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celaena-writes · 3 years

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Strength in Unity Pt. 1

celaena-writes (Ky_Lauren)

Summary:

A summons from the reclusive nation of Ishgard brings Celaena Fireheart to Coerthas once again. Who is this Ser Aymeric and why is he so adamant on meeting her?

I'll be using my character, a female elezen summoner, for the duration of this series

Spoilers for A Realm Reborn and Heavensward

Notes:

This came about because of a tumblr post I read about poor Lucia having to listen to Aymeric fanboy about the WoL on their way to Camp Dragonhead for their initial meeting. I had intended for this to be a one shot, but I got a bit carried away. At this point, I think I may just novelize the whole of Heavensward with a WoL/Aymeric twist. We shall see.

As always, kudos and reviews are most appreciated and thanks for reading!

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/32959384/chapters/81801127

Chapter 1: An interest bordering on fascination

Ser Aymeric sat in his office, staring at the ever growing piles of reports on his desk. Sighing, he took a sip of his tea when he heard a knock at his door. “Enter.” He said.

Lucia, his second in command, walked up to him, a grim look on her face. “Lord Commander, the astrologians have sent word again; the dragon star yet burns brighter and so grows their fear of Midgardsormr awakening. We must appeal to the Holy See at once and begin preparations for battle.”

He looked at her. “While I don’t disagree with you, I’m afraid the Holy See will. Without any tangible proof, they will not sanction it. Yet, we are unable to obtain said proof as we do not have any additional knights to send into Mor Dhona.to monitor The Keeper of the Lake.”

“So our hands are tied then.” Lucia admitted.

“Perhaps not.” Aymeric said, picking up a report that had landed on his desk that morning. Scanning it, he replied, “It says here there was some recent trouble with supplies being sent to Mor Dhona at the behest of House Fortemps.”

“Yes sir. Through the aid of the knights of House Fortemps and Durendaire as well as the Warrior of Light, it was determined the heretics were the ones attacking the caravans and stealing the supplies. For what reason, we know naught. They tracked the heretics to Snowcloak, where they seemingly disappeared.”

“Disappeared?” He inquired.

“We believe there must be a hidden labyrinth of tunnels inside of the ice wall the heretics are using to hide as well as ferry their supplies. According to Lord Haurchefant, the Warrior of Light was ready to give chase, but he advised against it and passed the matter along to us. I am told she has since returned to Revenant’s Toll.” Lucia finished.

“So, the Warrior of Light is once again involving herself in Ishgardian affairs.” Aymeric mused, resting his fingers on his chin. “And what of these supplies? Has Lord Haurchefant mentioned his contingency plan?”

“As he is a staunch defender of the frontier effort, he has already sent a replacement shipment, much to the chagrin of the other high houses.” She added.

“Ah yes, I have heard such grumblings about providing foreign aid. Be that as it may, I agree with Lord Haurchefant that a fortification in Mor Dhona will do much to dissuade the Empire from trespassing on Coerthan soil.” He smiled. “I believe I have found the solution to our problems.”

Lucia cocked her head to the side. “Sir?”

“Word has reached me that a fledgling Grand Company makes its home in Revenant’s Toll; a company not bound to any city-state but under the direct leadership of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn--The Crystal Braves.”

Realization bloomed on Lucia’s face. “And in exchange for allowing the shipments of supplies to continue, you would have them investigate the Keeper of the Lake for us.”

“Precisely.” Aymeric stated. “Their commander is a man named Alphinaud Leveilleur. Though he is quite young, I am told he is capable. Send word to The Rising Stones that I wish to meet with him as well as the Warrior of Light. No exceptions. As this also involves House Fortemps, inform Lord Haurchefant we will be receiving them at Camp Dragonhead.”

“At once milord.” Lucia saluted and departed his office.

He smiled, pulling a file from his desk drawer and flipping through it. “I very much look forward to our meeting, Miss Fireheart.” The commander said quietly to himself, placing the file back inside his desk.

----------

Celaena Firehart strode into the Rising Stones, back from her rescue mission at Castrum Centri. Upon debriefing both Ilberd and Alphinaud, the young elezen turned to her and said, “I realize you have scarce caught your breath--but there is no rest for the weary. I require that you accompany me to Coerthas. I have been granted an audience with an Ishgardian dignitary, you see, and the man expressly requested your presence.” She raised her eyebrow. “Oh, do not look so surprised. You should be familiar with the trappings of fame by now. We shall depart as soon as you are ready.”

“And who, pray tell, is this man who wishes to meet with me so badly?” She asked.

“We have been blessed with a rare opportunity, Celaena--an audience with an ambassador of the Holy See of Ishgard. We are to treat with Ser Aymeric, lord commander of the Temple Knights, in Camp Dragonhead. It is considered a great honor to serve the Holy See as a Temple Knight. Needless to say, their leader wields tremendous political influence. It would be wise to court his favor. For that reason, I consider your attendance essential. If Ser Aymeric wishes to meet the woman behind the legend. I would not deny him the pleasure of your company.” He smiled, smugly, his finger in the air. “The antecedent should see the wisdom of this plan when you request her permission to accompany me to Coerthas.”

Celaena must have made a face, because he continued.

“...Mayhap you feel this to be a waste of your talents, which could doubtless be put to further use? If so, I should remind you that more good can be accomplished with the stroke of a pen than the thrust of a sword.”

The summoner regarded him closely. “Very well, I shall meet with this Ser Aymeric and see what he has to say. Let us hope he is more like Lord Haurchefant than some of the other gentlemen of Ishgard we have had the fortune of entertaining. Let’s speak with Minfilia.”

As Alphinaud expected, the Antecedent thought it a wonderful idea, but brought up a very valid question. “Yet welcome as these overtures are, I cannot help but wonder what prompted them. The Ishgardians have spurned all contact with the city-states for decades. Why reach out now?”

Why, indeed.. . Celaena pondered as Alphinaud recounted the reclusive history of the nation and it’s affiliation, or lack thereof, with the original Eorzean Alliance.

“I have tried to convince Ishgard to rejoin the Alliance at every opportunity. I have explained over and over again that unless Eorzea stands united, we cannot hope to preserve our freedom. One by one, our nations will fall, as once fell Ala Mhigo… And what have mine efforts yielded? Why, naught.” He said, exasperatedly.

While Minfilia was sympathetic to his plight, Celaena had her doubts. While she wholeheartedly agreed Eorzea needed to stand united in order to combat the Imperial threat, it was going to take more than the pleas of a young boy to change the minds of those that chose to remain isolated for decades. He knew that, of course, but it wasn’t going to stop him from trying.

“Of course, I am not so naive to think they come to us out of the goodness of their hearts. We have something they desire, though I have yet to find out what.” He sighed. “Such is the nature of diplomacy. They will bring their agendas to the negotiating table, and so will I--along with a handful of incontrovertible truths.” He turned to his fellow elezen. “Let us depart for Camp Dragonhead, Celaena. Our old friend Lord Haurchefant is expecting us. Since our quest to recover the Enterprise, I understand you have further ingratiated yourself with the man. Excellent work. His fondness may prove useful to our cause.”

Minfilia looked at her friend, eyebrows raised. “His fondness? Is there something you’re not telling us?”

Celaena shook her head. “He is a friend, nothing more.” She said pointedly, looking at Alphinaud. “Let us go. We have a meeting to attend.” She tugged on his ponytail, walking to the exit of the Solar.

“Ow!” He exclaimed. “I was merely stating the truth. His face lights up like a tree at the Starlight Celebration when he sees you. It would behoove you to use that to our advantage.”

“I refuse to manipulate a friend for personal gain. Besides, our relationship with Ishgard is tenuous at best, so drop it, Alphinaud. We have more pressing matters to attend to.

“You’re right.” He agreed. “My apologies.”

“You’re forgiven.” She smiled briefly, her expression turning serious. “I know you’re going to ask Ser Aymeric to rejoin the Alliance, and I won’t stop you, but do not be surprised when you’re greeted with an answer you don’t want to hear.”

“They’re a stubborn lot for sure, but I must try.” He answered, determinedly.

She nodded. “Don’t forget your coat. I know how you hate the cold.”

------------

Ser Aymeric and Lucia saddled their chocobos and walked them through the Arc of the Worthy, mounting them to ride across the Steps of Faith. “What a beautiful day.” Aymeric exclaimed. “Halone has truly blessed us with this reprieve from the blizzard that has raged these past few days. The sun has even deigned to show itself!”

Lucia looked at him, her face impassive. “Indeed it is, sir.”

“I do hope our friends from the Scions are able to witness this before it starts snowing again. Do you think they’ve arrived at Camp Dragonhead?”

A small smile played on her lips. “It’s difficult to say, sir. They do have a longer trek than we do.”

“That they do. Although, Camp Dragonhead is prized of an aetheryte. It’s possible they took the short way, provided they attuned to it, of course.” He said, more to himself before looking at his second in command. “Lucia, are you smiling?”

“Forgive me sir, it’s just that you seem...happier than usual.”

He barked out a laugh. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to this day. We’re going to meet the Warrior of Light for Halone’s sake! This is the woman that has slain primals like they were mere snow wolf pups! Not to mention her routing the Empire, defeating a weapon of insurmountable strength, and killing Gaius van Baelsar in the process. I admit I was skeptical when I first heard the tales, but then she wandered into Coerthas seeking an airship to vanquish Garuda; and not only did she find her airship, she ferreted out a false inquisitor, cleared Lord Francel of heresy and returned the Stone Vigil to House Durendaire. An outsider gaining the cooperation of one of the high houses is a feat in and of itself, but three out of four? There’s also her recent discovery of the possible lair of the heretics. All of this for a nation that no doubt treated her unkindly when she first arrived. I shall strive to show her that her experiences in no way represent the whole of Ishgard.”

“If we are to acquire their aid, showing them true Ishgardian hospitality would indeed work in our favor.” Lucia replied.

“Indeed, but not only that, I do not wish to sour this budding friendship she seems to be acquiring with our great nation. Young Alphinaud will no doubt try to rope Ishgard back into the Eorzean Alliance, and though I must regretfully deny him, I can only hope they will be receptive to our plight.”

