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rune monna

Mar 26, 2024, 59 min read

A Viera born of the Veena tribes based in the Skatay Range of Southern Othard, and known widely around Eorzea as the Warrior of Light.

profile

NAME: Rune “Roo” Monna (forest name: Rúni Monnawesfv) AGE: 23 years old (as of the beginning of ARR) GENDER: Male → he/him NAMEDAY: 22nd Sun of the 1st Umbral Moon GUARDIAN: Oschon, the Wanderer STARTING CITY-STATE: Gridania GRAND COMPANY: Maelstrom → Second Storm Lieutenant

key points

  • CHARACTER INSPIRATIONS → Raiden Ei (GI), Xie Lian (HOB), Acheron (HSR)
  • KEYWORDS → survivor, persistent, gentle, deadly
  • A friend to nature, a foe to those that dare being innocents, friends, and family to harm… and he strikes back at them with what one can call a surgical bloodthirst; a kind of storm beneath calm waters condensed into the deadly point of his spear.
    • Melee combat is his specialty, and he is very, very good at it. He gives credit to his abilities to his former Wood Warder master, who had a strong emphasis in combat during his training.
    • Inside the battlefield, people would describe him as a controlled chaos. His strikes are deliberate and precise, but he does so in blindingly fast fashion that this enemies are left to wonder what the hell just happened before they are cut to pieces.
    • Outside the battlefield, he is known to be reserved but always willing to help those in need. Only a few people are able to unravel a more open side to him, even amongst the Scions. Hardly anyone knows his true history either, but he does prefer to keep it that way due to some sort of paranoia that he would be found by his childhood captors once more. This quickly becomes irrelevant when his status as a Warrior of Light begins to spread across the star.

dialogue

  • He would not really be the kind to introduce himself first and instead be introduced by others. Generally, he shows up for the job, and leaves the talking to others. If he had to introduce himself, though, the most he might do is give a nod and say, “Rune.” That’s it. This guy is the dictionary definition of a man of a few words.
  • Rune’s voice is more on the monotone side, with not much emotion poured into it until it’s felt so strongly that it bleeds into his tone. Sometimes he speaks so softly that you have to ask him to speak up. Initially, he had his mother tongue’s accent, but after his kidnapping, it’s something that he intentionally suppresses to not stand out as much. That combined with moving around from place to place to blend in with the populace makes his accent more on the ambiguous side, making him hard to place. In terms of his voice claim, it would be Howard Yang’s performance as Xie Lian in Heaven Official’s Blessing!
    • Swearing → Swearing isn’t really found in his vocabulary, but he is more than capable of doing so - that said, he usually only swears when things are truly dire.
    • Formality vs slang → He lands in the middle of this spectrum. He doesn’t really acclimate to slang until he’s stayed in one place for a long time. When he does speak in slang, it tends to catch others off guard.
    • Vocabulary → Due to his upbringing, he tends to speak in much simpler terms.
    • Body language → He is definitely not the type to gesture excitedly during conversation. He essentially popularized the iconic head nod throughout the star. It’s something the Scions poke fun at him for.
  • Samples:
    • Passionate interest → “Let’s spar. There’s a nice spot over there for it. …oh, you mean what I like? …sometimes, I like to sit under a tree and feel the wind.”
    • Insult that hits the mark → He wouldn’t really say anything and instead give the offender either an icy stare or a glower depending on his mood. However, if it was Axilia: “Hey, Ax? Shut up.”
    • Caught doing something - can they talk their way out of it? → Most likely not. More often than not, this man is bad at lying due to his more straightforward tendency. That being said, if he was caught doing something in a hostile area, he would definitely not talk and instead head straight to physical violence. “Uh. [insert blatant lie here with a smile]?” (said like a question that immediately clocks him in as lying)
    • Free space / dramatic monologue → This man definitely does not monologue, are you kidding?

