[once upon a time, the citizens of ishgard were far more concerned that the garleans might have designs upon coerthas. they started to build castrum aquilonis, after all, and surprisingly, the holy see did nothing to deter the construction of a garlean outpost in central coerthas. (they did nothing, too, to dissuade a certain lucia goe junius, garlean spy, from infiltrating ishgard.)
but then the ice and snow came, and with it, all garlean ambitions. castrum aquilonis has lain unfinished for many moons now, and nowadays, all that lord francel of skyfire locks concerns himself with is the occasional report of garlean activity in the southern borders of the boulder downs area, which is closer to mor dhona.
he is in monument tower — a house haillenarte possession — when he receives yet another report of garlean activity. and this time, it is more than just the furtive movements of garlean scouts from castrum centri.
"lord francel!" a house haillenarte knight cries. she is winded from climbing the long flights of stairs halfway up monument tower to reach her young lord; she has to pant for breath for a moment. "a — a garlean delegation of sorts has arrived? i know not what to make of them, my lord. their leader claims to be an — an ambassador of peace?"]
...An ambassador... of peace?
[curious this is, when ishgard and garlemald had no announced conflicts to begin with. but then, francel reasons, perhaps this is a retaliatory measure: ishgard has freshly joined the eorzean alliance. perhaps the garleans mean to draw upon their previously neutral relationship with ishgard for... some reason?]
...Show them in, but allow them no further than the first floor. I will meet them myself.
["o-of course, my lord," the knight replies, and runs off. francel gathers his things and calmly walks the long way down to the first floor of monument tower...]
finally getting this to you lmao
but then the ice and snow came, and with it, all garlean ambitions. castrum aquilonis has lain unfinished for many moons now, and nowadays, all that lord francel of skyfire locks concerns himself with is the occasional report of garlean activity in the southern borders of the boulder downs area, which is closer to mor dhona.
he is in monument tower — a house haillenarte possession — when he receives yet another report of garlean activity. and this time, it is more than just the furtive movements of garlean scouts from castrum centri.
"lord francel!" a house haillenarte knight cries. she is winded from climbing the long flights of stairs halfway up monument tower to reach her young lord; she has to pant for breath for a moment. "a — a garlean delegation of sorts has arrived? i know not what to make of them, my lord. their leader claims to be an — an ambassador of peace?"]
...An ambassador... of peace?
[curious this is, when ishgard and garlemald had no announced conflicts to begin with. but then, francel reasons, perhaps this is a retaliatory measure: ishgard has freshly joined the eorzean alliance. perhaps the garleans mean to draw upon their previously neutral relationship with ishgard for... some reason?]
...Show them in, but allow them no further than the first floor. I will meet them myself.
["o-of course, my lord," the knight replies, and runs off. francel gathers his things and calmly walks the long way down to the first floor of monument tower...]