Lucia chose her words carefully. “Given her past actions and the accolades she’s received from Lord Haurchefant, she does not strike me as one to turn a blind eye to those in need.”

“Lord Haurchefant does indeed have nothing but glowing reviews for her. He has sung her praises on several occasions of how kind she is and how she treats his knights with the utmost respect. Perhaps one day she’ll show the same courtesy to the Temple Knights.” He said, wistfully.

“Given the opportunity sir, I’ve no doubt she would.” The hyur replied, amused.

Aymeric beamed. “Well, I suppose I’m getting ahead of myself. I haven’t even met her and here I am imagining her treating with the Temple Knights.”

“Rumor has it she purportedly wields the arcane instead of the sword.”

He nodded. “Her magicks are unparalleled, from what I’m told.”

“Then let us be glad she fights on our side.”

“Agreed.” The lord commander looked ahead. “Aha! We’re almost there. Let us make haste.”

Lucia hid a laugh behind her hand as Aymeric kicked his chocobo into a gallop. It was good to see him happy, even if he prattled on like a schoolboy with a crush. Though, she supposed he deserved this small reprieve. Despite all the good this meeting could bring, she couldn’t shake the feeling things were going to get much worse… Urging her own chocobo to go faster, she followed the lord commander into the camp.

The pair handed off their mounts to a squire and made their way to the main chamber. Lord Haurchefant stood immediately upon their entrance and greeted them warmly. “Ser Aymeric! Commander Lucia! Welcome back to Camp Dragonhead.”

“Always a pleasure, Lord Haurchefant.” Aymeric replied. “Tell me, have our friends from Revenant’s Toll arrived yet?”

“That eager to meet the Warrior of Light, are we?” Haurchefant teased. “Not that I blame you, of course. I’d feel the same were our roles reversed, but alas, neither her nor Master Alphinaud have arrived yet. In the meantime, why not warm yourself by the fire and have a drink.”

“As appealing as that sounds, I’m afraid sitting will only make the waiting go by even slower. I think I shall take a walk and see how your knights are faring.” He said, taking his leave before Lucia could follow.

“I shall come fetch you the moment they arrive.” Haurchefant called after him and turned to Lucia after Aymeric had left.. “The lord commander is in exceptionally high spirits today. Dare I say the man is practically giddy.”

“He was quite...animated on our ride over.” Lucia said, carefully. “All he did was speak of the Warrior of Light. He’s been following her exploits for quite some time.”

“It’s hard not to.” Haurchefant agreed. “Celaena is a hell of a woman.”

“So I’ve heard. I look forward to meeting her. If you’ll excuse me. I should be getting back to the lord commander.”

“Of course,” the knight said. “I will await here for their arrival.”

------

The cold air hit them like a slap in the face as they materialized into Camp Dragonhead. “Confound this climate!” Alphinaud bemoaned. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the cold.”

Celaena blew out a breath, watching it cloud before her eyes. “I kind of like it. I’ll gladly take it over the oven that is Ul’dah and Thanalan. Besides, you were the one that suggested we use the aetheryte network since we were in a hurry. What did you expect, jumping from one place to another.”

The younger man huffed, ignoring her barb. “Lord Haurchefant awaits. Let us get inside and out of this infernal weather.”

The pair descended the steps from the aetheryte and into the main chamber of the camp. Walking up to Lord Haurchefant’s desk, she was greeted with his usual enthusiasm. “Ah, Celaena! Ever a welcome sight. Our hearths have been stoked to blazing in preparation for your arrival. It would not do such a distinguished personage to catch cold whilst enjoying our hospitality.”

“It’s good to see you again, Lord Haurchefant.” Celaena said, smiling.

“The gesture is most appreciated.” Alphinaud said. “I fear I shall ever struggle in cold climes.”

“...Ah, good Master Alphinaud. An honor, as always.”

“Likewise, Lord Haurchefant. Forgive us yet another imposition--I fear we have relied overmuch on your aid since you so generously assisted us in locating the Enterprise. ”

“Nonsense!” He waved them off. “Any debts incurred have long since been repaid. Besides, who can say what the future may bring? House Fortemps may even seek the aid of your newly formed Crystal Braves. In any case, I am simply delighted that the Holy See is at last willing to grant you an audience. No doubt your discoveries at Snowcloak helped to justify the decision. This recent resurgence in heretical activity is of grave concern to us all. But to the matter at hand: Ser Aymeric arrived in Camp Dragonhead earlier, and I am told he is eager to meet with you at your first convenience.” He glanced pointedly at the summoner. “You are doubtless weary from your journey and desirous to rest awhile by the warmth of our hearth...But if you are willing to forgo such comforts, pray inform the knight stationed outside the intercessory. He will grant you entrance and send word to the other attendees.”

“As inviting as your hearth sounds, I think it best we proceed to the intercessory forthwith.” Alphinaud replied, looking up at the older woman.

“Agreed. I believe we’ve made Ser Aymeric wait long enough.”

“He will be most happy to hear that, especially from you.” Haurchefant grinned. “As this purportedly concerns House Fortemps as well, I shall also be joining you once I have finished some paperwork here.”

“We shall see you anon.” Celaena replied, heading toward the intercessory

------------

Aymeric mulled about the camp, willing the time to go faster, when he overheard a nearby conversation, making his ears perk up. “Did you see her?”

“See who? There is more than a fair share of women at this camp.” The older man replied, annoyed.

“The Warrior of Light!” The young knight said excitedly. “I saw her descending from the aetheryte tower not but a bell ago! Do you think she’s here to fight the heretics?”

“Whatever her business here, it is none of ours. Get back to work.”

“Lord commander.” A voice said, interrupting his eavesdropping. “Master Alphinaud Leveilleur and Mistress Celaena Fireheart await you in the intercessory.”

He cleared his throat. “Thank you ser. I will be there anon.” Turning towards his second in command and failing to hide his glee, he said, “Come Lucia. They’re here.”

------

Celaena paced in the intercessory, her Ifrit-egi trailing after her. Why do I suddenly feel nervous? She mused. It’s not like I’ve never met those in power before , but this was a request to specifically meet me. Why? She ran through a myriad of reasons in her head before the click of the door made her jump and Haurchefant’s smiling visage greeted her. He must have noticed her agitation, for he said, “Have faith my friend. You need only state your case with confidence and clarity.”

“That’s the thing. I’m not sure what exactly my case is.” She replied. “All I know is my presence was specifically requested for this meeting, and that’s it. It’s quite frustrating to be honest.”

Haurchefant chuckled. “Insular as Ishgard is, your deeds have, in fact, reached the ears of the Holy See. Between you and I, Ser Aymeric has been wanting to meet you for some time, he just lacked the occasion to do so.”

“You mean I now have something he wants.” She retorted, smirking. “Any idea what that might be?”

“Oh, I can think of a few.” He replied cryptically. “I say, where is Master Alphinaud?”

Celaena rolled her eyes. “I swear that boy has a bladder the size of a kupo nut.”

Their laughter was interrupted by the door opening once more. Alphinaud stepped into the room followed by quite possibly the most beautiful man she had ever seen. He was tall, even by elezen standards, soft black waves fell across his forehead, framing his impossibly blue eyes. Long ears and a slender, but chiseled face gave way to blue, black, and gold armor that glinted in the firelight while a peculiar looking sword of blue steel rested at his hip . Well, this meeting will be pleasant to look at, at least. She thought, their eyes meeting

Aymeric tried his best to not gape at her. She had been laughing at something with Lord Haurchefant when they had walked in, and the way it made her bright green eyes light up had him aching to know what the joke was. But here she was--the elezen woman he had heard so much about before his very eyes. Her short purple hair was spiked up in the back while long, pointy bangs fell over the right side of her face. The black and blue cloth armor clung to her lithe frame like a second skin and she bore no weapons save for a thick tome at her side and a strange, flaming creature floating behind her. He swallowed thickly. She was no conventional beauty for sure, but he found her intimidatingly gorgeous. The clink of Lucia’s armor brought him back to reality. “Commander Leveilleur.”He said, not taking his eyes off of her. “It is both an honor and a pleasure to meet you. I am Aymeric, lord commander of the Temple Knights.”

“Alphinaud Leveilleur, at your service.” The younger man replied. “Your reputation precedes you, Ser Aymeric. I think we will find that we have much in common.”

He nodded, turning to Celaena. “Speaking of reputations, yours towers over us all. Does it not?”

“It does indeed, Lord Commander.” The hyuran woman behind him stated, Haurchefant nodding in agreement.

“I am not too proud to admit I have followed your activities with an interest bordering on fascination. Full glad was I to learn that you would be joining us.” He smiled.

By the Twelve, even his voice is nice . “Full glad am I to be here, Ser Aymeric. I thank you for inviting me, though I am a bit perplexed as to the reason for this meeting.”

Inquisitive too . He made a mental note. “Well then, shall we begin?”

He watched as she took her seat in the nearest chair, the creature following after her like a flaming pet. I’ll have to inquire about that later. He thought. Unfortunately for him, she caught him staring at her egi and with a flick of her hand, the thing folded in on itself and disappeared.

“Sorry.” She said, sheepishly. “Force of habit.”

Also cute.

Taking his seat in the ornate chair across from her, he was barely able to utter a word before Alphinaud launched into his diatribe about the benefits of Ishgard rejoining the Eorzean Alliance. Though the request was expected, the boy’s fervor was not. “Once again, I must respectfully disagree.” He stated.

“On what grounds?” Alphinaud demanded.

Aymeric inhaled slowly and calmly explained how the Holy See saw the primal threat as a Gridanian affair and that Ishgard does not interfere in the internal affairs of other nations. “Even were that not the case, our forces are wholly committed to the Dravanian conflict. We have not the knights to spare.” He could see the boy’s agitation grow as he brought up the Empire’s history and how it was agreed it was only a matter of time before they resumed their campaign in Eorzea.

