Have they ever said what demons actually are? Are they dragons corrupted by black mana, beings created in the Otherworld but with a conscious mind, or something else?
If not, do you have theories on what they are?
Sort of! You want to look at Faith Forsaken, Part Two for the answer. Long story short: Satan's soul was sealed in the otherworld, but his body was divided into parts and scattered across Grastaea. Over time, his flesh became the Archdemons and their armies, which Metatron sealed using the Archangel mimicries 700 years ago.
Of course, that leaves the question of "Well... what was Satan, then?" And let me tell you, I was not expecting to go down this particular rabbit hole.
I don't have an exact answer. However, going by context clues, let's assume he's whatever the opposite of a dragon is. In 21, we learn of the world's origin story in The Two Creators:
In the beginning—in the chaos devoid of heaven and earth, light and dark— two beings came into the world.
The Progenitor, known also as the human of beginning, and the Origin, known also as the dragon of beginning.
The world was forged by these two pillars of creation. They gave rise to heaven and earth, human and dragon.
This origin story frames the Progenitor and the Origin (aka Bahamut) as opposites. Angels are a type of dragon, and therefore they are of Bahamut. By the same logic, if demons are the opposite of angels, demons must therefore be of the Progenitor.
But... there's a snag here. The Progenitor is known as the "human of beginning." Demons aren't human.
....Right?
Let's look at Agents of the Goddess and Divine Deception again. Both cases feature a particular phenomenon: someone breaks the seal on the sealing stone, unleashes a massive amount of miasma, and becomes a vessel for that particular demon. We've seen this with Myriam's father as well, back in Dawn of Dragalia; Morsayati possesses him and his physical form changes.
A few other tie-ins. Mordecai, and therefore Morsayati, hails from the otherworld. Nedrick tells us something very interesting about that space between worlds:
The vile substance that fills the space between worlds is the overwhelming power of the Progenitor given form.
This is something Zena ties to black mana, something we know a human is capable of producing... that is, Beren. And we've seen what Beren's mana can do to dragons AND humans alike. (See Forte's adventure story.) Suddenly Phares and Beren partnering up makes way more sense!
Speaking of Beren, he pulls a REALLY creepy face in 22. I've recreated it using a sprite database:
Perfectly normal face for a child 21 year old to make, yup.
So, with all these pieces of information in mind, here's my final thoughts: I think demons are otherworld-corrupted humans. Demons are tied to miasma, which is tied to black mana, which is tied to the Progenitor, who is tied to humans. Demons are also traditionally considered to be the opposite of angels, and if angels are associated with dragons (and therefore Bahamut), it makes sense to associate demons with the opposing force (aka the Progenitor). This isn't even touching on Morsayati lacking a physical form and needing to possess humans with dragonblood or perdition mana, or the fact that Euden and Sheila, who are both made of the Other's flesh, can function just fine and are indistinguishable from other humans. Because they are human.
With Dawn of Dragalia and Chapter 19, a LOT of what we understand about the backstory has changed. Let’s get right into it.
Spoilers ahead, obviously, for Dawn of Dragalia, Alberius’s adventure story, Notte’s adventure story, Chapter 19, and... Pandora Hearts?
First, let’s summarize what we’ve learned from Dawn of Dragalia, Alberius’s story, Notte’s story, and Chapter 19:
Alberius’s sword, Dragalia, is made from the pactstone between Midgardsormr Zero and Meene. It was a last-second swap from Elysium’s pactstone with Ilia, which was meant to be the original Dragalia. (Dragalia has been lost....... badum-tshh) This was done because Meene understood Elysium’s true nature and decided to set up a failsafe in case he ever turned on humanity again.
The Blood Casket is a faerie ritual, taught to Alberius by the fae 300 years ago. He was fully aware of the outcome and prepared to go through it regardless. (Might have to make some timeline adjustments here...) Alberius used the art to trap the largest piece of Morsayati’s body at Clave Loy’elune; 300 years later, Morsazethia reclaimed it.