personality

  • A TRANQUIL SPIRIT → Outside of battle and in places he deems safe, he lets down his guard and generally is calm, tranquil, and gentle. He loves to take naps under the shade of trees, as it reminds him of the forest he once called home. His demeanor makes it so that he is easily approachable by animals. It’s not unusual to find him napping beneath a tree with a bird trying to nest in his long hair.
    • Social cues are definitely a challenge for him - a combo of him being raised in a remote village in Othard, being a foreigner in Eorzea (for only a time, since eventually he calls it home), and being some flavor of neurodivergent. 
  • INTROVERTED HERO → He does tend to keep to himself and honestly prefers it that way, which makes him feel very ill-suited for the more political side of things that the scions get involved with. He’s just glad that the others are there to do the talking, as he would rather be pointed as a weapon toward the enemy instead.
    • “If I am the weapon that must be wielded by the Scions - the one pointed at every enemy, be it they of the light or dark… then so be it.”
    • It is only with certain people where a less reserved version of him emerges, and he ends up being a tad more chatty.
  • FROSTED BLOODLUST → During battle, it would be a wonder to get any words out of him if you were his enemy. His attitude becomes one of frostbite - silent and poised to kill.
    • Underneath the calm, he has a thirst for battle and bloodshed that can be rather frightening to others, even his comrades. His guilty pleasure is the thrill of dancing with death - nothing makes him feel both more alive and more appreciative of the world around him, and it makes him more protective of life as a whole. At one point (during Stomblood), this becomes dangerously close to a kind of self-harm, to the point that Aymeric had to stage an intervention at the behest of the Scions. At the same time, this bloodthirst is what draws Zenos towards him, and as a result he further enables that side of him.
    • Interestingly, he does not mind being dehumanized and being used as a weapon and a weapon only, partly due to the way he was raised and his love for fighting.
  • THE MIND OF A PROTECTOR → Some would say that his behavior with which he readily throws himself into harm’s way for the sake of others is befitting as his role as the Warrior of Light, but when one decides to look into it a little further, the behavior quickly becomes concerning. This is both due to his yearning for battle and his belief that you must go the distance in order to protect those you love; however, he truly takes this to a drastic length to the point of near-martyrdom. His tendency to put everything and everyone before himself manifests into such behavior as a result.
    • From a conversation regarding Rune’s habits and tendencies:
      • T: maybe just like the pattern is like jumping into things without regard if he comes out alive. like everyone knows the stakes of it all but Rune knows it and just jumps anyways while everyone hesitates.
      • A: yea i think that would be a good way to go about it! like with the primals everyone is initially thinking like “oh he’s so brave for that” but when the enemies scale even further in terms of power she’s like “now wait a minute. hold on there bud. did you even plan to come out of that one alive”
  • SECRET FEARS → Due to his background, he has a very intense aversion against his hands being trapped or bound. It’s a well-hidden one since it’s a thing no one is able to do or even think of doing to him unless they were an enemy, and even then it’s incredibly difficult to catch him.

romantic preferences

  • Rune is ace in the sense that he cannot experience sexual attraction. He can, however, understand its cues by observation of other people and learning about it that way.
  • Romantically, his preference is towards men only. However, it takes him a while to even actually experience romantic attraction since he had been operating under survival mode for quite literally years now.
  • He mainly affection more through physical touch and action rather than words.
    • One notable way he does this is by taking the person’s face into both of his hands.

the fourteenth seat of the convocation

Koronis is the unsundered Ancient in which Rune is a shard of. His name means “crow” - a rather appropriate name, for his hair was intensely dark and notably so.

As Koronis’s counterpart in the Source, it holds that Rune appears to be most like him compared to the rest of the shards. Both share jet black hair and bright gold eyes; they also share the same interest in martial combat, but for the most part, that’s where their similarities end.

In terms of his personality, “sunny” is a great way to put it mildly, and perhaps literally. Some would describe him as if they were staring directly into the sun. He was also rather impulsive and reckless with his methodology, but in the end his ways ended up being rather effective and efficient, much to Emet’s chagrin and Hythlodaeus’s amusement. He was known for being very eager to help others as well, and had a stubborn streak so wide that it was almost, if not all of, the source of Emet’s woes. That being said, he held so much love for Etheirys and its people, and this made him the perfect candidate as Azem in Venat’s eyes.

(On a more amusing note, one other time Koronis is similar to Rune is when the former frankly shuts up.)

In the World Unsundered, Koronis had actually shared the seat of Azem with one other; an Ancient that was later found to be Axilia’s unsundered soul. Both holders had the unusual quality of their souls in that they were both very nearly identical; the only way to tell them apart was by physical appearance alone. Koronis was more notably outgoing and wore his heart on his sleeve, and he preferred travel and martial combat compared to careful research and study. His counterpart, meanwhile, was the opposite. This would later be an eerie similarity to the Dawnservant’s Heads of Reason and Resolve as the leaders of Tural, not to mention Azem’s connection with the sun as a whole.

