Enthrallment

[Aden Dellebecque]

I'm looking for any thoughts or insight on draconic enthrallment. The game seems a little skimpy on details, and there appear to be multiple ways to come by it--and even ways to resist it. I feel like I'm missing pieces to determine if it's an actually useful plot device though, or even puzzle out how it works, so I'm reaching out here.

[Momo]

Draconic Enthrallment in what way?  In the case of the dragon cultists and heretics?  Or in the case of Estinien?  In another case?

The basics of the two cases I mentioned above are hard to translate to any race or character besides Elezen and Einstein respectively, because they are intrinsically linked.  This is spoilery for HW, if there even is such a thing this far out from the beginning of HW when this was first available, so I will leave it off here for now, to get an idea of what sort of information you were looking for?

 

Hope this gets lots of replies, because more dragon-lore is always appreciated, and a discussion of it, even more so!

[Sounsyy]

I'm looking for any thoughts or insight on draconic enthrallment. The game seems a little skimpy on details, and there appear to be multiple ways to come by it--and even ways to resist it. I feel like I'm missing pieces to determine if it's an actually useful plot device though, or even puzzle out how it works, so I'm reaching out here.

 

Okay, this one is a little tricky. We know that dragonkin can bewitch, temper, and control lesser, unintelligent scalekin based on a translation of this Dengeki article.

 

– When the people of Ishgard become dragons' date=' is there a general role for what they will become?[/b']

 

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.

 

– The terminology for dragon (kin / follower / family) is often used, but what do they include?

 

It’s explanation is included in quests and such, but it’s spread out and can be confusing so I’ll go over it again. There are three basic groups in the “dragon broods.” They are the “genuine dragons,” the “people who became dragons,” and the “monsters who submit to dragon magicks.” The “genuine dragons” are evolving creatures, so their figures will vary - but they are all intelligent. The “people who become dragons” are the aevis and syricta and such. Finally, we have drakes and biasts, dragonflies, and tyrannosaurs. They lack intelligence. They are basically bound, mindless monsters. The intense magickal power of the dragons causes them to submit, and though they obey and work together, they are not genuine dragons.

 

But that said, the only source we have for people becoming "tempered" by dragons are from the Holy See. So we don't know factually if a dragon can actually temper a person. However, the Holy See's official stance is that they can and in these three ways:

 

A man must gaze not upon the eyes of a dragon.

A man must hearken not the words of a dragon.

A man must lay his hands not upon the flesh nor blood of a dragon.

 

The archbishop, his Holiness, declares thus, and thus is it law.

 

Ishgardians believe that a dragon may temper a man in any of the above ways. Eye contact, vocalization, or physical contact with a living dragon. The distinction should be made that you can touch a deceased dragon, just not a living one. The skins/scales of murdered dragons often get used in armor, hand wraps, or prayer scrolls to enhance one's fervor when praying to Halone.

 

Now, whether or not a dragon can actually temper you by looking at it? We can't say for sure, as there's no solid evidence of it having ever happened. If you confess to any of these things happening to you, you are branded a heretic.

 

Another honorable mention is that the waters of the Twinpools, Ashpool and Banepool, are believed by the Ishgardians to be poisoned, because a dragon has lain in or drunk from the waters.

 

The water here runs clear as the hearts of the men who work these mountains. May it quench your thirst and wash your spirit clean. But ware the foul waters of Ashpool and Banepool far to the northwest. The taint of the dragon runs deep in those lakes' date=' making them poison to man and beast alike.[/quote']

 

As if it were not luck enough to be caught unawares' date=' an aevis ravaged a knight's side and breathed its dark magicks into the wound. The unfortunate soul was retrieved from Falcon's Nest by his brothers and brought back to the infirmary, yet his mouth has started foaming and the wound at his side has turned purple, bubbling and festering from the dragon's bewitching. Though I have not seen it myself, some say the guttering of the aevis will drown out Halone's voice of reason, commanding his mind to murder. Lest someone can produce a bottle of hallowed water with which to purify his wound, we will have no choice but to have his head removed before it succumbs to the aevis's whispers entirely.[/quote']

[Aden Dellebecque]

 

But that said, the only source we have for people becoming "tempered" by dragons are from the Holy See. So we don't know factually if a dragon can actually temper a person. However, the Holy See's official stance is that they can and in these three ways:

 

A man must gaze not upon the eyes of a dragon.

A man must hearken not the words of a dragon.

A man must lay his hands not upon the flesh nor blood of a dragon.

 

The archbishop, his Holiness, declares thus, and thus is it law.

 

Ishgardians believe that a dragon may temper a man in any of the above ways. Eye contact, vocalization, or physical contact with a living dragon. The distinction should be made that you can touch a deceased dragon, just not a living one. The skins/scales of murdered dragons often get used in armor, hand wraps, or prayer scrolls to enhance one's fervor when praying to Halone.

 

Now, whether or not a dragon can actually temper you by looking at it? We can't say for sure, as there's no solid evidence of it having ever happened. If you confess to any of these things happening to you, you are branded a heretic.

 

This is what I was looking for, thank you. I thought I was just missing something but the answer really is that it isn't shown (and thank you for the reminder as well that it may not actually be a thing).