#elgarnan

In the finished game, Ghilan’nain is present throughout the majority of the Fire and Ice quest, while Elgar’nan appears only at the end of it.

However, cut lines indicate that Elgar’nan was originally supposed to arrive alongside Ghilan’nain, and they’d keep taunting Rook together until both dragons were defeated.

Ghilan'nain: Clouded hearts. Shadowed by fear, eclipsed by doubt. Rook: Ghilan'nain! Elgar'nan: You struggle fruitlessly, when you could kneel. Rook: And Elgar'nan! Name: TAUNT 1 Ghilan'nain: The ones from the fortress. Ghilan'nain: The ones that destroyed my Archdemon! Elgar'nan: You shall have your vengeance, my sister. Elgar'nan: Fen'Harel's last piece on the board, ours for the taking. Name: TAUNT 2 Elgar'nan: The Dread Wolf once commanded armies. Elgar'nan: Loyal warriors who lived by his command and died with his name on their lips. Elgar'nan: All dust. All forgotten. Elgar'nan: He will lead you to your doom, as he led countless others. Elgar'nan: You owe Fen'harel nothing, for he has given you nothing. Elgar'nan: He harbors secrets like no other, for he has little else to comfort him. Elgar'nan: He has not shown you the true power of the dagger. Elgar'nan: He has not offered knowledge of the prison that holds him. Elgar'nan: All this and more I would gladly share. In exchange I ask only for your devotion. Name: TAUNT 4 Ghilan'nain: The world has grown thin-blooded. Its skies empty. Its spirits weak. Ghilan'nain: The Dread Wolf's Veil choked all glory from this place! Ghilan'nain: Once we found our new empire, I will bring us closer to the glories of old. Name: TAUNT 5 Ghilan'nain: I was once young. Foolish. I crafted creatures for beauty or grace. Ghilan'nain: But elegance did not suffice. There was always a lack! A complexity even I could not reach! Ghilan'nain: We will have the dagger. We will release the blight. Ghilan'nain: And I will unlock the final mysteries of blood, and flesh, and bone! Name: FIRST DRAGON DOWN Ghilan'nain: The dragon fails! Elgar'nan: Its weak flesh could never substitute for your masterwork. Elgar'nan: When we are finished here, we shall gather for you the makings of the finest Archdemon yet. Name: SECOND DRAGON DOWN Elgar'nan: (Snarls) Ghilan'nain: You were correct, Elgar'nan. These creatures fail our needs, again and again. Elgar'nan: It seems the way of this pale world. Elgar'nan: For now, patience. When retribution comes, it will be all the sweeter. Name: LEAVING Elgar'nan: I see the Dread Wolf's game. I know his moves and the pieces he has arrayed against me. Elgar'nan: When next we meet, Rook, you will not be so fortunate.

After the events in Arlathan Forest, Marisol de Riva reels from her close encounter with Elgar'nan. Memories of that experience linger and torment, prickling over into uneasy dreams and questionable realities. Marisol learns all too quickly that their encounter is not over... but that she is not helpless to the whims of the Evanuris.

a gift for the exemplary @thimblings!! it was such a treat to get to write this wicked little adventure for marisol, who i am sure would love to... not ever run into elgar'nan in this way again.

this truly was so fun to write, and i am so honored to have the opportunity to tell this story for solina!!

There's a snippet below, but read the whole fic HERE on AO3!

The Lighthouse sheltered quiet in every corner. Marisol felt the resounding echo of her presence in it, as though it had all gone hushed. Like some beast lying in wait or a prey animal, terrified to shift or breathe in the presence of a predator, not wanting to be found, to be caught, to be devoured. Even her breath felt too loud. Each slow inhale to fill her lungs, then bursting exhale that seemed to rattle the very ribs that held her together… it made her wish she could stop. She could stop. She could stop.

The thoughts all blurred together and, now, now recognizing the discomfort of this tumbling cascade, Marisol lifted her hands to press the heels of her palms to her eyes. If she could just tune out a little input, perhaps she could solve the perplexity that plucked at her. Like feathers being torn away, she had to fight to keep her thoughts aligned.

"Think." That was her own voice (she was mostly sure).

She thought: Blood lotus, when appropriately distilled, produced a powerful hallucinogenic that affected all of the senses. One drop to dizzy. Two drops to disorient. Three drops to disable. Four drops… four drops of blood (lotus) running down her cheek.

dividers by @/sister-lucifer tag list below for anyone who may be interested! see this post here for my tag list info!