#montichaigne

[lily-ohfally]

I can't stop thinking about this image... aksjd OC: Risé Amemiya

[peculiarmarsu]

Preview of my Goldsmith piece for @dutysupportzine , a zine concentrating on mentor characters along our journeys. The pre-orders are now live here, the proceeds going to ALRES Philippines!

I just had to give some love for Studium Deliveries ^^

[crossroadsdimension]

"Unofficial" FFXIVWrite 2025 Day 17

The prompt I pulled was "Obeisant." Which is an act I don't see either Cross or Wol doing.

So I went with some background character interactions instead!

Spoilers for Endwalker patches!

“The Champion of Eorzea is a loose cannon!”

“We need some way to bring them to heel, else—”

This wasn’t a conversation that Montichaigne had expected to walk into. “What’s this? I should hope I did not hear correctly. Are you implying that the savior of the entire world — nay, all of reality, should be brought to heel? Do you even hear yourselves?”

The group in the Forum’s meeting chamber stared at Montichaigne. Some quickly averted their gazes.

One man — Sevestre — forced himself to meet the older elezen’s gaze. “The Warrior of Light is a dangerous force, one that could threaten our way of life. I would see her put to use for us, before some other nation convinces her that we needs must be destroyed.”

“Now, where did you get the idea that she could agree to such an action?” Montichaigne inclined his head at the man. Sevestre was one of the more outspoken members of the Bibliothecs, although after Cross Sylvan’s arrival, he had become strangely quiet in conversations held in the Forum. Although that did not stop him from looking disgusted whenever she was mentioned, or entered the room.

“Is it not obvious?” Sevestre replied. “She is destroying our way of life here! We are meant to gather information on the world, not provide it! And here she is, obtaining information from our archives for a forbidden procedure, and we merely stood by and let her have it. If we set a precedent to allow the Warrior of Light to waltz in and take what dangerous knowledge she desires, who knows what others will—”

“If I recall, that knowledge was put towards a far better means than others might have planned,” Montichaigne replied smoothly. “Or did you forget that the petition involved retrieving one of Midgardsormr’s brood from the void?”

Sevestre stood his ground, but his narrowed eyes said he had not forgotten. “If you intend to let this woman galavant about further—”

“What do you suggest we do in order to make her obedient to the Forum, then?” Montichaigne replied. “Collar her, as the Garleans might?”

That got a number of winces from the group around Sevestre. Even he wavered in the face of the question.

“Because the remnants of the First Legion tried — not to collar her, but to collar Fourchenalt’s children to keep her in check. I’ve read the reports on the matter. I take it you did as well?”

Montichaigne took great pleasure in watching the blood slowly drain from their faces at the implications.

“I-I would never put his children in danger just to—”

“But that is what you would have to do, for someone of Cross’ strength.” Montichaigne took great pleasure in settling into his professorial tone, watching his fellow members of the Forum flinch at his words. “She is not bound to our country by blood, but by friendship. If you wish to tie her down by force, you risk making an enemy of not only her, but those who aided her. Which, need I remind you, encompasses a great deal of powerful people from across our star. You may take pleasure in gathering and hoarding knowledge from those other worlds, Sevestre, but I would recommend keeping an eye on the movements of the people from whence that knowledge came.”

Now Sevestre turned his gaze away, gritting his teeth. The others — likely all Bibliothecs — did the same.

“If you wish to keep her an ally, then treat her as one,” Montichaigne said simply. “Clearly, you have not been considering that course of action.”

And judging by the looks on their faces, none of them had.

“Cross works with good intentions. Clearly, you have not realized that, despite all she has done to improve our chances of survival on this star. We have no more need for secretive plans to evacuate thanks to her efforts. I would recommend turning your attentions elsewhere, less you accidentally make an enemy of our traveling hero.”

Cowed, most of the group scattered into smaller groups and left the meeting space.

Sevestre stayed.

Montichaigne waited, inclining his head towards the man. If he wanted to say something, he likely would in the next few seconds.

Sevestre bowed his head slightly to Montichaigne. “It seems I have…forgotten, a few important points about the Warrior of Light. I will endeavor to keep your words in mind.”

Montichaigne inclined his head at the show of obeisance, keeping a professorial smile on his face. “Very good. I’m sure she’ll appreciate the acknowledgement, if you ever deign to speak with her on the matter.”

The shudder that ran down Sevestre’s shoulders was enough of an indication that the man would never follow through. That was fine. Montichaigne never expected him to communicate with Cross willingly.

Especially not after Cross informed him of their encounter concerning astrology. Clearly, there was no love lost between them.

[fourteentheart]

Batch 2 of requested npcs!