(Honestly, one can think of Koronis cut from the same cloth as Jake Peralta, but that gives me too much psychic damage to even say those words)

motivations

a study in work vs play

  • Protect, protect, protect through action
    • He was very much raised on this idea with his wood warder training. This teaching is the only thing he has left of home. This is what he is built by,  and what he builds himself around.
    • Timeline: protect his people (what he was raised on) → himself (after being kidnapped) → Axi (why he acts like an older brother to her) → the Scions (his new family) → the star (the world that houses the things he cares about) → the shards and the universe (same as the star)
      • Self-preservation is something he severely needed to learn in the beginning, and after his imprisonment by the garleans, that’s when he learned. Eventually he learns that he cannot protect if he is dead.
        • “Keep going. Keep going. Keep going.”
        • In this way, he does not weaken when there is nothing to protect, because at his very core, he must protect himself.
      • He becomes the unstoppable force to Emet’s immovable object with this motivation; the chariot, and evidence that he is a shard of Koronis. This is how he rises above his trauma and the lowest points of his life.
      • He was raised to kill out of necessity, and that necessity was that it was for the good of his people. ergo, he must be a weapon for others.
        • He discovers the importance of life in the fleeting moments where he narrowly dodges fatal blows.
        • All of these points come together as a motivation for him to constantly train.
        • He has some degree of prodigious skill owing to being a shard of Koronis, but most of his skill in fighting was built from the ground up and all relates to his motivation to protect.
      • If those he loves are harmed, he will deliver retribution on their behalf. It doesn’t matter how powerful the enemy is - he will bring vengeance for his people.
        • This is why he can come across as a vengeful person, and why he can hold grudges for a long time.
        • This ties into Adra and Nemesis.
    • This is also why he’s all about family, even though it doesn’t seem that way.
      • Literally Eorzea’s next Vin Diesel
      • He loves Miounne as his adoptive mother and Axilia as his adoptive sister with his whole heart.
      • He tries his best to connect with Axi’s children because family is so important to him.
      • This is why he can’t bring himself to truly do anything against G’raha and Thancred, because they too are family by virtue of the Scions and Axilia’s relationship with them.
        • Their reckless actions and breaking Axi’s heart by doing so irks at his protector instinct. They are on his shit list for a reason. but after things are patched up between the three, he finds it in him to forgive them.
          • This was another way of him learning that words can still have action, even though he doesn’t really prefer it that way.

yearning for the skies

  • “I want to be free” → comes about at a young age with a natural, insatiable curiosity of the world around him, especially outside his village, and exacerbated by his time in imprisonment and experimentation at the hands of the Garleans.
    • Directly contrasts with his motivation of protection. Acting as the protector forces him into a box where his actions are guided as such. His desire for freedom also means freedom from being the protector.
    • In his heart there are times when he wishes he can be selfish.
      • When the weight of the world and the universe lands on his shoulders, this want becomes an impossible ask.
      • During the Final Days, he becomes a version of himself that lacks balance, driven only by the instinct to protect and nothing else. This results in one of the most taxing, unhealthiest parts of his life.
      • He eventually learns how to be selfish during Dawntrail, aka THE “words > action” expac
        • He is helped along by Axi and her teaching him how to live as a person again, not a weapon.
    • This is the main driving force of his adventuring background.
  • “Shoot first, ask later” → something else that he learned as a young boy during his training.
    • This tendency is tempered once he is with the scions, as they prefer words over action first.
    • He has a big belief in action drives change.
      • Similarly, he follows the mantra of actions speak louder than words.

a home to come back to

  • Finding a home → in which he eventually finds family in Axi, the Scions, and those he comes to love.
    • After being stolen away from the only home he ever knew, he ends up spending a good chunk of his youth wandering after his escape from experimentation.
    • As someone that was raised on protecting family and having a home to come back to being a major foundation of one’s life, he certainly felt lost. However, this was offset by his curiosity about the world around him.
    • This will seem like it contrasts against his desire to be free, but it doesn’t.
      • He absolutely does not mind wandering and being an adventurer, so as long as he has a place and/or people to come back to.
    • This is pretty funny when Foundation is the place he eventually calls home.
      • This is mostly due to its similarities with the environment and climate at the Skatay Range, and because Aymeric and Estinien (sometimes) are both there.

relationships

the scions of the seventh dawn

Axilia Molkot

A fellow Warrior of Light and Rune’s adoptive sister and closest friend, she is the one amongst the Scions to have known him the longest after she taken in by Miounne, who was also taking care of Rune at the time. The two very much have a close sibling relationship despite their differences in race, with Axilia being a Keeper of the Moon Miqo’te. Their closeness is enough to where she is easily able to bring out a more whimsical and childish side to Rune. Owing to their similar backgrounds, the two like to engage in their own modified Huntspeak that they have formulated on their own during their youths - enough to where they can get into entire arguments without others knowing about the subject. In battle, he can always rely on her to have his back whenever healing is concerned.

