca remained dead. Cael Skjult, blacksmith and leatherworker, now lived a humble life among people who were struggling but mostly good natured. It wasn't an easy life, but it wasn't that of a prince or a soldier, which were things he'd never wanted.

Fun Facts:

In the alias Caelen chooses for himself when he lives in Archadia, his last name of "Skjult" is Norwegian for "hidden." I'm using that language as a proxy for Landisian, which Basch taught Caelen some of.

He is affectionately known as the "Muttering Blacksmith of Old Archades" for the way he constantly talks to himself. Of course he's speaking to Munoh, but nobody knows that and he doesn't really care to tell anyone.

To further conceal his identity in Archadia, Caelen dyes his hair with things like hemp and coffee to make it appear to be dirty blonde instead of the trademark grayish/pale blonde of those of Dynast blood.

Potential Starter Ideas:

Your muse could meet Caelen in Archadia, either before the events of the game or during. If your muse is a native Archadian and/or if they are in a position of power, finding out his true identity might be something of value or a piece to play in negotiations or otherwise in the war.

Your muse could meet him in Dalmasca before the events of the game and before he went off to war and disappeared into Archadia.

Your muse might have to go talk to Caelen after an encounter with Munoh, or if they learn of an Occuria helping a hume and want to try to convince Caelen to help them with something.

There is always the MCU verse, heh.

I'm open to ideas! Some brainstorming might help if you're unsure of how to interact.

#{ out of dalmasca } ᵒᵒᶜ #oc muse: caelen

[princess-sungazer]

Some of my favorite things in XII

I love the Occuria statues, they kind of remind me of the Ifrit statues in Origin, all arranged in a circle, showing a bestial form/representation of a divine being

And then the relationship between Fran and Basch who are basically the team parents. Also, I love the earlier scene where they come across a huge chunk of Nethicite and Penelo asks Fran if she's feeling okay, Penelo is so sweet, and her friendship with Fran is really nice

[avallachs]

i’m still so obsessed with vayne staring dispassionately down at drace when she points her sword at him. he’s so blasé about it. he’s like oh? you’re threatening my life? should i tell everyone? should i resurrect my father?? should i call the occuria

#ophelia.txt #ophelia plays ffxii #i love him so much this bastard owns my heart

[andromeda3116]

I'm yelling and shouting over your post about FFXII. Ashe's single mindedness, and how her revenge was meant to be used by powers beyond her, has always stuck with me. And she realized it and relented!

Not gonna get into Vaan at this time of night on a Sunday, but I did like their scenes together, where she's allowed to be a bit righteous, very angry, and this little kid looks at her like, "okay, but what if no?".

like, i adore how it's handled -- your rage is entirely justified, but it makes you easy to manipulate. because it does! the occuria absolutely play to her righteous fury and try to mold her into their puppet! but they handle it without ever suggesting that ashe is wrong to be angry. it's just that she has to let it go for the sake of her people and her future.

it's very similar to scar's arc in fma:b -- you cannot forgive, but you must learn to abide. to move on.

i liked how they played vaan with and against ashe because vaan realizes much earlier that his anger has left him adrift, and if he wants to have a future, he has to let it go and move on. but the moment at the pharos when gabranth says that the dead demand justice, and he and ashe look at each other and they both breathe out, as they both realize what vaan says a few moments later: what would it change? no amount of vengeance will bring the dead back to life. there is no amount of violence they could bring to the empire that would un-kill their loved ones. it would just be more blood on an already blood-soaked battlefield.

that scene at the pharos is one of my favorite video game cutscenes of all time, when ashe cuts through "rasler's" ghost, i am no false saint for you to use!, how she talks about the dalmasca she wanted back, and sighs as she drops the sword, letting it settle on her shoulders. it's both a triumph and a surrender, as she realizes that she has to let this chance for ultimate power go, that the price tag -- of being the puppet of the occuria, to her people's detriment -- would be too high.

ffxii has some flaws -- i feel like the story lost its focus around the draklor laboratory and never quite regained it, i feel like penelo and fran were under-utilized, and i have strong feelings about how bahamut should have been an esper rather than an airship -- but it has such a great, meaty plot and fantastic characters, amazing gameplay and sidequests, and frankly i could forgive every flaw of the story for the sake of ashe's character arc alone. i cannot stress enough how phenomenally rare it is to have a female character allowed to have such burning fury within her, without judgment or condescension. she is such an amazing character, i adore her.

#final fantasy xii #it's my favorite final fantasy #like. ffviii was my first and so remains near and dear to my heart #but ffxii is my favorite

[volos-wish]

Hot take but Venat from FFXIV is more of an antagonist then Venat from FFXII.

Venat (Hydaelyn) literally sundered an entire civilization/the whole word, killing everyone and splitting their souls/the world into 13 shards. Azem also didn't approve of this. (You do also fight her in a boss fight if that counts for anything.)

Venat of the Occuria wanted to give man the power of writing their own destiny's and free them from the rest of the Occuria playing god. It played the role of villain to do so and took pity on one of the guys it used for this goal and died with him.

