bladeofconquest: (chewing on something)
Princess Corrin of the Royal House of Nohr ([personal profile] bladeofconquest) wrote in [community profile] melodiesofkupo2019-05-01 09:31 pm

The Remaining Threats (Heroes of Light Linkshell)

Hello, everyone. I trust we're all enjoying our break? It was good to see so many of you at Dante's party! I think we all had a pretty good time...I know I did!

I know things are pretty restful at the moment, and that's good, but we can't afford to completely lose focus. Bahamut may be dead but there are other threats still out there. Since we have this period of peace, I thought we could take advantage of that to identify those threats and establish what we know about them, what we don't know, and how we might best deal with them if and when they resurface. I'll add the ones I know of, but if there are others, please feel free to add them.

Ramaa
The biggest one, obviously. With Bahamut dead, her plan is in ruins but given that she is the reincarnation of Kalki, we cannot count her out yet. Even though she escaped, I think we might have gotten through to her, just a little, at the end. It may not be necessary to fight her if and when she re-appears, and in fact, given the strength of her asterisks and
(there's a bit of a pause here) what she's capable of doing to us, I would heavily advise against an armed confrontation. Words of peace and support may be able to finish what we started before she escaped. As she is no longer Empress of San Devdatta, her resources will be significantly more limited, but I wouldn't be surprised if she has some sort of bolthole prepared and hidden away somewhere. We might approach Meghamaal to see if he has any ideas? He tried to discourage Ramaa from carrying out her plans; if our goal is to bring her in peaceably, which I believe it should be as death will only delay her for a few decades and not stop her completely once she reincarnates, he may be more inclined to help us find her.

There are Heroes who have had more experience dealing with her personally, of course. If you have any ideas where she might have hidden a sanctuary in the event of a worst-case scenario, please, by all means share it. No lead will remain investigated.

Ah, there's one last bit of business regarding Ramaa that...confuses me. When we broke into her iMog during the investigation of her quarters during the loops, we discovered some custom maps she'd loaded onto it. The first was a map of Vaikuntha with all the locations removed, the second was a map of Crystallis, where all this trouble originally began, and then the third was the most puzzling; some of the companions who were with me at the time have informed me the planet was Earth, and in fact I believe some of our own number are from multiple versions of this particular planet in their own realities. Vaikuntha and Crystallis make sense, but I'm not clear why Earth of all planets is of interest to her. It's a point that stuck out at me.

Balahaka
I've never met the man personally, but he was the other accomplice in Ramaa's plans, and unlike Meghamaal, he was extremely enthusiastic about them. He disappeared after Bahamut was stopped, and given the violent tendencies he revealed in his private communications with Ramaa, I'm afraid it's only a matter of time until he surfaces, and it's going to be bad when he does. Apparently he's a reincarnation of someone from Crystallis, but doesn't remember his past life; but he talked about constant feelings of hatred and violence, even towards Ramaa. According to Ramaa he represented a negative aspect, but also mentioned someone else who represented positive aspects; two halves of the same being, perhaps? Can anyone shed some light on this?

He and Ramaa may no longer be working together, though that's entirely conjecture on my part based on their MogNet logs; Ramaa enjoyed antagonizing him and Balahaka openly admitted to having always hated her (again, due to his apparently representing negative emotions like hatred and violence; does that imply he is incapable of feeling anything else? Anything positive? That's...a disturbing thought if so). Having failed with Bahamut, Ramaa may be in as much danger from him as the rest of us, especially if we got through to her. I know this might be an unpopular opinion, but if so, we may need to defend her from him in the future. I think Ramaa can be reasoned with; I suspect Balahaka can't.

Elidibus and the Byblos(?)
Elidibus seems to be unconnected to Ramaa and her plot; his concern seems entirely with the power of the Great Eidolon Zodiark. We stopped him from getting it at the Temple in Cloud City, but he did escape after we bested his summons, and I have no doubt he will try again. He called himself "Zodiark's chosen" during the battle, and boasted that the Eidolon had been "whispering" to him his entire life. Given that he seemed know things about us, or at least he did about me-he referred to me by my royal title of "princess" quite unbidden, and it's not outside the realm of possibility he would have heard of my status somehow, I was still trying to downplay it at the time, so it'd be hard for me to see how-there may be something to that claim. I don't wish to pry, but do any of the rest of you know what I mean? He seemed to almost enjoy lording his knowledge of who I was over me. Like he knew he was telling me something he shouldn't know and didn't care that I knew that.