“Then surely it would be in our best interests to present a united front?” The boy asked, exasperated.

“Mayhap one day, but not yet .” Aymeric replied pointedly, bringing up Gaius van Baelsar’s death and how it was highly unlikely the Imperials were going to emerge from behind the walls of their castra any time soon.

“Alphinaud,” Celaena interjected, warning in her voice. “Let us not shoot the messenger. We are here at his behest and you have not allowed him to get a word in edgewise.”

Halone bless her. Aymeric was a patient man, but this futile argument and its circular logic was starting to wear on his nerves.

“Forgive me, but if Ishgard’s position has not changed, why did you agree to this meeting?”

“It was not only as a representative of Ishgard that I came here.”

Alphinaud looked dumbfounded. “Pardon?”

“It is not within my power to change Ishgardian policy, regardless of my personal feelings. There is, however, one area in which I may exert a measure of influence. Concerns have been raised over the supplies House Fortemps has offered to Revenant’s Toll. These have led to calls for restrictions on the provision of aid to foreign powers. I can continue to ensure the shipments continue unabated.” He smiled smugly.

“Ser Aymeric, we would be in your debt!” Haurchefant exclaimed happily.

“No, you would not, for I require something in exchange.” He turned to Celaena, a knowing smile on her face.

“And this is the real reason why we are here, I am assuming?” She questioned.

And sharp as a tack. “Of late, there has been a flurry of Dravanian activity, the purpose of which was not immediately clear. However, our astrologians have since observed alarming changes in the heavens. The dragon star waxes unnaturally bright, and there are whispers that it portends the resurrection of Midgardsormr.”

“The fallen guardian of Silvertear Falls? That’s absurd!” Alphinaud scoffed, earning him a pointed look from the summoner.

“Full many times have I gazed upon the dragon’s corpse, still wound around the Agrius , and wondered how different our world might be if it lived to plague the skies. I do not know, and I do not wish to know. Nor does any son of Ishgard. Yet the mere presence of Dravanian forces is not sufficient grounds to send knights to Mor Dhona, whatever our astrologians say. As I told you before, we have not the forces to spare.

Realization appeared on the young boy’s face. “...But we do. So you will intervene on our behalf if we agree to watch over the Keeper of the Lake.”

“Do you accept these terms?” The lord commander asked.

Thinking for a moment, he replied, “I do. I will see that you are kept abreast of any developments. I regret that we could not come to a similar agreement on other matters, but I understand that you are not at liberty to make such decisions. Nevertheless, I hope that what we have accomplished here today will serve to demonstrate to your countrymen that we can work together towards a common goal. Mayhap we shall look back on this moment as the first step towards a united Eorzea.”

“Mayhap we shall, commander.”

Opening her mouth to agree, the door flew open and a panting knight rushed into the room. “What is the meaning of this?!” Haurchefant demanded.

“The caravan my lord! It’s been attacked!” He breathed. “It was Iceheart, my lord!”

Everyone in the room looked at each other and back at the knight. “What?! By the Fury! All our precautions were for naught?!” He paused. “I must apprise my knights of the situation. If you’ll excuse me.” Haurchefant said, exiting the room.

“I shall assist him.” Lucia said, following after.

“And I shall inform Revenant’s Toll of the situation.” Alphinaud said, leaving the two of them alone.

“And what of you, Celaena?” Aymeric asked, enjoying the way her name fell from his lips. “What will you do?”

“Well I certainly can’t stand by and do nothing. Ishgard may not interfere with the affairs of other nations, but I do.” She smirked.

There’s that boldness I’ve heard so much about. “So, does this mean you’ll be staying in Coerthas for a while?”

“Would you like that, Lord Commander?” She asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Aymeric started, his mouth falling open slightly before he regained his composure. “Yes, of course. I mean, any aid offered by the Warrior of Light is most certainly welcome.”

Her smile grew. “Well then, seeing as how my previous efforts at tracking down the heretics were rebuked in favor of involving the Temple Knights, I imagine we’ll be working together quite closely from now on.”

“Yes, I imagine we shall.” He said, his heart soaring as he studied her face. “I must say, you are much more talkative than I expected. Rumors claim you’re the strong and silent type..”

She barked out a laugh. “One, you shouldn’t believe everything you hear, and two, you could say that about anyone placed in the same room as Alphinaud. As you have well observed, once he gets going, it’s hard to foster any sort of conversation. Do forgive him. He can come across as brash and sometimes downright rude, but he truly means every word he says. It’s largely why he founded the Crystal Braves.”

“He certainly does not lack passion, I’ll give him that. Do you agree with him? That all of Eorzea must stand united?”

“I do, but I also agree with you. Now is not Ishgard’s time. The more you insist upon someone to do something, the less likely they are willing to do it. It is folly to think a country that has isolated itself for decades will completely upend its ways and reverse policy based on a few lines of dialogue, however rational it may be. Our friendship with Lord Haurchefant and House Fortemps as well as our meeting today has no doubt opened the door, if but a crack. It will take work on both sides to open it further. I can only speak for myself, but I am willing to put in that effort.”

Aymeric couldn’t help but smile. “As am I. It will take time, but time spent in good company is never wasted.”

“Then we are in agreement!” She beamed. “Let us go see what has happened with those heretics, shall we?”

“You go ahead. I must inform headquarters the outcome of our meeting. I shall join you anon”

“Very well. I shall see you soon Ser Aymeric. I do hope our chat was fascinating enough for you.” She smiled, bowing slightly before walking out of the intercessory.

Aymeric blew out a sigh and sat back down. “You truly are something else.” He said softly.

-------

“Well, Lord Haurchefant, it seems we will be imposing on you for a while longer.” Celaena said after learning the status of the supplies.

“Nonsense! How many times must I repeat myself? You,” he tapped her on the nose, “are always welcome here. I shall have rooms prepared and ready for you once you have returned from investigating the caravan.”

“Thank you, as always.” She smiled warmly. “Hopefully this won’t take long.”

“With your talents, it shant take but a bell. Go. We’ll be waiting.”

She nodded in reply and walked out to summon her chocobo. Not long after, Ser Aymeric walked into the room. “Forgive my tardiness. What news of the caravan?” Lord Haurchefant filled him in. “I see. Well, after finally meeting her, I’ve no doubt she’ll be able to ferret out something. The stories scarcely do her justice. I see why you admire her so. That woman is a force of nature.”

Haurchefant laughed. “I hate to say I told you so, my friend, but I told you so. At least one upside to this fiasco is that she has decided to grace us with her presence a while longer e’re we attempt to solve what has happened. Master Alphinaud tells me you two chatted with each other after the meeting. Dare I ask what you two spoke of?” Aymeric obliged. “She truly said that about helping Ishgard?”

“Indeed she did.”

“Halone certainly smiles upon her.” Haurchefant said. “I have a feeling she’s going to blow that door wide open someday. Change is coming, I can feel it. However, until its arrival, we can do naught but wait. Drink?”

“I’d love one.” Aymeric replied.

--------

Pushing the door open, Celeaena shook the snow from her hair as she moved to her friends to report her findings. Looking around, she asked, “Where’s Ser Aymeric?”

“Regretfully, he had to return to the city. You can be sure I’ll relay any information back to him.” Lucia said.

“What news have you for us, my friend? Alphinaud inquired.

“Well, the knights weren’t able to offer much but speculation. They stole the supplies and tipped the wagon, which likely means they had their own, less conspicuous way of transporting the goods. He did mention a sole survivor, a squire, recovering at the Observatorium, so I headed there after. I had to wait a bit for him to wake up, but I believe what little he was able to glean could be of help. The heretics were dressed as pilgrims, seemingly lost souls trekking north. The leader of the caravan reached out to them, asking if they needed help. A young woman with silver hair seemed to accept his offer, until she stabbed him. Then the bloodbath began. The squire suffered a blow to the head and was knocked unconscious, but when he came to, he had the foresight to feign death and listen. He said they spoke of deliverance, resurrection, and someone called Shiva. ” Celaena recounted.

Haurchefant blanched. “It seems the Lady Iceheart does not scruple to sully her hands with blood.”

“Who is this ‘Shiva’ the heretics spoke of?” Alphinaud asked

“...Have you not read a single line of the Enchiridion Master Alphinaud?” Lucia asked. “Shiva was a traitor to kith and kin--an apostate who lay down with dragons .”

“Now, now, we cannot expect all foreigners to know Ishgardian scripture so well--particularly when it comes to the patron saint of heretics.” Haurchefant countered.

Celaena and Alphinaud looked at each other wide eyed. “Wait--you say she is their patron saint? Oh no… It all makes sense now… Lord Haurchefant, what was the caravan’s cargo?” The boy asked.

“Ah…. If I recall correctly, the Diamond Forge had requested a rather large quantity of crystals--”

“Then we’re about to have a problem on our hands…” Celaena stated, Haurchefant and Lucia looking at her quizzically. Alphinaud answered.

“Do you not see? Iceheart and her followers intend to summon Shiva, as a beast tribe would a primal! Why else would they go to such lengths to secure crystals?”

“Then we need to figure out how the heretics are getting into Snowcloak and where they intend on completing the summoning. Last I was here, House Durendaire was leading the reconnaissance effort in that regard. Do their knights still patrol the area?” Celaena asked.

“Yes. As I understand it, since the incident at Snowcloak they have redoubled their efforts in patrolling the area.” Alphinaud stated.

“I believe it’s time to pay our friend Lord Drillemont a visit and see if there have been any updates to the situation that may help us determine precisely where the heretics are hiding.” She said.

“Agreed. Though I would like to head there as soon as possible, night will be here soon and I believe it’s best we wait until the morning.”

“...I shall inform the lord commander at once. Lord Haurchefant, you would agree that discretion is of paramount concern?” Lucia asked.

“Of course. I trust we can continue on your continued support, Master Alphinaud?”

“The Scions of the Seventh Dawn are sworn to combat the primal threat. Our support is a given. I will need to send word to my brethren in Revenant’s Toll. Our entire order must turn its efforts to the prevention of this summoning.” He turned to Celaena. “Naturally, that includes you--though I’m sure you would not miss this for the world.”

