(02-11-2017, 02:32 AM)Redrick Wrote: What's the deal with the whole 'inner dragon' struggle and dragon curse after the end of the Dragonsong war?

Encyclopedia Eorzea Wrote:The Azure Dragoon
The title is bestowed upon the dragoon who has drawn upon the roiling energies of the Eye of Nidhogg. While bonding with the artifact grants enormous power, it also exposes the dragonslayer to the will of Nidhogg - a malevolent influence that can be resisted only by the most unyielding of minds. Thus, it is tradition that but one dragoon - the strongest among their number - is selected to embody the tenets of the order.

Alberic Wrote:The Eye is no ordinary relic. It harbors the power of the dragon, which it bestows upon a single chosen soul─the strongest and wisest dragoon. He who is chosen is possessed of the power to fight our mortal foes, the dragons of Dravania, on equal footing, soaring the firmament as if it were an extension of the land. That man is known as the Azure Dragoon. The Azure Dragoon is the light of hope for all Ishgardians, and the paragon of all dragoons.

Blood of the Dragon Wrote:This technique allows the Azure Dragoon to draw upon the baleful strength bestowed by the Eye. As this act essentially allows a wyrm's instincts to supplant one's own, a will of steel is paramount in retaining control of one's focus.

Estinien Wrote:Now I ask that you lend me your power - aye, the power of the dragon. Behold the drachen mail, forged in the lifeblood of dragons. As blood calls to blood, so too does the armor call to the dragon within, redoubling the Azure Dragoon's strength thereby. If you would save the people of Ishgard from the great wyrm Nidhogg, you must needs clad yourself in the same.

Alberic Wrote:So you return bearing four pieces of the drachen mail. That leaves us with the fifth and final item. Aye, there exists one more piece to the set. However, it cannot be worn save by those dragoons who have achieved perfect awakening of the dragon within. This is something you must attend to presently.

Encyclopedia Eorzea Wrote:During their thousand-year war with the dragons, Ishgardians stumbled upon a dark secret - it seemed that some men, upon partaking in a dragon's blood, would be granted the ability to transform into a hideous chimerical hybrid. In time, these aberrations would come to be called aevises, a word taken from the Enchiridion meaning "devil who flies." Recent revelations have shown that this transformation is not a matter of chance, but is most likely to occur in those who claim lineage with those great Ishgardian heroes who consumed the eye of Ratatoskr, ever tainting their bloodline.

(02-11-2017, 02:32 AM)Redrick Wrote: Can Ishgardians guzzle dragons blood(not that you'd want to) without any problems?

Dengeki Wrote:– When the people of Ishgard become dragons, is there a general role for what they will become?

In terms of how powerful they will become, it goes in order Aevis -> Syricta -> Diresaur. Think of it as depending on how much of the “factor of the dragon” they inherited. Also, drinking “dragons blood” alone has no effect. It has to be “blood poured with great magick.” Drinking the blood of a defeated dragon, or even taking draconian medicines, there will be no effect. In the right doses it is perfectly safe, so adventurers and even the people of Ishgard should have peace of mind when using draconian medicines.

Curbing the Contagion (L) Wrote:A bevy of women and children burst into the church in hysterics, having been showered by the blood of a dragon felled by a ballista strike. Wailing that the dragon's essence may have been absorbed into their skin and turned them against the Fury, they have been bowing unceasingly in prayer for nearly a bell now. As a member of the clergy, I could not possibly forsake them in their time of need—and when they are so willing to pay the proper fee for a cleansing ritual. Forsooth, bring me holy water and I shall reward you thus.