By his own admission he also claimed responsibility for hoarding whatever scant knowledge of Zodiark existed, which is apparently why we had so much trouble finding anything on him. He even admitted to stealing that information when he had to, and has apparently been doing this for decades. He too must have a base somewhere, I can't imagine he'd collect all that information just to destroy it. But we have even less to go on for that than we do with Ramaa's supposed sanctum (which isn't much at the moment).

We also know that he is opposed by a creature not unlike the ones we encountered unlocking the Temple, which Elidibus called "Byblos"; apparently they're long-time adversaries. This is where it gets tricky, since if Byblos is a demon of Zodiark, why would it be opposing someone who believes himself to be Zodiark's chosen and receives information directly from the Eidolon, assuming Elidibus was telling the truth? Is Byblos some sort of renegade? It was teeth-grindingly vague about its motives even though it was capable of some garbled speech and ran off after Elidibus fled. It did help us fight Elidibus' summoned Eidolons but it being his enemy doesn't necessarily make it our ally, just that our motives lined up for that particular battle. If we get caught between the two again we'll need to be cautious. There's still too much we don't know about Elidibus and the source of his conflict with Byblos and I don't like it. I think we should try to make finding his sanctuary a priority; if there's any information that would shed some light on this, I have to believe Elidibus would keep it close to hand.

Gilgamesh
Admittedly not as big of a threat as the others I've listed, but every time he's shown up he's caused trouble. He's a warrior obsessed with unique and powerful weapons; during the MogNet fiasco he tried to take Shadow Yato from me, and during the lead-up to Bahamut's arrival stole the entire Arito armoury, or at least he did until we stopped him.

Gilgamesh doesn't seem actively malicious per se, just single-mindedly selfish about collecting weapons that catch his fancy, and his presence can serve to hinder us if he decides to try doing that when there's a larger threat at play. If you have such a weapon, that makes you a target and he'll probably try to come back for it again, so be on your guard. It seems like he also has something that at least resembles a code of honour, or a warrior ethos, so that might make him a little more predictable than the others I've mentioned.

Those are the outstanding threats as I see them. Does anyone else have anything they wish to add? Someone else we should be on the lookout for or be wary of? Please, speak up if so.


[Locked to Mister Vimes]
Hello, Mister Vimes. Do you have a moment to chat? I won't keep you long.

[Locked to Tyzias]

Um...hi, Tyzias. It's me. We haven't really spoken since...you know, Bahamut. I was hoping we might be able to now, though. I mean, if you want to, I'd...I'd understand if you're not really in the mood to talk to me of all people right now.
aerospacecommander: (starscream 26)

[personal profile] aerospacecommander 2019-05-02 09:08 am (UTC)(link)
Surprised I'm not on the list considering your little session I walked in on.
aerospacecommander: (starscream 13)

[personal profile] aerospacecommander 2019-05-05 06:14 am (UTC)(link)
You have no idea just how much you upset me.
tiredcharmer: (Default)

text, 1/4

[personal profile] tiredcharmer 2019-05-02 03:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Tyzias Entykk is typing...
tiredcharmer: (Default)

3/4

[personal profile] tiredcharmer 2019-05-02 03:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Tyzias Entykk is typing...
tiredcharmer: (Thinking)

[personal profile] tiredcharmer 2019-05-02 03:40 pm (UTC)(link)
wwwwhat do you wwwwant
tiredcharmer: (Default)

[personal profile] tiredcharmer 2019-05-02 05:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Tyzias Entykk is typing...

Tyzias Entykk is typing...

sure

meet me near the arena
tiredcharmer: (Thinking)

[personal profile] tiredcharmer 2019-05-03 05:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Tyzias knows that, on a logical level, she shouldn't be angry at Corrin. She was mind-controlled by Ramaa and was doing her level best to break out of the Empress's control. But emotions rarely worked on a logical level, and even knowing that Corrin had that in her in the first place...