She chuckled. “These heretics have caused our friends enough trouble and they need to stop. Of course I’m in.”

“Then it’s settled.” Haurchefant said. “I will send a message to Whitebrim Front to expect you on the morrow. You two should rest. You’ve done more than enough for today.”

“Thank you, Lord Haurchefant.” Celaena replied. “We will.”

“I will return to Ishgard immediately and inform Ser Aymeric of all that has transpired.” Lucia stated, saluting and taking her leave.

WIth just the two of them left, Alphinaud blew out a breath. “Well, today certainly could have gone better.”

“The shipments to Revenant’s Toll will continue unabated, so there’s that. Not to mention we gleaned some valuable information regarding the summoning of a primal. It’s good we got here when we did. As capable as these knights are, I don’t think they’d fare too well against one.”

“You’re right. Tis a shame we didn’t make any progress regarding the Eorzean Alliance though.”

“Did I not tell you to expect an answer you didn’t want to hear? Badgering them every time you come here will do no good.” She looked at the boy. “Alphinaud, I say this out of love, but sometimes you really need to shut up and listen to what people have to say. You have this habit of talking at people rather than with them. Ser Aymeric could barely get in a word before you verbally assaulted him about the alliance.” She held her hand up when it was clear he wanted to interrupt. “See what I mean? Let me finish. I know you have a lot to prove with the Crystal Braves and I agree with you about a united Eorzea, I do, but it takes two people to open a dialogue. I know Ishgard will come around, but we needn't force it. Patience is key here.”

Alphinaud huffed. “...I thank you for your honesty. I suppose I could have been more accommodating.”

“You’re a smart guy, but not everyone sees the big picture as quickly as you.” She wrapped her arm around his shoulders. “Besides, maybe this whole primal threat will be the eye opener they need.”

“Your unfettering optimism can be quite annoying at times.” He smiled. “So, what will you do now?”

“I’m going to take Lord Haurchefant’s advice and rest with a nice glass of Ishgardian brandy by the fire. Care to join me?”

“I’d love to.”

------------

Aymeric looked at the clock in his office then out the window at the darkening skies. What on earth could they have discovered that’s taking so long? He thought.

As if on cue, Lucia walked through the door. “I have returned, lord commander.”

“What news from Camp Dragonhead?” He asked. She nodded and recounted the events of the evening. “By the Fury.... A primal? On Coerthan lands?” He shook his head. “The Temple Knights will pledge their full support in the eradication of this menace and I should like to personally inform Lord Drillemont of our assistance. We make for Whitebrim Front in the morning.”

“Of course, Lord Commander.” Lucia replied.

Sitting back in his chair, he said, “Well, the evening certainly took a turn, but what did you think of her? Of the Warrior of Light?”

Lucia chose her words carefully. “She certainly seems more than a capable warrior, both on and off the battlefield. She struck me as both logical and rational and I admire her willingness to jump in and help. Twas her idea to seek the counsel of Lord Drillemont after she recalled House Durendaire was leading the reconnaissance effort at Snowcloak.”

Aymeric beamed. “So she’s tactical as well… Incredible. To say that she exceeded my expectations would be a gross understatement. I believe we have made an invaluable ally and friend today.”

Lucia nodded. “And it seems she will be treating with the Temple Knights much earlier than expected.”

“Ha!” He laughed. “Indeed she shall. If that is all to report, you are dismissed for the evening. I shall see you in the morn.”

“She did ask where you were when she returned from her investigation and seemed disappointed when I informed her you had returned to the city.” She saluted. “Good night, Lord Commander.”

Aymeric watched the door shut and smiled. So, she thought of me. He mused. The day hadn’t gone to plan, that much was certain, but grim though the situation was, he found himself excited at the prospect of working side by side with her. Perhaps I’ll even get to witness her fight! He thought, standing up and walking to the window. The snow was beginning to pick up again; a wall of white whipping about in the wind, and he hoped she wasn’t cold at the drafty camp. Were it up to him, her and Alphinaud both would be tucked safely behind Ishgard’s walls with him at the Congregation of Knights Most Heavenly. “Stay warm. I shall see you tomorrow.” He said softly.

#Final Fantasy XIV #aymeric x wol #aymeric de borel #aymeric #warrior of light #WoL x Aymeric #wolmeric #wol #FFXIV #Elezen #a realm reborn #haurchefant #haurchefant greystone #haurchefant x wol

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tk-duveraun · 4 years

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I made my full WOL party. From top left to bottom right:

Li Lian - Paladin Au’ra - Raen - F

Kos-A-Era - White Mage Padjal - Ram Horns - F

Coralie Bellamy - Dragoon Elezen - Wildwood (Ishgard) - F

Broken Tower “Brook” - Monk Roegadyn - Hellsguard - F

Sasago Lulugo - Gunbreaker Lalafel - Dunesfolk - M

Kaedae Orl - Astrologian Au’ra - Xaela - M

Shanna “Indu” Laurel - Bard Miqo’te - Keeper of the Moon - F

Alia An - Black Mage Miqo’te - Keeper of the Moon - M

Some notes:

Kos-A only arrived on the planet via aether shenanigans after the age of twenty. Regardless, the elementals saw fit to bless her. She remembers nothing of her life before the blessing, but is nonetheless uninterested in her Padjal siblings. Kan-E more-or-less indefinitely loaned her to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn.

Coral isn’t descended from any of the 12 knights, but the Bellamy family were rich merchants at the time of Nidhogg’s first death and thus by modern times, her family is considered effectively noble regardless.

Brook was born with a longing for water and the sea, despite being Hellsguard. Brook was coined by Indu (at the time, everyone called her “Broke”) after losing in a swimming race.

Kaedae was very ill at the time his clan migrated to Ishgard, as such, he and his parents stayed behind to wait out the illness and ensure nothing of importance was left behind. He was reintroduced to Sidurgu by Lian.

Indu was adopted by Hyur parents after hers died in a tragic fire. The Hyur villagers knew only the given names of Indu and her family and her adopted parents were more than happy to continue calling her “Shanna.” She took on the name Indu after coming to the age of majority when she learned a) her parents had always wanted a daughter named Indu and b) were unable to have children of their own despite many years of trying.

Alia An goes by his full name, since he feels like his devotion to scholarly pursuits is a betrayal to his mother and their family. His feelings of failure as a child are worsened by his sexual preferences, which will mostly likely never result in a child.

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bsahla-pahsh · 4 years

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@everybodylivesau made a post about wanting to hear about people's NPC/WoL kids so :eyes:

This will have Spoilers for both shadowbringers based world building reveals but also generally for Daughter of the Sun, of the Sand, my fic novelization of B'sahla's story

So the kids- B’valia Ares de Fortemps, nickname Vali - Black and Red Mage, Paladin B’maël Haurchefant de Fortemps, nickname Mae (May) - Paladin, Astrologian B’laurette Haurchefant de Fortemps, nickname Laura - Paladin, Machinist

So B'sahla's first kid, B'valia, is born during the downtime after the scions move to Mor Dhona. She has a history of miscarriage and infant mortality prior to being an adventurer, so when she found out she was pregnant she didn't expect to get this far. And then she didn't expect the child to be strong enough to live more than an hour if it ever took breath at all. So she never told the Scions.

Valia was also sired by Lahabrea while he was possessing Thancred, who doesn't remember their relationship at all because it had never been with him, so there's also that.

So she D I P S the fuck out and hides away at camp dragon head for like three months. She and Haurchefant grow closer during this time, but she's still holding out for Thancred to maybe show interest in her again, so nothing actually happens other than Haurchefant being named B'valia's Warden, which is like a god parent in my idea of Sun Seeker culture, so now he is effectively a dad.

Lahabrea is also. Unexpectedly. A dad. Because he can't /see/ souls, but he can /feel/ them. And B'valia's soul is unsundered and whole, and new, and while he did intend to stick around sort of to find out if his possession of Thancred would have an effect on B'valia (it will), he ends up WAY MORE INVOLVED than he ever anticipated.

So lil Valia's got like three dads and SO MANY WEIRD UNCLES. The ONLY non-uncle is Alphinaud because B’sahla saw the twins, went ‘where the fuck are your parents’ shortly followed by ‘I’m your parent now and that is a threat put on a CLOAK I SWEAR TO AZEYMA-’.

This is also a fix it fic for Haurchefant flavored reasons. Because during the duration of Heavensward B'sahla and him become a couple. And get married.

They will have twins: their son B’maël de Fortemps and their daughter B’laurette de Fortemps who split their time, along with their older sister, living with their father at Camp Dragon Head, staying with the scions on occasion, and living at the manor in Ishgard. Valia is a Very Frighting black mage prodigy, who also picks up red mage from big sister Alisaie. (When she's around seven she comes upon the earth shattering revelation that she and Alphinaud are /not/ actually her blood relatives, like she had always assumed them to be especially after Alphinaud accidentally called B'sahla 'mom' once when she was 3.)

All three are trained for knighthood, with B’maël also learning astrologian and B’laurette taking up machinist with uncle Stephanivien. None of them are Dragoons but fuck you’d think they were. Thank You Uncle Estinien for making THE ENTIRE ROOF-LINE OF ISHGARD yet ANOTHER place these kids’ various guardians have to check while looking for them. You maniac enabler. Vali’s gonna go missing during a brooding emo phase some day and it’s gonna be YOUR FAULT.

They have traditional Ishgardian names, with their mother’s tribe letter, and their father’s name as their middle name in approximation of Sun Seeker tradition. They get very defensive when Ishgardians attempt to get away with dropping the B’ from their names. Only family and close friends do that, its an offense to their mother, and they are the last of the Sagolii Boar tribe. Repeat offenders, or those who say things about their mixed race, (IE elezen at school and rude nobles) get a visit from The Scary One (Valia).

