#solheim

Month 12, day 6

I am the greetest at keeping my stylus charged, so tonight we're doing a photo edit :P

Gosh I love Costlemark. One of the most beautiful places in the game, imo. Don't love the daemons inside it, but dang, that architecture.

Original under the cut for comparison as usual :)

My twist on an AU Solheimian/Egyptian style for Ardyn

That would actually be so cool. Tho I do wonder if Alexander would be a creation of Solheim or one of the Messengers who fell during the war...

Ah, no. The base design would be Solheimr. They were a great allround tool and proved to be very practical in a jungle. So the Galahkari kept them.

The Missing Skyscrapers

コースタルマークタワー内部にて。ルシス領にて訪れることの出来る古代遺跡は三つのみ、どれも堅牢な石壁、地中へ向かって巨大な空間が作られている点は共通しているようです。このダンジョンも外観こそ天に伸びる塔という体を取っているものの、地下空間の広がりに比べれば、地上階など無いも同然でしょうか。 痕跡だけ見ればソルハイム帝国は摩天楼を作らない文明だった可能性も捨てきれません。が……仮にかの帝国を滅ぼしたテラフレアが天より降る攻撃だったならば、空高く伸びていた建造物はすべて崩れ去り、地下遺跡のみが残った――と解釈することも可能だと思います。

Mother: “Do you want me to take him, Ardyn?”

Ardyn: “It’s all right, mother. I’ve got him.”

The tiny babe in his hands babbles happily and the young boy that held him could not stop the smile spreading widely on his face.

Ardyn: “I won’t let us down.”

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.

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"Hmm I can tell you a story if you like. Perhaps an old one? Let me tell you how Solheim shattered then."

Long ago when the World was whole there was a great island that housed all the earth surrounded by the endless Jade Sea. This Land was called Solheim after the great golden mountain in it's center, that cast the suns light all across the land be it day or night. In the day it was like twin suns and at the peak of the day when the sun was directly over it Eos the Sun Goddess rested on her daily travel and stopped to speak with those who came.

At night the Mountain of the Mothers cast back the light of the sun it captured during the day and lit the world with a soft glow. Every night Etro the Moon Goddess would meet her Moonsingers as they hunted through the darkness. On the nights when the Moon was dark Fenrir, Lord of the Hunt, defended the Mountain from Those Who Should Not Be.

It was during one of these nights that tragedy struck. Fenrir was betrayed by his closest friend, who's name is long lost, and fell to He Who Drinks Life casting the defending force into chaos. It started a century of war, for the Mother's Mountain housed a dark secret. It held the last remains of the Folly of Atlantis, a great Gate to the Outer Path taken by the Mothers after Leviathan vented her righteous Rage on the slaving Empire. The Chain-breaker had been unable to destroy it so handed it over to those who knew the danger.

Unfortunately for Solheim the Gate had already been used. It took centuries for the Other-kind to build enough power to get to the Gate, but they finally struck. They killed most of the Moonsingers, only a young initiate escaping by his Teacher almost drowning him as he through him in the Frozen Torrent, a great white water river that flowed down the mountain. His descendants would later go on to found Succarpe after the breaking.

The gate was thrown open and The Elder Gods, Ancient and cruel beings from beyond the Outer Path, could step though. Solheim fell to total war for a century before someone managed to close the Gate casting Them back to their Prison.

I don't know what she was called then but this hero was also a villain. She knew that 'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of a few. While it is a good thing that she saved the world, she did so by enslaving Titan and shattering the Mountain of the Mothers. It cast both Mother Goddesses into a deep slumber none could wake them from.

Titan in his chains of blood and sacrifice marched against the Other-kind and slew all who opposed him. She who bound him was joined by two friends: a Chosen son of Eos who's family had been the first to call for the Chain-breaker to Rage against Atlantis, and a Mage-Warlord who who hailed from a family of Etro's favored that had also earned the Favor of The Bloody Dragon when they Conquered Solheim after the Fall of Atlantis.

These three fought and fought finally reaching the Gate and the Earth-binder sent them to prepare for the last offensive. For she had not told them how she would close the Gate. She set her daughter, now old enough to help fight, to guard her while she cast her final great spell.

None know how the daughter survived or what the spell consisted of, but the results were obvious. Solheim Sundered in four pieces as Titan cast He Who Drinks Life back through the gate. She was Named Night Sword by Doomtrain who she bound herself to after seeing what her bloods gifts could do without some way to restrain them. The name eventually became Nox Fleuret.

The Warrior of Eos was with his people on what eventually became Galahd. He named himself Ulric after the loss of his love.

The Mage-Warlord led her people to what would become Lucis and her line named themselves after her upon her death and Became the Lucis Caelum.

All the world was reeling from the Sundering, which let something slip through.