...well. Tyzias couldn't help but to feel a little bit resentful. And angry. Primarily angry. The troll gives a curt nod to Corrin as she arrives, not saying a word before she turns on her heel and stalks into the arena.

What they see next probably isn't what Corrin expected. As soon as they step inside, the scene shimmers, changing to what can easily be inferred to be an Alternian neighborhood. Or what's left of one, at any rate. They've arrived next to a hive with a massive hole where one of the walls should be, the interior full of shattered mugs, bookshelves hauled up from some sort of basement, pictures of Tyzias and Stelsa. There's no corpse to be seen, but an atomic shadow of Tyzias's silhouette tells that story fairly well.

The entire rest of the neighborhood is being destroyed in a similar way. Tealbloods are frantically running from the flying drones. The robots kill a child with six ponytails without hesitation. A well-dressed tealblood futilely presents some paperwork to the drones before being obliterated. An oddly intact corpse with a tealblood with glasses is slumped on the sidewalk, cold hands gripping a wakizashi he's shoved through his abdomen.

Tyzias lets Corrin observe for a moment, saying nothing.
tiredcharmer: (Lecturing)

[personal profile] tiredcharmer 2019-05-04 12:41 am (UTC)(link)
Tyzias is silent for a few moments more, letting Corrin drink it in.

"Thank fuck that this isn't what actually happened."

The image freezes, then... changes. Everything reverts to a quiet, peaceful subgrub... except for Tyzias's hive. It's in the exact same state as before. She steps into the dwelling with Corrin, fists jammed into her coat pockets. Her eyes are glassy, disconnected. It's like she's only half there. All her unsaid anger, her venom, has completely drained from her.

"I knew I was screwed straight up the nook when I realized that someone swiped my notes on the Signless."

Her voice is a monotone as she picks up the picture of her and Stelsa. Tyzias's expression is unreadable. "And you know what's really fucked?"

"I felt relieved.

"It meant that I didn't have to spend every waking moment putting a crick in my spine from watching my back. It meant that I didn't have to do fuckin' sedition calculus to make sure none of my shit would reflect back on anyone else anymore.

"If I slipped up even an inch, that," she gestures outside, where the carnage has returned, "would've been the result. Look, I like self-deprecating as much as the next depressed asshole, and I always say that I'm not cut out to be a leader, but I know that logically, I'm good enough at talking to people to stir up a revolution if I tried.

"And the moment I tried, everything and everybody even tangentially involved with me would get culled."

Tyzias shrugs, face in shadow. "So yeah. I really have no idea how I would've fared if I did try to fight back for realsies on Alternia. Call me a coward. But if I wasn't afraid every damn second I lived there..." She lets the rest go unsaid.
Edited 2019-05-04 00:42 (UTC)
tiredcharmer: (Default)

[personal profile] tiredcharmer 2019-05-06 04:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Tyzias nods. "Apology accepted."

...is that it?

Yeah, it seems so. She isn't drawing her weapon, or even settling into a fighting stance.
tiredcharmer: (?)

[personal profile] tiredcharmer 2019-05-08 04:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Tyzias had gotten her fill of senseless violence on Alternia. Although she was now much more on the "kicking" side of the phrase "kicking ass," that didn't mean she was some idiot coldblood who overcompensated for their deep-seated insecurities with needless aggression.

She shrugs, pulling her coat back on tight. "Still on my stupid fuckin' department-mandated vacation, so I'm free. Thank fuck it's ending in a few days, I'm going to go absolutely spare if I have to stand around doing nothing for another week." It seems that she's picked up some language from Vimes.
tiredcharmer: (Depressed)

[personal profile] tiredcharmer 2019-05-09 02:50 pm (UTC)(link)
"They haven't trusted me since that prissy monkey fuckwad blew up half the Bangaa History section with an Ultima on my watch."
tiredcharmer: (?)

[personal profile] tiredcharmer 2019-05-13 05:31 pm (UTC)(link)
"Sure. You have any place in mind? I normally subsist on reheated department leftovers, EZ-Bakes, and microwave meals, so I'm not exactly an expert on fine dining."