Valia despises Hydaelyn, the gods, and Zodiark for taking her parents from her, (Laha reconstitutes un-tempered post Thordan, here, but still) and if there ever comes a day where Hydaelyn doesn’t drag Sahla’s soul back into her body and the Warrior of Light truly dies, she will take it upon herself to shatter the crystal gods, and be rid of them for good. This is not a plan the younger two are in on, but her father approves.

All three of them fear that Hydaelyn, in creating her ultimate weapon, will turn their mother into a primal as Bahamut created Phoenix. Their families and the Scions think they train to follow B’sahla’s legacy. Only the three of them and Lahabrea know that they are really preparing for this worse case scenario.

If you’ve gotten through this veritable fic chapter/outline and essay without any prior knowledge on Sahla or these kids, bless you uwu

#ffxiv #ff14 #ffxiv oc #b'sahla pahsh #my writing #text #this is so much #fucking rip if the read more cut off don't work #if ur looking at vali's name confused Ares is my HC name for laha #uwu #my post #ffxiv lahabrea #ffxiv haurchefant

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fistsoflightning · 4 years

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updated shadowbringers pictures for my wols! they all get a glow up except dewah who decided to dye his hair purple.

little descriptions below for fun/info for future asks!

FIRST ROW: TANKS

SYHRWYDA MAETITYRBWYN: a rowdy rogaedyn warrior that could probably be your mom! she’s real peppy and tends to indulge in a little fun despite being, like, fourty years old. her axe, sunshimmer, is probably the size of your head, so watch what side of her you’re on! if you see her pulling out her grimoire, you’re in trouble...

LUMELLE DE LIPINE: the teensy elezen paladin that started adventuring when she was like.... thirteen for ‘being thrown out of ishgard for supposed heretical thought’ reasons. her sense of justice is generally well used, and her loyalty is unmatched by any of her friends! she tends to get a lil stuck in her head, and she’s also like.... a baby. second youngest of the group? you found her. also; do not mention stardiver around her or she will scream. she hates doing that dragoon jump and is deathly afraid of heights. her brother, elwin, can attest to that.

SECOND ROW: HEALERS

DUSCHA VESNASCH: our tired hrothgar archon scholar/dad.... he just wants to take a nap with eos. he is a hardcore bookworm and would rather write a letter than talk to people in person just cause his eorzean is Too Formal. his fairy friend, eos, loves to just. sleep on people’s shoulders and heads, so if he feels comfortable around you, you’ll know by eos’s reaction to you! though he’s real laid back and tired, he can still stand for himself if you give him a proper gunblade! his training as a child wasn’t for nothing.

A’DEWAH TIA: an anxious miqo’te white mage that really, *really* cares for your wellbeing and tends to forget his own! his magic feels like fluffy clouds and warm sunshine, and his smiles are just the same! however, please don’t spook him because he will jump through the ceiling and scream like a child. he’s real meek and very wound up, but can still pack a punch in battle. he vastly prefers white magic, but his innate ability for red magic isn’t something he’s going to pass up if it helps keep others alive.

THIRD ROW: MELEE DPS

TEHRA’IR NAPHTO: the charming rogue ninja miqo’te of the party! he’s real sneaky and can twist your words without you noticing, but will absolutely never do that to friends; its his code of honor. if you need someone to eavesdrop for you, he’s your man! it’s pretty simple to find him; just make a loud call out in hawker’s alley stating you’re selling tuna miqo’a’bobs and he’ll be there in like... ten minutes. yell around six pm, however, and you’ll just disturb his daily meditation with his katana and he’ll probably dive into the ocean after it.

ZAYA QESTIR: my main wol and the reckless au’ri monk of the group! they’re an avid bird love, tend to run out into thunderstorms and turn themselves into a lightning rod, and really love adventuring! you’ll probably not meet another person as rambunctious and unable to sit still as them, though they do turn that down a notch after shadowbringers! their skillset encompasses kriegstanz, song magic (to an extent), and archery, but some rumors tend to circle about their devastation with a greatsword...

FOURTH ROW: RANGED DPS

VALDIS OTOEL: our optimistic viera black mage! well known for her tricks around eorzea, and known to few as their saving grace; her knowledge of aether and magic is pretty good! she could probably be an archon if A) she went to sharlayan like duscha and B) weren’t such a gremlin. as it is now, her nickname ‘little spitfire’ is for her blunt charm and penchant for fire spells! however, her fire magic spans much further than traditional black magic. perchance have you heard of... the flames of rebirth and blue magic?

ELWIN DE LIPINE: the babbiest baby.... the even teensier lalafell machinist sibling of lumelle! he may be tiny and look like a kid, but he’s A) on par with machinery with cid garlond B) a perfect shot with his own guns C) the main little dude to go to for prosthetics and D) knows how to handle money unlike his sister lumelle. his smarts only add onto the charm of his trusting nature, and he’s always!! cheering!! for you!!!!!! if he doesn’t have his machines and guns on hand, however, hand him a starglobe and he’ll show you the night skies in midday! he loves being an astrologian and is forever thankful for his surrogate father/lumelle’s father gifting him one of very few astrologian soul stones from his time in sharlayan...

#ffxiv #final fantasy xiv #ffxiv screenshots #ffxiv shadowbringers #shadowbringers #syhrwyda maetityrbwyn #lumelle de lipine #duscha vesnasch #a'dewah tia #tehra'ir naphto #zaya qestir #valdis otoel #elwin de lipine #screenies #im love them......

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ever-searching · 4 years

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Companion piece to FFXIVWrite #30

Since my writing for the FFXIVWrite prompt #30: Splinter (which can be found here) included a lot of different AUs which I’ve never talked about, I thought that I could write a companion piece which tells a bit more about them. I decided to also add short descriptions of each character's “main universe” versions for clarity.

Short summaries can be found below. Be warned that the text may contain minor story spoilers for the FFXIV main scenario story line until the early bits of Shadowbringers, though.

(MU = "main universe" (roleplay-verse), WoL = Warrior of Light (canon storyline), First = Norvrandt version)

Cain

MU Cain: An adventurer/odd-jobs from Thanalan who is trying to make his mark and struggles with impostor syndrome a bit. Lived on the streets from Calamity until roughly 7th Astral Era. Somewhat snarky at times, but at his core an awkward nerd. Thaumaturge with basic knife-fighting skills.

WoL Cain: Starts off very enthusiastic but gradually gets tired of everyone expecting that he solves their problems and nobody giving him even a small break. Got off the streets a year or two earlier than the MU Cain but still inherited his self-negligent ascetic lifestyle. Possibly snarkier than the other versions. Black Mage / Dark Knight.

First Cain / “Kayneth”: Son of a miner couple from Twine who left to seek better life in Eulmore; he either wasn't taken along or didn’t manage to become a bonded citizen. Eventually, his path lead him to Crystarium, where he became an adventurer. Lost his eyesight at some point when something clawed him in the face but navigates using aether.

Narangelel

MU Narangelel: A wanderer/hunter from the Azim Steppe who came to Azeroth to sate her wanderlust and find something that would fill the emptiness she feels. Placid and polite but sometimes a bit apathetic, perhaps. Lancer, though also somewhat effective with knives.

WoL Narangelel: Leaves the Steppe a few years earlier than MU Nara. Still hasn't found what she is looking for, but although her work is hard, she feels oddly at peace with it. Possibly fascinated by dragons after acquiring a dragoon soulstone. Represents Kha tribe rather than Mol during the Naadam (possibly negotiating a temporary alliance between the two tribes beforehand) and turns down Magnai’s proposal, though politely (because he'd definitely make one). Dragoon / Rogue.

First Narangelel / “Naldia”: Adventurer who hunts monsters and sin eaters as her profession. Has traced her origins to the Kingdom of Voeburt but hasn’t yet managed to visit Il Mheg. A bit more world-weary than the other two versions.

Storm

MU Storm: Former magical murder machine / Garlean conscript from Gyr Abania, current book merchant / artisan living in Ul'dah. Nicknamed ‘Stoneface' for a reason. Aether sensitive. Has a fairly strict code of honour. Helps the downtrodden when he can, particularly if they are magically capable. Arcanist with elemental spells and no carbuncles.

WoL Storm: Ends up helping Momodi with something, and somehow that leads to Storm becoming the Warrior of Light. Has a lot of conflicted feelings for a very long time, particularly when the events take him to Gyr Abania; eventually, the Ala Mhigans (some of who might recognize him) forgive him for his past deeds. Possible dad figure for some Scions. Summoner / Gunbreaker; still rarely uses egis or healing spells.

First Storm / “Forgiven Remorse”: An unfortunate Hume who got turned into a sin eater. Might have been a powerful mage and/or a powerful soldier, but he is doomed to get struck down. (A short post about this version can be found here.)

G’ilas

MU G’ilas: A cheerful adventurer/treasure hunter from Abalathia’s Spine who served the Maelstrom as a field medic until Cartenau. Usually an optimist and even something of a joker, but dislikes being pressured and doesn’t take it well if he is unable to save someone. Conjurer, though he does carry a knife.

WoL G’ilas: As the MU one, except that his adventuring path lead him to meet with the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. While he remains fairly cheerful and smiles often, the losses and failures he has suffered in the course of his journeys have given his optimism a slightly desperate edge at times: he might not have met any of his closest companions in this timeline, which gives him a shakier foundation. White Mage, and possibly a Samurai.

First G’ilas / “Gae-Satt”: A relaxed Mystel living a life of luxury in Eulmore. Still friendly and happy-go-lucky, but doesn’t seem to be interested in adventuring in the least.

Merces

MU Merces: Allagan bodyguard/soldier clone who slumbered in Azys Lla for millennia before getting freed by a band of adventurers (namely G‘ilas and his friends). Chose G’ilas as his new master, but is slowly learning to live without constantly serving someone. Still sometimes feel like a fish out of (temporal) water. Polite, somewhat curious and very serious-minded. Gladiator, but adequate with more or less all melee weapons.

WoL Merces: Rather than having been forgotten or left in Azys Lla, this version of Merces was placed in the Crystal Tower and awakened after the beginning of the 7th Umbral Era. As he never found a master, he might feel and act even more detached from the world than the MU Merces. Gladiator / Lancer / Samurai.