Faeries grow large and later return to their small size as a part of their puberty. In modern times, the fae have learned to change their size at will. The faeries are also well aware of Euden’s true nature, demonstrated when Shirley tried to kill him in his sleep. It seems that the events that created Euden were not very popular.
Euden is an amalgamation of faerie magic and a slab of Morsayati’s own flesh. (Or, if you want to get technical, Myriam’s dad’s flesh... probably.) He was traded with an infant who died of wyrmscale, who is somehow Nedrick.
All of these points raise a LOT more questions than they do answers. A lot of information considered to be foundational is getting thrown out the window here. Let’s step back and take a look at some of the puzzle pieces that no longer quite fit. (Or never did in the first place.)
Euden’s dragonblood. This should be a BIG ONE: if Euden really is some sort of Morsayati-homunculus... why is he able to transform? According to Myriam in Dawn of Dragalia, those showered with the light of Ilia and Elysium’s original pactstone were granted dragonblood. If we’re following the thread correctly, then that would mean that Myriam’s own bloodline possessed dragonblood, but we’re (pretty) sure that she doesn’t. So what gives? Is he made of Mordecai’s alchemized body somehow?
Euden shapeshifting into Elysium. This is a mystery that’s gone unresolved since the game released, though it looks like it may have been all Zethia. Morsayati says something VERY interesting upon seeing this: “Dragonblood and maiden's prayer have united to awaken the new king... The cycle repeats...and that I cannot abide.” I bolded the interesting bit. I think the previous cycle Morsayati is referring to is Myriam and Alberius’s encounter. Which ALSO infers that Alberius shapeshifted into Elysium at some point.... I don’t like this train of thought.
Why didn’t Morsayati recognize it? Seriously, dude, I’d THINK you’d realize a walking talking slab of your own flesh was in front of you. Why wasn’t your first target Euden--why Zethia? Was it just a long con in an attempt to get Euden’s body like you nearly did in chapter 14?
Euden’s near-identical appearance to Alberius. Look, it might be nothing, and I know i’ve said this before, but Alberius one HUNDRED percent looks like an adult version of Euden--even MORE so with his pre-makeover design. The theory of him being a direct descendant has gotten flimsier with time, but I firmly believe that they are connected on a deeper level. It makes me wonder if it’s a Pandora Hearts-esque situation: for those who don’t know, Pandora Hearts is an Alice in Wonderland-inspired manga centering around a century-old tragedy wrapped in shadows and conspiracy. A mid-story plot point centers around the identity of a body used in a certain sealing ritual; for a good chunk of the arc, it’s widely believed to be one character’s, and is later revealed to be another’s. I guess what I’m saying is, are we sure it was MORSAYATI’S flesh Euden was made of?
Phares and Beren’s aims. I REALLY don’t like that these two have been out of the picture for so long. It makes me nervous. We haven’t heard from them since Chapter 14 and we’re still no closer to understanding their aims. We’re ALSO no closer to understanding how Phares is alive or how Beren is able to use/generate black mana.
While we’re at it, Nedrick’s aims. What do you want the fucking Dawnshard for, dude. We know it’s a sacred shard of unmitigated power--Zena’s using her world’s Dawnshard to power her mana projection. What does he need it for? It’s clear he’s familiar with the Faerie kingdom, so if the shard is there, why didn’t he obtain it earlier? Did he need Zethia’s power as the Auspex?
There are still a LOT of questions going unanswered. I hope that we get SOME answers in next month’s update... in the meantime, I’m gonna be fucking busy organizing my lore.