Just saying ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

#cant stop thinking about 12 again #playing the sequel rn #venat ffxii is just everything to me im sirry #its so..... AAAAAAAA #IT HAD GOOD INTENTIONS JUST TOOK THE VILLAIN ROLE BECAUSE IT WAS THE BEST WAY TO GO ABOUT IT #y talks #ff #ffxiv #ffxii #venat #hydaelyn

[moquall]

Dissidia Opera Omnia : Force Weapon partner connection (PART 3/?)

PART 3 compiled the FRs released in January 2022's banners. The one with bold purple is FR user and the black one is the partner.

Just click on "fr partner" tags if you want to see the full list.

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Lunafreya - Rydia (Furious Spray) : Their relation with Leviathan. Both mother were killed during invasion on their hometown.

Luna's mother, Sylva Via Fleuret was killed in Niflheim attack on Tenebrae. Luna awakens Leviathan so Noctis can forge a convenant with the Hydraean. Leviathan attacks her but repeled by Trident of Oracle. Respecting her resolve, the Hydraean agree to test Noctis.

Rydia's mother was killed by Cecil and Kain who slayed the Mist Dragon, unknowingly it kills the summoner as well. Rydia falls into the ocean after Leviathan attacked their ship on their way to Baron. Leviathan took Rydia to Feymarch and help her hones her skills as summoner.

Terra - Kuja (Ring of Rose and Crimson) : Interaction in Dissidia Duodecim and Dissidia NT. Both were raised or created as a tool of war. They are also skilled in magic and have Trance form.

Terra being half-esper was raised as living weapon and experiment of Magitek by Gestahlian Empire. Kefka placed the Slave Crown on her so he can control her. Kuja is Genome created by Garland, the ruler of Terra to incite a war in Gaia.

in Duodecim when Terra was in Chaos's side, Kuja symphatizing with her being used as Kefka's puppet and freed her from mind control spell. in Dissidia NT, He once again saved Terra (and Zidane) from Emperor and Sephiroth and Terra thanked him for saving her both in past and current cycle.)

Iroha - Noel (Arrow of Prayers) : Interaction in Arc 3 Chapter 3. Both are the pupil of 'main character' and came from the ruined world in the future to the past to change the destiny.

Iroha is the pupil of adventurer and was born at the time when almost all of Vana'diel was consumed by Cloud of Darkness. Tenzen, her father transferred the Phoenix's blessing to save her daughter's life and was sent to the past. She later met the past version of her master and work together to save the future Vana'diel.

Noel is Caius's pupil and the last human alive from the ruined Gran Pulse 700 years in the future. As he is close to his death, the Goddess Etro open the gate to Valhalla where he met Lightning. She asked him to go to the past to bring Serah to her and work together to change the future.

Sabin - Eight (Twin Phantom Rush) : The MONK of their group with completely opposite personality and have PHANTOM RUSH as one of their ability.

Sabin and Eight are the only Final Fantasy characters (excluding FFXIV Warrior of Light as Monk) who have Phantom Rush as one of their available skill. It's originally Sabin's Blitz skill and return as one of Eight's abilities in Type-0 and both have this as their EX ability in Opera Omnia.

Talking about their personality, Sabin is brash and impatient tends to act without thinking while Eight holds a calm, rational demeanor and somewhat aloof.

Yuri - Palom (Slowga Bomb) : Interaction in Yuri's Intertwining Wills. Twin little brother who love doing pranks to their twin older sister.

Vayne - Ardyn (Godslaying Power) : Interaction in Vayne's Intersecting Wills. Failed to become a King. The older brother and high ranking officer of Empire who hate Gods but has a companion from their enemy side.

Vayne is the consul for Dalmasca, desires to became Dynast King to put the reigns of history back in the hands of Man from Occuria. He worked together with Dr.Cid and the rogue Occuria called Venat. Despite him having a ruthless and manipulative side, he has soft spot with his younger brother, Larsa.

Ardyn is the chancellor of Niflheim Empire, was supposed to be the chosen king of Lucis but betrayed by Somnus, his younger brother who envy his popularity. Ardyn was tainted by Starscourge, rejected by the crystal and it made him realize the gods had forsaken him. He subjugated and daemonified Ifrit who was captured by Niflheim to get his revenge against Lucis and the Astrals.

Cor - Gilgamesh (Strange Coincidence) : The right hand man of their lord and referenced the flashback story in Episode Gladiolus.

Cor is the right hand man of King Regis and the Marshall of Crownsguard. Gilgamesh is Exdeath's right hand man.

In Episode Gladiolus, Cor told Gladio about the day he partake Gilgamesh's trial though Gilgamesh from XV and Gilgamesh from V are different person.

#dissidia #dissidia opera omnia #opera omnia #dffoo #fr partner #lunafreya nox fleuret #terra branford #iroha #ffxi iroha #sabin rene figaro #yuri (ring of fates) #vayne carudas solidor #cor leonis #rydia #kuja #noel kreiss #eight #palom #ardyn izunia #gilgamesh