First Merces: Doesn’t exist. Allagan Empire never existed in Norvrandt, and the person he was based on probably lived and died centuries earlier.

Sasameru

MU Sasameru: A Dunesfolk researcher with a passion for studying magic, though his own aetherial capabilities are almost non-existent. Amiable but a bit absent-minded at times. Runs a bookshop. May or may not do some shady business as an informant and a code cracker as a side-business, encouraged by his family.

WoL Sasameru: Doesn't exist. Would require Sasameru more capable in manipulating aether, and if that was the case, his backstory might have taken quite a different turn.

First Sasameru / "Samugg"?? "Samsard"??: A researcher working at the Cabinet of Curiosity in Crystarium. While I originally intended to keep his race the same, Lalafells/Dwarves are quite rare and reclusive, which made me reconsider... so it's also possible that First Sasameru would in fact be a Galdjent (as their naming scheme would work well with his name).

Lumien

MU Lumien: A soft-hearted, somewhat clumsy and insecure Elezen from Gridania who struggled and failed to become a Wood Wailer, then ran from home and tried to become a Gladiator in Ul'dah, and then became a retainer. Has some aptitude with conjury but doesn't (yet) know how to utilize his potential nor fully believe in it. Writes poems and likes cats. Gladiator / Conjurer, though both only on very basic levels.

WoL Lumien: Didn’t give up on Gladiator training before he encountered Thancred and so remained one. After he gets introduced to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, he doesn’t initially realize (or accept) that he is the Warrior of Light. Learns to control his nerves to a degree, which makes him less clumsy in battle, and that in turn helps him to become a bit more confident; still writes poetry and remains fairly shy. Knows that he can't save everyone but still tries, even though it hurts. Paladin / Conjurer.

First Lumien / "Lyriath": The son of bandits/poachers who has been dragged into the life of crime; hates what he is doing but doesn't think he can escape it. Insecure and downhearted, and has an occasional tendency to make a martyr of himself.

Haldswys

All three versions follow roughly the same theme of "boisterous bruiser", though the WoL version and particularly the First version have probably gained quite bit more scars than the MU version.

Chaz

MU Chaz: Self-proclaimed "wisdom hunter" who left Ishgard after he wasn't allowed to study in the Scholasticate. Loves books and does anything and everything to get them, including stealing. Somewhat bratty and arrogant, but still probably a jerk with a heart of gold. Rogue with some improvised Astrologian skills.

WoL Chaz: At some point, his paths crossed with the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, and one thing lead to another until he found himself being the saviour of Eorzea. Still sometimes puts an act of a know-it-all, speaks snarkily and/or refuses to do things that he doesn't like, but he is surprisingly dedicated to saving the world. Besides, being a hero has given him a way into some restricted libraries, so he can't really complain, can he? Astrologian / Ninja.

First Chaz / "Sawes": A guard defending Crystarium. While he doesn't exactly love fighting, has become somewhat nonchalant about fighting over the course of years, at least as long as he isn't in mortal danger. Visits the Cabinet of Curiosity on his days off and has probably read a large number of the books there.

Brenda

MU Brenda: A travelling minstrel who carries their father's Red Mage soulstone in the hopes that it will either react to them or that they will find someone worthy of it. A bit awkward but strives to look and act like a hero. Archer.

WoL Brenda: Runs into the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and accompanies them, thinking that one of them might be the worthy holder of the soulstone. In general, they probably spend a good while thinking that they're just accompanying the real heroes to record their story or being the replacement hero until the real one is found; they are convinced only when the soulstone ends up choosing them. Red Mage / Bard.

First Brenda / "Brinaette": A citizen of the Crystarium known to perform at the Wandering Stairs. Probably very knowledgeable or at least interested in the history of Norvrandt. Might also be an adventurer although singing and playing guitar are their biggest passions.

#FFXIVWrite 2020 #Cain #Narangelel #Nara #Storm #G'ilas #Merces #Sasameru #Lumien #Haldswys #Chaz #Brenda #(tagging all characters for possible future reference)#(also using the FFXIVWrite tag so I can find this with the prompt if needed)#hopefully this clarifies at least something #as this turned wayyy longer than I exptected #no pictures because I ran out of energy //orz #I guess I'm not that invested in Haldswys's AU ahaha...

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illegiblewords · 4 years

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Explanation of design approach and some personality info under the cut.

Essentially, the way I’ve been approaching this I wanted to make each world feel like a self-contained and cohesive team. Nivienne is actually from Lamia and so isn’t designed to mesh with the others, but I use her a lot and have a design strategy for her so she’s included. For team Famfrit as a whole, I wanted to make sure that each personality and design would feel distinct and that the main color for each character would stand out. Most are also pretty obvious lol--black mage is black, red made is red, white mage is white. Areas I went different are gold dragoon (or aurum dragoon if we’re being fancy), purple scholar, green bard, orange ninja, blue warrior.

CENRIC ASHER

My main and a hyur midlander black mage. With him I wanted to push against the concept that hyurs are inherently vanilla or “boring”. Imo there is nothing wrong with designs that look like they could occur in nature, but with him I wanted to do an edgy personal spin in the classic Final Fantasy black mage look where the character is a dark silhouette with glowing eyes, a high collar, and a broad hat. Sometimes he wears other things too but the overall concept ties to that particular look. In personality Cenric is a pretty angsty guy due to having been a con artist who got a lot of people killed with medical fraud. He lies a lot out of fear of the reaction he’d get if his background was known. Possibly a little nuts, thinks he is the son of Nald’Thal and bound to spread death and destruction wherever he goes--striking enemies and allies alike, regardless of his own wishes. Probably actually just has Duskwight heritage. Has pretty hardcore imposter syndrome about being Warrior of Light, but in partial response to having been destitute and outcast for a long time he tries to play into the persona of a powerful, luxurious, mysterious black mage brimming with forbidden knowledge. In reality he is intimidated by most children, can’t whistle, and is a bit of a smartass when he’s not panicking his way through conversations.

J’MOR TIA

My red mage alt, I wanted to do a few experiments with him! One was that Red Mages usually read very sophisticated and swashbuckle-y to me, and I wanted to play more into the rapier as an almost roguish weapon. Very physical. He’s somebody who you initially would not assume is a magic user but who is just as versed and capable on that front as the ivory tower casters haha. I also wanted to make him a combination of ethnically black (contrasting Cenric who is ethnically Arab but weird) and a male miqo’te because I have never seen that combination before. I wanted him to feel very charming and like he has kind of rugged good looks. Just a bit too scruffy for pretty boy. Personality he is probably the most shonen hero of my alts lol. He has stuff he struggles with (he and his sister both wanted to be adventurers but she opted out after taking things way too far in a fight and getting scared of her own power) but doesn’t get stuck in his head nearly as much as some other characters do.

CESAIRE DELAROUX

I futzed with this guy for a while—main inspiration comes from a particular kind of horse called the Akhal-teke.

Also because I have seen some really cool and pretty elezen that specifically worked to play up gold as a color scheme, and in this case I wanted to evoke a kind of warm, soft golden light. Originally I was going to make him a contrast to Cenric and make him much paler, but I wound up going that route more with Asklona instead with drawing loose inspiration from certain forms of albinism. I went more gold to make sure Cesaire would stand out visually from Asklona. Another reason for this route is because I want to make a character who looks very light and pure, but in practice has hardcore bloodlust. XD Wanted one case for playing into that possible WoL element haha. I also thought it might be neat to make a character who could serve as a kind of foil to Zenos in many ways and might credibly say yes when invited to be besties. Cesaire is still a mostly heroic guy but I figure he’s a bit like Dexter if that makes sense.

KIYO SHIROGANE

An auri white mage from Hingashi! To me it felt a little odd that the Ruby Princess of Sui-no-Sato has more of a magenta color scheme than red. I wanted to tie Kiyo to Kugane specifically in part because I think the parallels between geomancy and white magic (land, sea, sky) are super cool imo, there are a fair number or Raen au ra in Kugane with less lore exploration, and I wanted to make a character whose past trailed behind her in a clear and interesting way while she travels. So for Kiyo I kind of took inspiration from the idea of a red pearl (pearls often being white as per the horns and scales but then she has vivid red hair) and from the idea of blood tied to injury and medicine. Plus ya know, white magic. I also took light inspiration from candles conceptually. I totally forgot that Shirogane is the housing district also lol so now she has backstory lore that her family had been heavily involved in establishing the area. Kiyo comes from a large and noble family with a ton of political and economic influence, being herself somewhat sheltered and naïve. She is very sincere, playful, outgoing, and does her best to be kind. Very animated!

OSK YASKARET

For Osk, I was essentially going (ʘ_ʘ;;) because I knew that I hadn’t used ANY brown hair so far and it was making so uncomfortable lol. So I thought about what combination would be appropriate, distinct, and striking enough to fit within the cast while also being distinct. Gray and brown feel like chinchilla colors to me and I think are nice in a way that wouldn’t be out of place with rabbits/viera. I wanted dark eyes since again, I hadn’t yet for this group... so dark purple wound up being her main color. Since I was going scholar, I also wanted to keep the sense of intellect and feeling like a healer without being mistakable for astrologian or white mage. I still want to build into her look, but another aspect I wanted to incorporate--saw a lot of people arguing about the inherent sensuality of Viera, so I figured for her I wanted to make her look elegant and sophisticated but more conservative in glamours. I didn’t want her to instantly read like she hopped out of the woods either. Figure she’d have had time to adapt since.

I’m still very much debating backstory and personality or her but am leaning toward her being the offspring of a viera who left the woods while pregnant. I like the idea of Osk wanting to connect with her heritage but feeling somewhat adrift. I also want to incorporate Nym lore because omg I want more Nym in-general. Personality I do think Osk is probably a little bit of a smug bunny but things remain super tenuous.