MMMM OKAY LET’S TALK ABOUT ALL THAT JUICY GOODNESS IN CHAPTER 16
(spoilers. obviously)
In no real order:
Elisanne resolving her insecurities. The poor girl has been an absolute MESS ever since Harle purposely showed her the exact kind of information that would throw her off her feet. Remember, Elisanne is a Paladyn to the CORE--her entire world revolves around serving church and having the utmost faith in their teachings. The church is closely related to the royal family--recall how the Sacred Shards are said to be fragments of a sword gifted to Alberius, the founder of the kingdom, by Ilia herself. (Or, well, Meene. lol) I’m unsure if we’ve ever heard about any past Auspexes (Auspexi?), but Zethia being both from the royal bloodline and the Auspex of the Ilian church is possibly related. (Maybe their mother was the previous Auspex; it would explain why Zethia took up the mantle at such a young age.) ALL THAT means that Harle revealing to her that the church has been lying about her liege’s origins was a sure-fire way to throw her for a loop. Her faith in Euden was not wavering; her faith in the CHURCH was. This is why, at the end of Chapter 16, she chooses to step down as Grand Paladyn and serve Euden whole-heartedly. She recognizes that the Church’s teaching are not infallible, and that there is no shame in questioning the truths that she knows. This poor girl has been tormented by this anxiety since... what, post-Chapter 11? And she FINALLY found her answer. She doesn’t need the church to be part of her identity, and she doesn’t have to answer to them to have faith. This much is proved when the sheer potency of her prayer, filtered through Zena, purifies Poseidon in one shot.
Leonidas AND Chelle coming to Euden’s aid. FINALLY, the siblings are working together! With the glue that bound them previously, Morsayati, slurped up by their Hot Topic sibling, Leo and Chelle are FINALLY able to move more freely. The cracks in Leo’s armor that Alex found have been widening since Chapter 12; she has a fucking point there. Agreeing to be UNDER someone is the antithesis of Valkaheim’s, and by extension Leonidas’s, ideals. He’s the first-born fucking heir. He shouldn’t have to answer to ANYBODY. So why is he agreeing to be so subservient under a clear evil? The answer is a little clearer when you look at Chelle: the core of Chelle’s character is that she is always planning ahead. I have zero doubt that the second Morsayati offered his deal she was going to take him up on it, because Chelle is always playing every side. There’s no better place to keep an eye on the enemy than at the enemy’s side, and the proof that she was never with Morsayati in the first place is in both Chapter 11 and 12, where she intentionally sabotages the battle in ways favorable to Euden--Chapter 11 where she gives Emile control over androids that he DEFINITELY can’t handle, and 12 where she lets Euden walk right through her camp. There’s also the fact that while Morsayati was in power, they had their own city-states to worry about. Chelle and Leonidas have a responsibility to Chanzelia and Valkaheim respectively; while 16 shows that they’ve been mostly ignoring the rest of the territory, to abandon their own kingdoms would be unthinkable.
Leonidas’s seemingly heel-face turn. I’m not saying he HASN’T gotten character development; we all remember when Leo was introduced as the crazy maniacal first-born who experimented on his pact dragon and blew up his hired assassin without hesitation. I AM saying that Euden’s screaming match with him in the climax of Chapter 12 definitely got to him. Ever since Euden challenged his ideals, rescued him from certain death, and treated him without asking for anything in return, Leonidas has been significantly more subdued. He’s always thought of himself as the strongest and the best, and instead he got his ass handed to him by his youngest sibling that was using a dragon elementally inferior to his own. AND he got chided by his own ex-subject, WHO HE LITERALLY TRIED TO BLOW UP. Talk about a reality check! From then on, interludes do touch on how Leo is keeping track of Euden; probably through Chelle’s network. Despite it being clear that he knows Euden’s movements, he doesn’t really... do that much to stop him, even when Euden launches an attack on Sol Alberia. His sudden character 180-flip isn’t quite so sudden--it’s the culmination of four chapters of reflecting why his kid brother handed his ass to him. It wasn’t the power of friendship, or even his raw strength. Euden’s conviction is what’s let him smash through obstacle after obstacle, and as soon as Leonidas realizes that conviction is shaken, he doesn’t hesitate to help. Leonidas is, and always has been, about valuing strength--and this time, he recognized a different kind of strength in his little brother.
