#vochstein

There's a pair of Red Mage resistance fighters there, a Legion conscript named Lovro and his apprentice Meryall, who defected from the Empire to fight for the liberation of Bozja. How did they learn Red Magic? Lambard. Lambard agreed to teach Red Magic to Legion soldiers as part of his betrayal.

Lovro hated Lambard's guts. When Lovro went on to train new Red Mages for the Empire, he deliberately tried to recruit revolutionaries who he could encourage to use the magic against the Empire. Absolutely hilarious to me. But the narrative potential of finding out Red Mages live on and fight for freedom elsewhere... because of Lambard, is something I really want to see X'rhun react to.

There is ALSO a Vochstein beastmaster enemy - and a neat chunk of lore on what happened to that noble Ala Mhigan house after they let their griffins loose to prevent the Garlean's having them. Cairm insisted their griffins could not fall into the hands of oppressors. To spare his father's life, one of Cairm's sons agreed to enlist and teach the Garleans their secrets to training griffins. His adopted daughter now serves the Legion loyally, with Vochstein griffins and - there's just something very cool to explore there.

Trimaran, Lyrha's griffin, is only half Vochstein - but he has the notorious temperament of that breed and inherited the vibrant blue coloration. She's not a beastmaster. That combination of flaws shows in their tempestuous relationship. Pagaga would recognize Trimaran's lineage, and the intense rivalry that might spawn there - two inheritors of a vaunted bloodline, each accusing the other of being unworthy to claim it. Idk! Sounds fun! Plus like. Griffin fight. Griffin fight.

Aaa thank you for the ask! :D

I have actually not 100% settled on when he gifts Lyrha Trimaran, but I currently lean toward it being sometime not very long after the fight with Lambard in the Red Mage questline. It's soon after X'rhun's recovery I believe she'll tell him the truth about what she used to be, and the single biggest secret between the pair will be resolved.

They enter a bit of a honeymoon phase at that point though there's no strings attached. Trim is not specifically intended as a gift to a lover so much as to a fellow champion of the Red. Realistically, though, he qualifies as a bit of both. Alternatively, he may be given to her during the Stormblood arc, while Ala Mhigo fights for its freedom. It's at this point Arya's malady will manifest, and Lyrha will accompany X'rhun to the ziggurat. This would certainly be a more convenient time for him to acquire the beast. (Though truth be told I'm still not entirely sure how he managed that)

He's blue though, because he's part Vochstein! :D This would be a kingly gift that many Gyr Abanians would recognize the value of. Lyrha knows that an animal like this cannot be a small thing, but it actually takes some time for her to realize just HOW significant Trim actually is:

Griffins have been bred in Gyr Abania for generations, but the Vochstein family was famous for the quality of its beasts. The griffins they raised was sought after by all, an' even the royal house had a few “Vochsteins” in its stables. Then the Empire invaded. Not wantin' the imperials to steal his prized breedin' stock, the head o' the Vochstein family threw open the door to a certain stall. What flew out in a flurry o' feathers an' talons was the biggest, meanest sire what ever hunted the skies. — Wicked Ambush of Ala Ghiri