ASKLONA WANNEYNWYN

Asklona I literally wanted to make a super soft feeling, hyper feminine lady roegadyn because most interpretations I’ve seen have been either harder feminine or tomboyish. Still fun imo, but given the grief some fans heap on femroes I really wanted to show that this kind of look is doable. I usually try to incorporate the black noses on Hellsguard designs (tiger roooooes) while with Seawolves I tend to push either fully into something natural or fully into something unnatural. So ex. the most desaturated option or else just run with blues and greens. Asklona is specifically a bard because it is pretty and fancy imo and I haven’t seen a lot of roegadyn bards in-general. Asklona I mentioned before is modeled off of certain kinds of albinism, but by that I want to make the disclaimer that pink eyes don’t generally occur in people (pale blue or violet is more likely) and that normally there are some eyesight problems that come with the condition as well as ease of getting sunburn. I don’t necessary play into that with Asklona/am going artistic license because I mean final fantasy we can lift swords bigger than we are. I know these things get overlooked a lot though so it seemed worth specifying. My choice to go this route was because I wanted to make myself use more pastels lol and I figured this would be a fun spot to contrast Cenric. I think in backstory Asklona’s father lost his mind to a siren, and Asklona pursuing adventuring as a bard is partly to take revenge and partly in the hopes that she can call her father back with song. Her involvement becomes more complicated over time but I think that’s the general direction. I picked green for her color scheme because it’s a color that feels like it evokes both the woods of Gridania and the sea itself... and because pink is a shade of red and with green being complementary, I figured it would make the pinks stand out a lot. Asklona is tied to Limsa Lominsa and besides looking for outfits that will flatter her body type I am trying to evoke the ocean in her designs. Pirates, sailors, the works. Personality I am still figuring out a bit but I think Asklona is definitely a shameless flirt, can read as insensitive and self-centered at times as she indulges in what makes her happy. She plays herself off as much more shallow than she is and in-general focuses on pursuing pleasure as a way of avoiding heavier issues.

KOKONO KONO

The scrappy daughter of a Doman fox auspice and a Thavnairian lalafell, Kokono saw her mother waste away with homesickness after fleeing the Garlean occupation. She has two brothers, one who returned to Doma while the other remains in Thavnair witht her father. Kokono hates the idea of loving a place so much you would die over it and decided to travel Hydaelyn, causing mischief while indulging a deep-rooted curiosity and love for discovering new places. Has severe commitment issues. Can be prone to swearing and being insensitive because the shocked reactions amuse her a lot, but her heart is ultimately in the right place. I designed her literally to make a lalafell fox because with the dark nose option + werewolf ears it is SO EASY to make tiny canines and I don’t understand why more people don’t do this. Like I could make an elegant white fox lalafell or a yorkshire terrier lalafell or any number of things. We can have itty bitty dogs! And like Kiyo I wanted some background to be evident in her clothes too. I designed her before I picked her backstory and mainly went for rule-of-cute/what would most evoke the red coat of a fox.

SVATOMIR AZORYA

Last of team Famfrit, he’s a Warrior Hrothgar. Very conceptually rough, I’m interested in playing him much more reserved and traditionally masculine in a lot of ways. I think a character in that vein will help balance out against the other Warriors of Light I made for that world. Design goal here was to make him look as wolf-like as possible haha. I think we have plenty of cat people already with Miqo’te.

NIVIENNE LECLAIR

From Lamia, I’ve talked a bit about her before so copypasting that in.

Basically, when I decided to try doing the whole WoL/Emet-Selch fic writing misadventure it was just a personal challenge for funsies. I’d seen other people do some really interesting and impressive stuff using unnamed lady WoLs. Hadn’t really tried something like that myself so I decided to go full improv with it.

Except my instincts tend toward specificity lol, so I scattered details according to what would make for fun scenarios or cute details. I wanted the lady to be a certain level of tall so I went with elezen. I needed to describe a readily portable weapon that would mesh with that sweet, sweet Amaurotine lore, so I made her a summoner. So on and so forth. Very seat-of-the-pants.

Particularly since the fic I have coming up is gonna be bigger, I’m thinking name is okay now lol.

Cenric as my black mage main is a dark, broody guy who doesn’t quite realize he’s nicer and sillier that he gives himself credit. So I decided Nivienne should be much more socially adept (read: not a lameass poser), very mischievous, confident… but lowkey has some heavy shit going on. Girl can be ruthlessly manipulative. Other WoLs of mine have different personalities.

As I was going through fic stuff, I decided I wanted to visually tie to and contrast with Emet-Selch since shipping. He’s got gold eyes and accents on his regalia? She’ll go silver, but her skin will have a more golden tone. He’s got dark hair with a white streak? She’ll have light gray hair, tie into the ruff of his coat. So on and so forth.

Name-wise, I actually fucked up initially by going too on-the-nose. Nivienne is another (more elezen-French) name for Nimue. Given how that story goes I figured it would be fitting here.

As a couple of other notes--color scheme being gray was experimenting to try for a different-but-distinct summoner aesthetic. I wanted to play up horns/third eye concepts (not strictly in the Garlean sense) and create a vibe that wouldn’t feel like white mage, or red mage, or black mage, etc. I also saw people arguing that female casters all end up looking like magical girls, so I wanted to really make sure that she had a different look from that while still being very feminine.

#final fantasy xiv #final fantasy xiv screenshots #final fantasy 14 #ffxiv #ff14

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woltourney · 11 months

Text

ROUND 3 / SIDE A / POLL 4

Galvin Foixewesfv (@elizabethrobertajones) v. Eisha Pantera (@umbralaether)

Galvin Foixewesfv:

q. What is your WoL name and pronouns? a. Galvin Foixewesfv

q. What is your WoL's species? a. viera

q. What is your WoL's class? Or classes? a. Black Mage, Summoner, Reaper

q. What data centre/server are you on, if you want people to find you? a. Goblin (have been in alliance roulette with other Galvins this is very important)

q. Tell us a bit about your WoL! a. A forest prince, eighth child with seven sisters, Galvin felt spare and at odds with his family as he became fascinated with dark magic after early encounters with voidsent that left him confused about their true monstrous nature. As he grew up and realised he was a rare son and due a life as a roaming forest warder and trophy husband, he felt too nerdy and bad at climbing trees for one and too gay for the other. After less than a year training with the other men of the forest and sensing they were growing sick of his poor aim with a bow and weedy lance arm, he slipped away in the night, travelled by boat to Limsa, and devoted himself to learning the forbidden maths of true magic. Drawn by the calling of the Echo, he joined the Scions on a whim despite having been warned by his eldest sister he was extremely susceptible to falling prey to a cult some day, and it was with much relief he realised they were not evil so his next letter home would not be met with a furious rescue party of dozens of furious armed viera storming the Waking Sands. He then picked up thaumaturgy and found one of his true loves. The other was teasing Urianger from across the Waking Sands, and flustering the shy elezen. Somehow, this has turned into a loving and stable relationship, mostly because they make up each other's deficits in a perfect puzzle piece joining and not because they are much alike, book learning aside. Though clumsy, brash and frequently knocked down, his determination to not be anything he once dreaded about his fate and to carve his idiosyncratic path, his raw stubborness got him through every trial thrown at the WoL. Barely. The only rules: always take them on as black mage and never give in and take the easy path (ooc: hit the 'very easy' button the trial is begging me to do by take 8) His witchcraft and void lore honed, he stumbled into the art of the reaper, and formed a pact with the voidsent he had felt himself bound to since youth, a keening sad creature that aimlessly wandered and wailed; these cries having once pierced his heart, he found it easy to reach out and make the connection once more, and binding the voidsent to his purpose, it found direction and he found a combat art that he excelled at - provided you allow that it's really the voidsent doing all the work lifting that heavy scythe, and Galvin is merely casting the spells. Having surmounted the main story, he retired immediately to the island farm, and spends his time pulling turnips and lazing about, often with Urianger at his side, and it is important to say, for Galvin, achieving doing nothing at all is in itself the most incredible achievement for a lifelong avoider of - well, everything - who crawled and moaned and complained and fussed so hard to get there.

q. Why should YOU win? (Answer IC!) a. I have never, ever won anything in my life, and I think I should be allowed just one. Please.

q. Anything else you wanna add? a. =:{)> moustache bnuuy

Eisha Pantera:

q. What is your WoL name and pronouns? a. Eisha Pantera, she/her

q. What is your WoL's species? a. Female Keeper of the Moon Miqo’te

q. What is your WoL's class? Or classes? a. Astrologian, Summoner, Reaper

q. What data centre/server are you on, if you want people to find you? a. Aether DC, Midgardsormr

q. Tell us a bit about your WoL! a. She’s been a part of more adventures than the ones told in storybooks— and she never asked for any of it. Even with the odds stacked against her, she’s somehow made it this far. Perhaps plucked by fate and sent off in pursuit of glory, or perhaps she’s just lucky. Either way, she’s had her taste of fame and would really just like to be obligation-free, for once.

q. Why should YOU win? (Answer IC!) a. “Why shouldn’t I win? Not even the Twelve could beat me, after all.”

#💎 shout #💎 round three

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geirskogull · 4 years

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Important - Chapter 2 - Found

Chapter 2 of @momomomodi and I’s colab fic <3 Ft. two Drunken WoLs attempting to walk home

Archive Link

Words: 2.1 K

Rating: Mature

The Quicksands doors clattered open early in the morning. Though by that time, the bar itself was almost sleepy, the two women stumbling out of its doors were very much less so. At least, one of them was. A drunken dragoon, leaning upon her spear like a lifeline, smiled madly at the elezen across from her. All thoughts of brutal deaths and deep sadness forgotten in favor of mischief in a slow moving inebriated mind. One that could barely stand, let alone jump, in her current state.

To quote Y’sthola once; she was a borderline functional alcoholic.

“Are you suurreee we need to go home?” The Dragoon whined, like an imputent child. “It’s not THAT late.” She lied, leaning wildly, dangerously, nearly the fountain at the entrance.

The drunken Astrologian grinned at Danica, “Probably. We don’t want to get in trouble with the Brass Blades.” She laughed loudly. While Danica became mischievous, Aveline became… uninhibited. The normally quiet, sad Elezen became a confident woman willing to push people’s buttons with no care for consequence.