The acknowledgement of the state of New Alberia. Whatever the kingdom’s name is right now, it’s super fucky. New Alberia and Dyrenell’s clashes, along with Euden’s tunnel vision for Zethia’s rescue, have left the whole of southern Grastaea in shambles. Faith in the royal family is at an all-time low because they’ve all been squabbling amongst each other without much thought for the common people. Yes, Euden and his folks make it a point to shepherd people to the safety of New Alberia’s borders, along with making regular rounds to take out fiends, but his quest to defeat Dyrenell (read: save Zethia) is all that’s really on his mind. Laxi and Mascula are most definitely parallels to Euden and Zethia; Euden is apt to run into situations without a second thought, not hesitating to fight if it’s clear talking won’t work. Zena, on the other hand, has basically been Euden’s braincell for the last two chapters: Euden is ready to do something dumb, and then Zena says “hey Euden maybe don’t do that actually” and Euden immediately settles down. I’m pretty sure the primary reason she was included in the main cast was so she could act as Euden’s conscience, and the last two chapters have not proven me wrong.
Euden’s potential origins. SO I’ve seen theories floating around about Euden being a changeling or fairy child since the Chapter 12 interludes, and it looks like they’re confirmed in this chapter. Euden’s true nature seems to be the son of an important faerie, Finlorda. However, knowing what we do about faerie lore, it’s got everyone wondering if Euden’s wings were removed to preserve the illusion of him being human. I’m not super sure what to think--I mean, fae lore dictates that faeries reach a period in their adolescence when they get big, but for this whole ruse to work, it would mean that Euden’s been human-sized since the beginning. Does taking a faerie’s wings completely absolve them of their magic? (Note I have yet to read Meene’s story; my perspective may change.) Euden coming from the faerie kingdom casts questions on Notte, too--we know that Zethia found her in the garden after she tried to convince dragons that they were kin. Who is she, really, and why doesn’t she remember anything about the faerie kingdom? Something hinky is going on, and hopefully it’ll be explored in Chapter 18 when they reach the kingdom.
The assurance of Euden’s place in his family. This. THIS is why Euden had such a major freakout. The absolute, gut-wrenching TERROR that he’s been ignoring his country’s plight, his friend’s pleas, all of that for a girl that might not even consider him her brother. That all the mistakes and sacrifices he’s made have been pointless. And let’s also point out that Leonidas REFUSES to recognize Euden as his own brother in his introduction chapter! He literally calls Euden a grain of dust. And yet this chapter. THIS CHAPTER has Leonidas EXPLICITLY telling Euden that regardless of his origins, he considers Euden to be his brother. Those are the words that Euden needed to hear. That is the reassurance Euden was desperate to have. This is the first time anyone OTHER THAN Zethia/Zena has properly acknowledged Euden as family; Phares uses it in passing, Emile hates his guts and insults him, and Beren mocks him with it. His oldest brother and sister heartfeltedly telling him that he is their brother was what Euden needed, and I am so very glad that he got it.
Chelle joining the main party. The first mainworld royal party member! FUCK YEAH!!! I know a lot of people thought it would be Leonidas, with all that emphasis on him in the preview, but like, c’mon. Of course his little sister would steal the spotlight. Plus she has an entire moving ship, so no more camping in the woods for the main party! Woo!!!! It also gives us an opportunity to see how she runs things, and more specifically, how it’ll work in the main cast’s favor now that she’s finally not explicitly against them. I’m super excited. (And hey, Leo might be the next Gala along with Poseidon. Who knows?)
All in all, this was, perhaps, THE most emotionally satisfying chapter Dragalia Lost has put out. Fears were assuaged, families were reunited, problems were solved... someone please put the Stefon meme here. This chapter has everything: family love, guns, sexy new outfits, the characters you love finally being happy...
yeah alright just gonna do ch 17 and the interludes in one go. fuck it
Let’s start with the main chapter. This is gonna be very stream-of-consciousness so bear with me.
To me, this chapter felt a little bit short and lacking, but I was expecting that, because it’s setting up the North Grastaea arc as well as the general atmosphere of Grams. We knew going in that the church was going to be a big deal, but now we know HOW much of a big deal--to the point that the papacy and monarchy are at odds with each other. Now let’s get into the nitty gritty.