(02-11-2017, 10:08 PM)Zelmanov Wrote: The Lore Book states that for the move "Blood of the Dragon" it specifically mentions the Azure Dragoon. However, the Limit Break 3, Dragon Song Dive, uses Dragoon but states that it entreats the "dragon within"

Alberic Wrote:The power did not abandon me, Sounsyy. It was I who abandoned it. Being derived from our mortal enemies, the power of the Azure Dragoon is a double-edged sword. Even as it lends us the strength we need to smite dragons, it heightens our communion with the creatures, rendering our minds more susceptible to their seduction than ordinary men.
Even as I buried my lance in Nidhogg's flesh, our gazes locked, and mine eyes met then with a look that would fair impale a man. In that instant, I found myself assailed by a torrent of emotions not mine own… Sorrow… Rancor… Pity… They threatened to drown the man in me and leave behind a dragon. Fearing that I might turn traitor, I chose to purge myself of the power that the Eye had bestowed upon me. Never allow yourself to forget the origin of your strength. Ever does the dragon lurk behind your eyes, biding its time, ready to claim you for its own. Aught less than complete conviction, and you will find yourself in its vice-like grip.

(02-11-2017, 10:08 PM)Zelmanov Wrote: Furthermore, The Drachen Mail is plural, there is more than one, all built the same way. This is assumed to be the same way because the final Dragoon trial involves you taking pieces from previous deceased Dragoons.

Drachen Armor Wrote:A dragoon's armor. They say that in Ishgard, the value of a thing is measured in rumors. By that reckoning, the smithing secrets of drachen armor is valuable indeed. Some say the tint of the mythril comes from being cooled in dragon blood. Others whisper that the suit is unnaturally light, that drowning knights who should have been dragged under by its weight sped to shore like eels...

Dragonlancer's Armor Wrote:Some two centuries ago, a brilliant artisan by the name of Ursulie the Meek abided in the city of Ishgard. Supremely talented despite her tender years, Ursulie was employed by the Holy See's own armory where she forged the pieces of the Dragonlancer's Armor. The conservative, high-ranking members of the clergy, however, did not care for its ingeniously sleek design. Refusing to consider the innovations Ursulie had made to assist with a dragoon's mid-air repositioning, they demanded that she reforge the armor's appearance to one more closely tailored to traditional tastes. The young artisan eventually tired of the clergy's close-minded criticisms, and, bundling up both her work and her talents, bade farewell to Ishgard for good.

Brionac Wrote:In accordance with the wishes of the Holy See, famed artisan Ursulie the Meek crafted this weapon in the classic style of the earliest Ishgardian lances. Unable to resist making improvements, however, she also blended two different metals in the spearhead to adjust the center of balance, as well as adding other typically brilliant touches to the base design. The dragoon assigned to test the spear was enamored by its perfect equilibrium, but the senior clergy were wroth that the artisan had failed to adhere to traditional forging methods. It was this very incident that is said to have first set a discouraged Ursulie's feet on the road that would lead her out of Ishgard.

Estinien Wrote:Behold the drachen mail, forged in the lifeblood of dragons. As blood calls to blood, so too does the armor call to the dragon within, redoubling the Azure Dragoon's strength thereby. If you would save the people of Ishgard from the great wyrm Nidhogg, you must needs clad yourself in the same. When an Azure Dragoons hangs up his lance, ancient custom decrees that he seal away his drachen mail at the fields of his valor. You must journey to such places and claim the armor for yourself. Your Soul of the Dragoon shall serve as the key to lifting the seals.

(02-11-2017, 10:08 PM)Zelmanov Wrote: And minor addendum to the blood curse, it does have to be highly magicked but it can be given to someone forcefully. Heustienne was force fed dragon's blood by heretics, the same sort that transforms Ishgardians.

(02-11-2017, 10:52 PM)Sounsyy Wrote:

(02-11-2017, 10:08 PM)Zelmanov Wrote: The Lore Book states that for the move "Blood of the Dragon" it specifically mentions the Azure Dragoon. However, the Limit Break 3, Dragon Song Dive, uses Dragoon but states that it entreats the "dragon within"

An alternative interpretation could liken the "dragon within" to being a pre-HW way of saying "Ratatoskr's Essence," something that most dragoons would have within their blood, but the Eye of Nidhogg activates it in a way that strengthens the dragoon like the first Knights Twelve. So, theoretically, any dragoon of sufficient skill and training could call upon the "dragon within/inner dragon" by way of the drachen mail's enhancements or the soul crystal, but perhaps only the Azure Dragoon can withstand the influence of the Blood of the Dragon ability? I'm not sure.