“I think… we should go find Papashan.” She giggled, “He’s gotta be a good drinking partner!” She wobbled slightly as she grabbed Danica’s arm, leading her down the streets of Ul’dah.

“But he’s a ya know...” The Dragoons voice dropped to a faux whisper, more a yell. “A cop” She laughed, properly the Lalafel was a member of the Sultansworn. Less cop and more secret service, but many a childhood running into the security of Ul’dah even had a drunken Dee on edge. But yet, she did not resist her friends pull towards the Gates of Thal.

“He’s also a station master though, I guess.” She murmured to herself, after a moment's thought. “And I like trains...”

The Brass Blades stationed outside of the Gates paid the two of them passing mind. Looking at them for a second, registering they were drunkards, gauged they were harm to none, and returned to their nightly dealings. Murmuring to strange shadowy figures and “Keeping the peace.”

Honestly, looking back, Danica would say they were lucky not to be stopped and taxed for some imaginary fee that only Drunken Elezen and Half Elezen needed to pay. As was the norm for the city of coin. But their temporary luck was not to hold for the morn.

As the two stumbled towards the tracks, a small band of bandits strode towards them. A cruel laugh stopped the two drunkards in their tracks. Weapons slid free of their sheathes. “Well, what do we have here?” Danica reached for her spear. Aveline took a step towards them, star globe floating above her hand. “Two women having a shitty day.” She narrowed her eyes at the bandits, wobbling slightly as she spoke. The bandits laughed.

They laughed, for they did not yet know that they were fools. Dumb enough to stoll up to two armed women, who happened to also be Warriors of Light, drunk or no. Yet, they pressed on. Slowly surrounding the women, about fourteen of them in total, shadowy, near invisible, in the moonless night.

The mischief from Voss’ eyes dissipated. Her grip on her spear, true. Though her eyes could not focus, she did not doubt she could still hit her mark. She was Danica Voss, Dragoon. She was Danica Voss, not about to get robbed right outside of the city she lived in.

Their leader, a leggy gentlemen with an axe that looked like it weighed more than he, Aveline, and Danica put together, spoke again. “Fortunate we ran across them, am I right fellas?” His lackies, the shadowy men with swords and daggers, too blurry to make out any features, laughed and agreed.

Their jeering continued, even as the not so gentlemanly gentlemen strode towards the two adventurers, who stood now but back to back. “What? Nothing to say ladies?”

A twitch at Danica’s lip was all he saw before she lunged forward. Words slurred from her lips but declared proudly all the same.

“Taste my Lance”

Oh by the twelve she was quoting Estinien. And so the fight began. The bandits rushed towards the Warriors, weapons raised, anger burning in their eyes. The two women began fighting back with drunken earnest. They met the bandits blow for blow, metal clanging harshly. Aveline began to tire first, not adept in hand to hand combat. Stinging steel cut through the fabric of her shirt, grazing the Astrologian’s arm, blood welling in the wound. The Elezen’s eyes widened slightly, the blood soaking into her shirt turning the fabric a deep red.

Voss, always the eagled eyed hunter, noticed as well. Hands tightening to a white knuckled grip on her spear. A scream of anger welling in her throat. That was until something caught her, and the bandit’s eye. A streaking splat of black and red, crystalized rage and hatred, beaming their leader right in the head.

It’s origin, a black masked knight of some kind, almost a shadow in the early morning. A greatsword drawn in his hands, a sternness in his stance. She’d read his face, but his helm was featureless.

“Leave them.” She thought she heard him say, his voice muffled by his mask. Distracting the bandits enough that she could rush to her friends side. Ripping cotton from her shirt sleeve to offer the Astrologian.

Aveline offered her friend a pained smile, quickly shaking her head. The Astrologian gently placed her hand over the bleeding wound. Benefic. The healer’s hand glowed softly, the wounded skin knitting itself back together.

As soon as the brief reprieve of the Knight’s arrival had began, it had ended. The bandits, torn between attacking the Warriors or the armour clad Knight. The Knight struck down the bandits with ease, the swinging of his greatsword causing blood to rain down upon the sand. His body moved with ease, striking down the bandits that dared not approach him with not so much as a second glance.

Aveline looked anxiously at Danica, nervously grabbing her friend’s wrist. “I don’t trust this.”

“You don’t trust much.” Danica drunkenly attempted to reassure. The Half Elezen was use to bloodshed, use to death, this man wasn’t too much different than they were in battle. At least her drunken eyes told her.

The remaining bandits turned tail not soon after their leader fell, those who managed to get out of the knights range continued running. A Dark Knight, yes, she remembered Fray speaking about others of their kind. Brutal. Effective. Justice at their core. This had to be one of them.

Standing from her knee, Voss looked at the man more thoughoutly. She may not have been able to see his face, but from the ear molds on the helm he was an elezen. A tall one at that. She offered Aveline a hand before leaning upon her spear and speaking.

“Do you make a habit of saving every stranger on the road Ser Knight? Or is it just us ladies who get the special treatment?” She asked, sarcasm bleeding into her voice. Some point of wounded pride welling in her words, she should have been able to handle that. She was a warrior of light after all.

The man, for his part, sheathed his sword. Approaching them with a gentle step and open palm. “Are you injured?” More words muffled by his mask.

Aveline stood, taking the hand Danica offered to her. “No.” She spoke cautiously, liquor infecting her voice. “Answer her question.” Her star globe floated carefully above her hand. “What are you doing here?”

The reply she got was muffled, dark steel muting his words slightly. “You needed help.” Aveline looked around at the bodies scattered around them, blood oozing into the sands. “Help? They were trying to run from you. You killed them!” Her voice grew higher in pitch ever so slightly. The Astrologian had no fear of blood or the dead, though she disliked being so close to the loss of life. Their aether joining Hydaelyn’s, twisting and turning, merging into one. The feeling disturbed her. The blood of the bandits was splattered all over the trio. She shook her head, turning to Danica, “I won’t trust him until we see his face. It’s too convenient.”

Danica relaxed, it was one of their key differences, if she had to think about it. The comfort the two had in the exact presence of death. “He’s right, we did need help. And if they didn’t die here I’m sure they would have preyed upon someone else. And last time I checked, none of us here are free from the particular sin of murder”

They would have hit others, she was sure of it. And in some way, the knowledge that they wouldn’t because they now held court among Nald’thals judges relaxed her.

She’d seen their type before. Ran from them. Images of a young girl hiding with two others in the corners of Ul’dah flashed in her mind, she willed the image away. No time or energy to get consumed by the past. All that mattered was the now.

“And we’re being overtly hostile to the gent who just saved our asses. Should we really be making demands?” Voss hobbled over to a rock, and took a seat, but not before flashing her “Hero with a publicist” smile - to quote Tataru.

“But, Ace, you do have one thing right. It’s easier to give thanks to someone when you know their name - or face.” She raised a hand, and finger gunned in the general direction of the Dark Knight, who seemed to laugh.

“I’m sorry if I startled you but, do you... I’m a...” He stumbled over his words. Voss could not stifle her drunken laugh. “But I’m.... You were!!!” Ah it only grew worse, she could imagine what ever Elezen face behind that mask just bright red in embarrassment.

She could hear him inhale. Her senses forced to clear, through no will of her own.

“I’m a Dark Knight. My name is Fuller. I wander and I help people.” He spoke, a Mantra. “People other people won’t help. Those people did you see them? Earlier, before. When you were at the gate, I was leaving too. I saw the Brass Blades point you lot out to them.”

Voss nodded, a believable story, if ever there was one. Not unlike what befell the one poor man who tried to open a mining business for the Ala Mhigan Refuges, free of the yoke of the syndicate. Danica looked to Aveline, and motions towards the man, as if to say he past her muster.

The Astrologian took a deep breath, trying to clear her senses of the metallic smell of blood. She sat next to Danica, pulling her knees to her chest. Feeling the aether drain from people was never an enjoyable experience; Baelsar’s Wall had nearly broken her.

She looked at the Knight carefully, “Fuller…” She smiled, though it looked as though she was trying not to grimace, “My apologies for my hostility. I… do not do well with death.”

The Dark Knight planted the tip of his greatsword in the sand, moving towards them. With a smooth movement, he slipped into a low bow, “I am only glad I could help.” She could almost hear the smile in his voice. Aveline glanced at Danica. Was it time to move on? What would be the proper thing to do? All of Aveline’s training for navigating the nobility of Ishgard was failing her. What were they to do now?

Voss stood, eyes still a little wobbly. “So, city of coin and all would have us offer you a reward. But you can already tell we’re not at our peak condition. Why not walk us back into the Quicksand and we’ll repay you tomorrow when we can think clearly?” She must have wobbled more than she intended, as she felt his arm upon her shoulder, righting her.

“It would be an honor, Madams.” He bowed again, once he was sure she wouldn’t be falling sideways anytime soon. “But please, you’d need not repay me its-”

“Only your oath and way, you’re not our first rodeo with a Dark Knight stranger.” She laughed, remembering the others. Remembering themselves. She offered a hand to Aveline, and looked back towards the city. Momodi would kick their ass for putting themselves in danger like this, that is to say foolishly. But she would be glad to have them back safe.

“What say you then, Ace? Maybe we could help him a bit or something tomorrow, fair pay yeah?” She asked, her words starting to run together again.

The Astrologian nodded silently, gathering up her things and taking Danica’s hand again. Her expression was pained. Someone wasn’t dead. One of the bandits twitched slightly, moaning on the ground. Aveline screwed her eyes shut. She could practically see the aether leaving his body, seeping into the earth. It was beautiful and horrifying, a sight she could never get used to. The Warrior turned back towards the city of Ul’dah, trying to leave the dying bandit behind her. After a long moment, she turned back and knelt next to the bleeding bandit. Gently taking his hand, she murmured softly. Repose. The bandit’s eyes slowly slipped shut. While the sight of his life leaving his body was no less horrifying, at least he was at peace.

#ffxiv #ff14 #Danica Voss #Aveline de Bontensont #Important #Chapter 2

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