Origa and Graht. Judging from the opening scene, Origa is an auspex like Zethia, or at least possesses similar power. She seems to have the apostles directly under her command and is crazy confident in her power. However, there’s a few things about her that stand out to me. Her outfit, and more specifically her headpiece, harken back to Empress Zethia’s design. She’s even got red eyes! I don’t think we’ve heard about the last of Morsayati; his story and influence are still going to be heavily intertwined in the campaign. Graht also mentions a Basel who from a lot of inferring from other characters I think is either the king of Grams or at least someone with a lot of authority.
Ranzal and Volk. It looks like we’re going to be getting these little mini-arcs for each of the main cast, huh? A bit formulaic, but I don’t mind. Ranzal’s development through this chapter is really fascinating and answers a lot of questions I’d been thinking about myself. It’s important to remember who Ranzal was before all this--he’s the Arc of the Storm, one of the best mercenaries around. He’s done a lot before this, and he’s gonna do a lot after this. He KNOWS he can be self-sufficient, so does he still have a right to work with Euden? The Agito seem to have a sixth sense for Halidom anxiety, and Volk shows up right on cue and digs his claws into Ranzal in a pretty subtle way--he calls Euden pathetic which, sure, the Agito have a thing for doing that. But he also calls out Euden’s decision in 14--his sister over the world. And we’ve SEEN the result of that decision--just look at Zena’s world, where everyone we know is dead. But here’s what Volk doesn’t understand, though: Ranzal isn’t disappointed in Euden. The guy loves his sister. That’s who he is. Family is a HUGELY important thing to him, and he just had all that ripped into pieces and set on fire before his eyes. And it takes a while, sure, but Ranzal arrives at his answer eventually--there’s a lot about the world that he doesn’t know, but sticking with Euden is the best way to learn more.
Chelle’s gatling gun. I have nothing fun to say about this. I’m just saying, Cygames, that if her eventual gala alt doesn’t have her wielding a gatling gun, I’m going to be very disappointed.
Sheila. This adorable mystery showed up at the very end. We know nothing about her except that she can’t speak and she’s a guide to the faerie kingdom. She doesn’t have wings like Meene or Notte; is she a wingless fairy, or a changeling child? Her style of dress is also VERY reminiscent of Sandalphon’s, being all white and gold and black. I want to know more about her so, so very badly. When are we getting her as a party member, Cygames?
Alright, that’s enough of 17. Let’s get into the interludes. I can tell from the thumbnail of the first that these are gonna be spicy.
A Clandestine Conversation: Return of Nevin! And Sandalphon, who I’m a bit more interested in. The only difference in her sprites is the icon in her eyes--she doesn’t even blink. Not only that, but looking at her halo, she appears to have a power cord of some kind. Is she some kind of hyperrealistic android? One of her sprites even has a power symbol! Nevin’s deduction is also interesting; seems there’s a rift going on between the apostles and the cardinal, who we know had Basileus steal the sealing stone. It seems Sandalphon and Nevin have come to the same conclusion. Nevin also seems to know a thing or two about Euden’s true origins, though it’s probably less that he knows specifically about Euden and more that he’s privy to changeling matters.
Ambition: So it seems that Cardinal Graht is the one that’s been pulling the strings behind every affair, which was implied in the chapter itself, but here it’s made much more plain. It also seems that Harle is Graht’s direct subordinate, though it’s obvious neither of them actually trust the other. And Harle seems to have some kind of plan with the Dawnshard. We know the Sacred Shards are all derived from Alberius’s sword that shattered during his final confrontation with Morsayati, so what makes the Dawnshard so special?
And... that’s it. Ambition implies that Harle is going to clash with Euden’s party in the Faerie Kingdom, but he also suggests that there’s more than one group that will meet them both there. The Agito are heading there as well, we know, but is there anyone else?
...You know, we haven’t heard from Beren and Phares for a while...