How is she even alive?
'
neverbeamemory: (Considering)

[personal profile] neverbeamemory 2019-05-02 07:40 pm (UTC)(link)
I might add some note about the positive to Balahaka's negative aspect; I did get the distinct impression that Meghamaal was heavily inferred to as being such.

I suspect if there were some way of pinning down exactly which entities they both embodied in the great story of Crystallis we'd be a great deal closer to being armed for the inevitable.

That they -and significant others mentioned, incarnated here- once had a role as an 'Avatar' of Narayana is, to me, without a doubt.

There is a need to keep the Curti center and it's establishment both close, and at arms length, for this reason.
transect: (:|)

text.

[personal profile] transect 2019-05-04 10:06 am (UTC)(link)
I'm not sure how useful this is now that it is after the fact, but during the confrontation with Ramaa I was able to confirm through an Advanced Libra that she does indeed have, "strong ties to Vaikuntha, Crystallis and Earth."

If it's of any consequence, it seems as though her plan, at least at the time, was to "use the Heroes of Light to weaken the Melodies keeping Vaikuntha together and revive Narayana, the Calamity from the Skies."
old_stoneface: (Default)

[personal profile] old_stoneface 2019-05-04 04:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Vimes fumbled with the bloody iMog for a few minutes before finally giving up and just calling Corrin instead. Worse than the damned Disorganizers-

"Evening, Corrin. What can I do for you?"
old_stoneface: (Default)

[personal profile] old_stoneface 2019-05-07 04:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Vimes blinked, and then his expression turned hard, a crease forming between his eyebrows. "Well. You've got a good head on your shoulders, Corrin, and you're used to command- that's a bonus, but you'll have to learn a few things about copperin' that're done differently from how it's done in the military. Still, you can read without moving your lips and you can handle a sword without stabbing yourself in the foot, and in my book that's practically officer material-"

And then he was smiling, if only slightly. "I'll deliver it in person, if I've got to, but on one condition. I want to know how they're training you in Nakagawa. If they're not doin' it properly, I want to know, Corrin, and if I have to I'll come down there myself and train you myself. Alright?"
boomchucka: (Well y'see...)

[personal profile] boomchucka 2019-05-08 01:10 am (UTC)(link)
Well... getting used to a sword again has been interesting for sure. I'm super rusty!

[No, Selphie is probably not going to talk about their little disagreement on Alexander's back unless someone else were to bring it up.

Say hello to Vaikuntha's newest Red Mage otherwise.]
boomchucka: (worried about something)

[personal profile] boomchucka 2019-05-08 05:03 am (UTC)(link)
[The minute the message is locked causes Selphie to pause out of caution. Part of her wants to brush it off, like it didn't matter. Another part of her says to try to talk it out, because neither of them can move forward until they bridge the gap between them. The final part is the card that she decides to play.

Honesty.]


Red Mage and that would be helpful.

Selphie is typing

Uh... I should be used to people thinking that I'm annoying by now but...

It hurt. It hurt almost as much as Ramaa saying that everything that the previous heroes did on Crystallis meant nothing. I'm pretty much mended up thanks to the Curti Centre infirmary but it still hurts on the inside.

Everything just made me realize that I've still got a lot of growing to do. As a SeeD. As an adult and as a hero of light.
boomchucka: (wink)

[personal profile] boomchucka 2019-05-08 09:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Selphie is typing...

Thank you. I hope my words at the end of it all got through to her though.

I don't think it really mattered how strong we may have become individually. We were stronger as a united front against her and


Selphie is typing...

That could've been me in your place. It could have been any one of us. I would've been just as powerless to stop her magic.

If you're okay with a happy-go-lucky type at your side, I'd stand by you like I did during your speech. But if you ever get caught in that thrall again, I'll be first in line to smack you out of it.

So let's become better versions of ourselves together.
boomchucka: (love)

[personal profile] boomchucka 2019-05-10 12:28 am (UTC)(link)
I'm not sure what I'd do. Her words to me still sting a bit so, I guess that's that for now.

I think I'm more than capable of doing both!

Yeah! :)