Montichaigne and X'Rhun were my favorites to draw. Couldn't possibly be because one has a lot of age lines and the other is a face 2 miqo'te haha

[brineffxiv]

Catching up with the rest of our group, we find that-- Oh, it's this asshole again. Hi jerkface. You here to ruin our fun?Y'shtola, why can't you turn him into a toad?

That clerk at the Archeion snitched on us! Rat!

Thank you for openly confirming that.

It's okay Y'shtola, I've attuned to their aetherite; let them try and keep me out.

No! They've got G'raha!

You shouldn't even have a restricted section of your library. Information must be free!

And off we go. To be tried for our crimes of being subversive foreigners.

Haha, Y'shtola was in on G'raha's plan to infiltrate the restricted section.

Fight me Fourchenault! I'll show you a malcontent.

Huh, well, I mean... Yeah, I suppose that's true.

Y'shtola calls out the forum, and reveals how much we've gleaned in our investigations.

G'raha informs us that his research turned up similar evidence. What the two of them have concluded is that, around 270 years ago...

...Researchers of the aetherial sea in the Dravanian Hinterlands found something that gave rise to the duty they've been so cagey about.

...Hey, didn't Hydaelyn just tell me that Her influence is the strongest in the depths of the aetherial sea? Did they find Her?

And the forum basically admits that our suppositions are correct. They did find something that gave rise to their duty.

We debate the merits of fighting vs not fighting for a while.

Suddenly we are interrupted by a new player on the field; a mister Montichaigne. He points out that while we have chosen to fight, there is no evidence that we have attempted to incite the people of Sharlayan to do the same. Furthermore he points out that the forum has given us no reasons as to the whys of their decisions, and seeing as they don't intend to it's only reasonable that we're asking.

The assembly thus back on track it is proposed that the Students of Baldesion are to immediately cease all activities within Sharlayan and to stop investigating the forums activities. If we do not comply we will be expelled. Overall, a rather generous set of conditions - I would have expected we would be expelled immediately.

The proposal is put to a vote and passes by the narrowest of margins. I notice that Fourchenault voted against - he was probably hoping we'd be expelled.

Outside the rostra we are met by the twins' mother Ameliance! Who, unlike her husband, is quite please we were not expelled from Sharlayan. In fact, she seems quite delighted to see us all, especially her children (you know your hubby disowned your kids, right?), and invited me to join her and them at the family estate.

Lady, you seem so sweet. Why are you married to that dick??

Did their letters mention their souls spent a year in another world while their bodies laid in a coma? Just curious. I need to know what I can and cannot tell you while we're waiting for them to come back with their gifts.

Alisaie gets a new outfit!

And so does Alphinaud! Very snazzy you two.

But that's not all. Alphiaud also gets a Sage's tools. That once belonged to his father. I imagine that must be a little fraught for him, given how his father is currently treating him.

Ameliance sends her children off with good advice on how to deal with their father, and with lots of love. I can't say how wonderful it is to see a loving parental relationship.

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

wayward (grand)daughter 8

Astrid exhaled, looking at what was the ruins of her living room.  But she couldn’t complain, the orphans all had a lovely time.  And it had lifted her spirits some, to see and hear children running about her mansion once more.

“Helena, don’t bother.  Start picking up in the morning.”  Which reminded her that she’d need to leave the cleaning crew a most generous tip, Astrid mused.  With a grunt, she pushed herself out of the chair--just as the doorbell rang.

“Oh good gods.”

“I’ll get rid of them, ma’am.”  Helena was a blur of pink as she strode quickly towards the main entrance.

“Please!”  Astrid called out after her.  “No more well wishers, friends, wassaliers, saints or saints’ helpers!”  Her feet screamed in pain, and Astrid gritted her teeth.  She bent over to remove her shoes.

“If they ask about a party there will not be one for Heavensturn!  I’m going to Montichaigne’s!  And getting drunk!”  Helena returned-carrying a basket of flowers in one hand, and an open note in the other.

“My contact in Barnier’s house says he got some sort of communique from the Illsabard Contigent.  It was enough to make him immediately leave for  Fourchenault’s manor, and send a request to the Scholarch to head there as well.”  Astrid blinked.

“Perhaps something’s happened with the blasphemy problem out there.”  She said.

-----

“Camilla Borja, Astrid’s ex-daughter in law?!  Are you certain?!”  Montichaigne exploded. 

“I don’t have confirmation yet, but I’m certain the representative was telling the truth!  Her name was listed on the roll of survivors in that region.”  Fourchenault realized he was gaping at Barnier, and shook his head to recover his wits.

“Does DeGlass know yet?”  He demanded.