Alisaie Leveilleur

Full aware is Rune regarding Alisaie’s regard towards him as a figure to look up to, but he is unable to completely comprehend as to why. As contradictory as it sounds, he cannot help but try and dissuade others from also going down the same path as he does – that is, as a warrior fighting for the star to the point where he will willingly and readily die for its sake.

Alphinaud Leveilleur

Initially, Rune saw the young Elezen as rather pretentious and thus took a while for him to warm up to him. However, over time, Rune began to see him more as a younger brother to protect, even if the latter would claim - and show - time and time again that he does not need it. Rune and Alisaie occasionally gang up on him for friendly teasing, much to his chagrin.

Thancred Waters

Another member of the Scions that, initially, Rune took a while to warm up to, what with the Hyur’s tendency to appear sly and silver-tongued, as well as his… odd relationship history with Axilia. Over time, he eventually saw the man as another warrior to be respected, and the two would become friends that would endlessly poke fun at each other - sometimes kind of violently. However, this relationship would go beyond that later on, in which Thancred becomes a sort of big brother figure that had been missing in Rune’s life since Thurin’s death.

Urianger Augurelt

Probably a member of the Scions that took longest for Rune to trust, as the former’s tendency to be secretive and difficult way of speaking makes it hard for him to be understood by Rune at all. The events with the Warriors of Darkness did not help matters. Eventually, Rune would find that Urianger ultimately acts for the good of the star, and that’s something that he agrees with.

Y’shtola Rhul

A Scion that easily and quickly won Rune’s respect with her no-nonsense manner, dry wit, and keen intelligence, the two share a kind of sibling bond as well, where he can easily rely on her for both advice and scathing humor whenever it is needed. If Thancred and Rune poke fun at each other in a near-violent way, Y’shtola and Rune poke fun at each other in a psychologically and emotionally damaging kind of way.

G’raha Tia

What was said with Alisaie can also be said for G’raha - yet, it’s hard to try and sway this particular Miqo’te from following in his footsteps. With their initial meeting during the Crystal Tower raids, the Viera did not think much of him other than someone who was trying very hard to prove himself to others - and eventually he thought less of him after finding out about his relationship with Axilia and how it had turned out back then. He definitely did not think well of him as the Crystal Exarch with his involvement with the incredibly harrowing disappearances of his friends during a time when he needed them the most. Eventually, however, G’raha would prove himself to Rune time and time again with his capabilities as a well-rounded member of the Scions, in both battle and scholarly pursuits. Even so, their relationship is particularly rocky - something that the perceptive G’raha is unusually oblivious to.

estinien varlineau

  • Shared sentiment →We may be in this abyss together, but I will drag you out of it, even if we’re bloodied and beaten and you’re kicking and screaming.
  • Keywords → black and white, sun and moon, yin and yang, tranquil thunder and draconic fury, grace and savagery.

One would think that the two least talkative members of the Scions would not get along with each other that well, and they would be wrong - in fact, the two are in some sort of unspoken relationship with Aymeric, and everybody and their mother knows about it.

Despite the rocky start to their relationship (more accurately attributed to as a rivalry) whilst Rune was training as a Dragoon, the two would find trust in each other through their preferred method of communication: combat. Truly the two are a sight to behold in the battlefield, especially when fighting alongside each other; they also serve as an anchor for each other in times of need. In this way, much of their communication is done through action and expression rather than words: taking hits for each other, fighting together with their backs to each other, two warriors turning into one in a coordinated and deadly dance of spears, etc. They are more physically affectionate with each other as a result, and funny enough, they are not afraid to show it in public. Their kindred reputation for absolute ferocity in combat allows them this, and it’s nigh impossible for one’s life to be used as a bargaining chip for the other. Compared to Rune’s relationship with Aymeric, there is no political implications to be worried about here either.