(02-12-2017, 12:22 AM)Zelmanov Wrote: As of the end of the Dragonsong war, there are only TEN dragoons in active duty.

They never say WHY there are ten (did everyone else die? Retire? No one knows).

Orrin, my character as a Dragoon, got "promoted" he's now a banneret in the templar knights proper due to his merit as a tactician in the war. Effectively removing him from active combat.

(02-12-2017, 06:53 AM)Redrick Wrote: But does that mean the rest would effectively give back their soul stones despite all their work unless they get promoted, did something of worth to keep it, or stole them? I know everyone doesn't technically 'USE' soul stones when role playing but if you were to. What happens? Do they effectively relieve you of your stones and armor as if you had passed or do they say. 'Hey we aren't gonna call you in anymore, you're dismissed from your service but keep your shit' kind of deal? I'm curious what people think would make the most sense?

Alberic Wrote:That dragon lies yet in slumber, however, and you must needs possess the means to wake it: the Soul of the Dragoon. I would entrust you with mine, Sounsyy. Like Estinien, I once ruled the skies as the Azure Dragoon, although that power has since become lost to me. It was simply by force of habit that I have hitherto kept the soul upon my person.

Estinien Wrote:When an Azure Dragoon hangs up his lance, ancient custom decrees that he seal away his drachen mail at the fields of his valor.

Alberic Wrote:A young dragoon as been slain in the latest dragon attack. While the creature responsible has long since departed the scene, a spirggan known as Spitfire, presumably drawn by the scent of death, has set about desecrating our comrade's resting palce. This cannot be tolerated - the creature must be vanquished. Once you have seen to the vile beast, pay what respects you will to your comrade - to a fellow of the path who gave his life in the name of justice.

Leek Soup for the Soul Wrote:The dragoons of House Durendaire are on maneuvers, and the deaths already begin to mount. Many are too fatigued to take much nourishment at the end of the day, and so succumb to cold, a fall, a thrust they may otherwise have parried. Steaming bowls of cawl cennin may make all the difference.

Look Before You Leap Wrote:Among the aspiring Knights Dragoon are a talented few who practice jumping attacks in equipment crafted from adamantite, the weight of which will help them to crush a dragon's skull as an eggshell. Alas, one such youth misstepped during his training and landed among the crags, breaking both his legs and armor in the impact. Though his injuries will heal, he requires a new pair of leg guards, and I would entrust none other but a skilled craftsman with the task.

Encyclopedia Eorzea Wrote:The brave men and women of the Knights Dragoon, a subdivision of the Temple Knights, are trained to engage their Dravanian foes directly on the front line. Vowing to carry on the honorable work of Haldrath, the first dragoon, they are masters of a unique form of aerial combat in which they leap high into the air and then descend, driving their lances into their target with the full weight of their body behind the blow. The commander of this elite unit, the Azure Dragoon, is further empowered by an ancient relic of the Holy See known as the Eye. The Eye grants the Azure Dragoon strength far beyond that of mortal men, which he then brings to bear against his draconic enemies.

To even be considered as a candidate for this elite force is considered a feat in itself. Select applicants are subjected to a harsh training regimen, and fewer still are deemed worthy to bear the title of dragoon. The mortality rate for the Order of the Knights Dragoon is the highest among the Temple Knights, given their methods and the circumstances under which they are often deployed. While the Order is normally comprised of thirty dragoons, it suffered significant casualties during the Horde's most recent assaults, and there are currently only ten dragoons in active service.

Jantellot Wrote:Oh, and lest you worry, that business about me losing my livelihood couldn't have been further from the truth. In point of fact, peace is proving surprisingly lucrative! As our nation's ties with Hraesvelgr's brood have grown stronger and our interests in Dravania have begun to expand, we have seen a marked increase in the number of travelers on the road. Needless to say, said travelers require protection, which we are only too happy to provide. Granted, such work will not earn you a lordship like slaying a dragon might, but it pays well and is far less prone to end in incineration - which seems a reasonable enough compromise, all things considered.