“No, and we’ll have to do something to keep her from finding out.  The minute she learns of this, she’s liable to...take some sort of regrettable action.”  Barnier finished.

“Barnier, that is the godsdamned understatement of the year and you know it!”  Montichaigne had never admitted to anyone, but he had always held a lingering suspicion of Astrid from that dreadful time.  Everything had just been too neat, too tidy, and Astrid was not the type to take any sort of insult lying down.

“Did our representative say just where she was, exactly?”  Fourchenault interjected.  “The Borja woman.”

“A border town just west of Camp Broken Glass.  I already gave them orders to confirm if she is actually there.”  Barnier exhaled.  “I can suppress this, but I do not know how long for.  And if it turns out the ex-daughter in law is actually physically present there...she must be taken into custody.”

“Seven hells.”  Fourchenault breathed.  “Astrid will kill her if she comes here.”

“Thus the need to keep this hidden from her.”  Montichaigne muttered.  “Only I doubt that it can be done.  Her spies are better than the entire Forum’s!”

“We must try.”  Barnier urged.  “There is enough as it is--the debate on rejoining the Eorzean Alliance, that gaol in the aetherical sea--we cannot have this matter get out of control, or serve as a distraction from the bigger issues at hand.”

------------

(thank you to @driftward​ for standing in!)

wayward (grand)daughter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

[brineffxiv]

We've got nothing to do while waiting to hear back from our friends who are off soliciting help to invade Garlemald, so let's go find Scholarch Montichaigne and thank him for coming to our defense with the forum. Apparently he stopped by the Baldesion Annex to see us while we were off saving Thavnair.

Alphinaud is a hero to these students. It's adorable.

After a good bit of running around we find Montichaigne in one of the Studium's lecture halls. It seems he was good friends with both Krile's grandfather Galuf and the twins' Louisoix. He is proud of the way they all presented themselves in the forum, and is sure their grandfathers would have been too.

Haha, and of course, he knows Matoya too!

I like this guy. He's very personable.

To our horror, it turns out that Montichaigne couldn't tell us about the Forum's mysterious duty if he tried. He and all others who know of it are bound by a memory enchantment that renders them incapable of speaking of it with those who don't know.

That's uh. That's a useful thing to know about. Wow. I didn't know that was possible.

Montichaigne is going to educate us in how it's possible!

There are three types of aether, two are incorporeal; the soul and the memory. The third is corporeal aether that makes up everything physical.

If memory is words written upon the soul, then it can be obfuscated by flooding the paper with the same type of "ink".

The people of Eorzea's inability to recall the events which immediately followed Bahamut breaking free of Dalamud is an example of this.

At least you've got some sort of an out? But damn, getting that many government officials to agree on any one thing...

Oh? The dead have their memories returned to them? Ah. But then all memories are lost, as the soul is prepared for rebirth?

...Oh! Like the memory of the Final Days, that Elidibus was able to trigger with the meteor shower back on the First!

It's the second one. I mean, not saying the first one can't happen - I don't know enough about the game's universe to say that - but the second one demonstrably happens. The Ascians and everything about how they operate proved that.

This entire lecture has apparently greatly disturbed me. I'm giving that piece of blank paper the thousand-yalm stare.

Not suuuuure how all this information is relevant, because it sounds like the forum's enchantment works by making memories temporarily obscured when the members attempt to communicate about them... But I trust that it will be important, so I have dutifully written it down. Hmm. Ominous. I dislike the idea of memory manipulation.

Crafting quests? Crafting quests!!

*Intense Crafting Action!*

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

the last princess (2)

“What business do you have with Astrid?” Montichaigne demanded.  Sebastian was grateful he had a wealth of experience schooling his expression, or else he would have been gaping at the older elezen like an idiot.  Not that Montichaigne ever missed a beat to begin with.

“Well?”

At least I don’t have to lie! 

“We’ve all had vague memories of guards being in our sickrooms.”  Sebastian began.  “Which--honestly came off as a bit strange, it’s not ever really happened before.  I know Riven had wanted to look into it and offer her thanks, but then the mess over her relationship with Estinien being outed in Ishgard, the Scions disbanding--”

Okay, technically one lie.

“And we’ve had our plates full too.  I only just remembered again hearing...”  Sebastian gestured.  “Poor of me I know, but I at least wanted to offer my thanks, and ensure that the others did the same.”  He must have hit the right note, for Montichaigne’s face softened.

“Pray forgive my curtness.”  He said.  “And no, do not fault yourself for your memory.  Astrid is a good friend--and this business being brought up again has hurt her.”

“Her granddaughter’s death.”  Sebastian said.  Montichaigne nodded.

“When her first daughter-in-law died, she’d just been given control of a critical part of the exodus plan.  She grieved of course, but found comfort in working.  She was very displeased when her son remarried--and would snub his second wife whenever they were all in public together.  And then when Roderick died...”  Montichaigne closed his eyes, shaking his head.

“She shut down.  Isolated herself, threw everything she had into the plan.  I remember her telling me that she couldn’t bear to even think about dealing with her granddaughter.  That it was just easier to ignore it all.  Then when she found out what had happened...”

I want her dead! I want him dead!  I want their heads on platters--I want to watch their bodies be eaten by the fish--I want them to know suffering!  To have every single torture of the seven hells be inflicted upon them for what they did!

“She blames herself for her granddaughter’s death.  Still does.”  Montichaigne said quietly.  “She became even more of a hermit--it’s quite rare nowadays to see her in a place that isn’t the Studium, the Rostra, or her manor.  So when she came forward and said she was the one who had placed guards on you all, it was quite the shock!”

“Did she give a reason for doing so?”  Sebastian asked.

“At the emergency session that was called shortly after you all were settled by the doctors.”  Montichaigne answered.  “Her reasoning was that you all were vulnerable--and given the rather...fractious relationship the Scions had with the Fourm, any harm that could come to you under our care from a villain holding a grudge could potentially be laid at our feet.  Given Sharlayan’s relationship with the other city-states, such a thing happening could be disastrous.”  

“That’s...both a generalization and oddly specific at the same time!”  Possibly more on the latter, Sebastian thought. 

“I thought the exact same thing!  So did Fourchenault.  But her reasoning was sound, and you lot weren’t in any position to tell us if you had any enemies seeking your hides.”  Montichaigne frowned. 

“However, as you are not lying in a sickbed now...”  Sebastian started, then offered a chuckle.

“There are some who hold a grudge against us, but it’s mostly the people who were turning a profit off others’ misfortunes and the like.”  Twelve forgive me, I’m putting that mildly. 

“Generally we do our best to steer clear of anything political.  And while Riven has the Fortemps name, she’s on record for publicly eschewing any potential involvement in Ishgardian politics.”  Montichaigne hummed, nodding in approval.

“We put it to a vote of course, and the majority ruled in her favor.  I suspect the naysayers were only voting to be contrary, especially as Astrid said she’d fund the guards out of her own pocket.”  Surprise crossed Sebastian’s face.

“The Forum allowed that?” 

“A great deal of money was invested in the Exodus.  Anything that would offset any extra financial strain was not going to be too heavily scrutinized at that point in time.”  The elezen answered.  “Your wing of the infirmary was well guarded, up until you all were airlifted to Ishgard.” 

“I see.”  The gunbreaker mused.  However, Montichaigne had more to say.

“If you plan--and I would pass this on to Riven as well.  If you plan to offer your thanks to Astrid, please wait for this business to die down.”  He began.  “Already there’s been busybodies and charlatans trying to use that tragedy to their own means.”

“Of course.”  Sebastian agreed.  “I can safely speak for Riven and the others, including myself, when I say that we wish to inflict no pain upon her.”  Montichaigne nodded again.

“Good.  And when you do tender your thanks, step carefully.”  He added.  Sebastian frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“Of late, there has been talk among Forum members on possibly revisiting Sharlayan’s stance of neutrality.”  Montichaigne watched as Sebastian’s eyes widened.  “Rumblings, nothing concrete.  But the same is being discussed--quite spiritedly I might add, in the Studium and among the citizenry as well.  But there’s quite a few who disapprove of such words.  Astrid’s own...personal stance on the matter is well known.”

Holy shite! Sebastian thought, his mind spinning with the implications.  He’d only been theorizing in his conversation with Augustine--but to actually hear it from the lips of a Forum member-!  But hot on the heels of that thought...

Shite.  That means we all have to watch our step now.  Augustine had potentially hit the nail on the head.  Sevestre wouldn’t dare do anything outright against Riven or any of them-- Leveva’s threat made sure of that.  He could be annoying, had been, as Augustine had pointed out.  And yet...

Something’s not right.  And it goes back to Astrid ensuring we were protected while we were in recovery. A generally sound idea, but too bloody specific at the same time.  Was it because she felt we would be in danger?  Or trying to ensure Sharlayan’s image stayed clean--given the questionable means on their deciding who got to stay and who got to go?  If she felt we were in danger, is it from Sevestre and the Bibliothecs? Or is it someone else?  Another thought occurred to Sebastian, and he put his hands on his hips in thought, aware of Montichaigne watching him.

Why even bother to help us at all?

---------------------

the last princess part 1 here