Their penchant for silence within the Scions is also legendary, as a single glance between the two is seemingly enough to speak a thousand words. Sometimes, however, it gets really awkward if someone else is in the room with them and said person has no idea how to break the silence.

Although the two are rather similar to each other in terms of reticence and combat prowess, precious times where the two bonded would actually be underneath the stars, especially during their trip to Zenith to confront the dragon Hraesvelgr. This would eventually become a habit that the two share in the future, as their conversations under the starts tend to be when they have their heart-to-hearts. Under the stars is where Estinien would steal Rune’s first kiss; it was done rather impulsively, especially when at the time, he had this sense of doom and felt that it was a now or never kind of thing.

Their histories are also rather similar, in that both seek vengeance against those that wronged them. In Estinien’s case, it’s his vengeance against the dragons and Nidhogg. In Rune’s case, it’s his vengeance against the Garleans.

With Rune’s status as a Warrior of Light, it’s not too far-fetched to refer to Estinien as the shadow to his light, especially during the events of Stormblood.

Even with Estinien’s tendency to disappear at a moment’s notice and to be gone for long periods of time, the bond between the two never waver - and this was how Rune learned how, back at his home, the love between Viera remain ever strong, even when they are apart from each other for years.

Minfilia Warde

With her involvement with Rune’s induction into the Scions, Rune quickly found himself as a blade pointed by Minfilia against those that threatened the star - and, while one would think that this would be rather dehumanizing, Rune wouldn’t think so, and easily assimilated himself into the role. He has much to thank her for allowing him into this strange family cobbled together by shared sentiment of protecting the star, and he would find that he can easily thank her by being a weapon when he is needed to be one.

Krile Baldesion

The relationship between these two are much more easily attributed as “friendly coworkers” at first, and would have stayed that way if not for Krile’s ability to read emotions. While Rune is one to closely guard his inner feelings and thoughts, such feelings are still felt so powerfully within him that it’s honestly hard for Krile to ignore. This compared with her tact lent her to be another person Rune found that he can confide his worries to.

Tataru Taru

Quickly does Rune gain some protectiveness over those that cannot engage in combat for themselves, and Tataru is one of them. The receptionist’s kindheartedness and eagerness to do right by the Scions is one that he is endlessly aware and thankful for, so much that he will follow her instructions to the letter when it comes to money matters. Seven Hells hath no fury like a Tataru scorned regarding money, and even Rune knows this.

YDA / Lyse Hext

An easy rule of thumb for Rune to warm up to others is that, the more straightforward they are, the more he likes and trusts them - and Yda is no exception to this rule. The two became fast friends after their initial meeting, especially due to the closeness in age that they have, and eventually they also became each others’ preferred sparring partners. While Papalymo was able to trust that Rune wouldn’t let Yda do anything too stupid to get herself killed, he kind of… just does so anyway (and kind of eggs her on to do it actually), much to the Lalafell’s displeasure. She definitely and easily brings out a more childish side in Rune, where normally the only other person able to do so with such ease would be Axilia.

papalymo totolymo

If Papalymo’s relationship with Yda can be summarized as teacher and student, Rune would have been the student that would have made Yda’s antics worse and the two would have been forced to sit in different parts of the classroom. That, however, is not to say that Rune does not respect him - far from it, actually. What lessons he learned about the world around him are ones that he would cherish, especially after the former’s valiant death whilst confining Shinryu to buy time for the Scions.

others outside the scions

haurchefant greystone

In the Scions’ direst hour, he was there to help them, and to Rune, there could be no greater show of friendship than this. While Haurchefant remained as one of his staunchest allies, he also became, in time, one of his greatest regrets, one that he wrestles with to this day. If asked, Rune would rather face down thousands of primals at once rather than break the news of Haurchefant’s death to Count Edmont again.

It would only be when Rune faces down his gravestone that he is sent into an emotional breakdown of sorts, leading Axilia to finally learn what had happened to him in his past.

aymeric de borel

Initially did the Lord Commander come off as unreadable to Rune, and only saw him as another leader that came to the Scions for political reasons - and, with Rune’s track record of avoiding speaking where politics were concerned, there is not much interest to be had there, and would end up leaving Alphinaud to do much of the conversing when it is needed. In Aymeric’s case, the attraction was rather one-sided.

Over time did he prove himself to be another leader worthy of respect during the fight against the Dravanian Horde at the Steps of Faith. While Haurchefant provided the Scions with aid after the Bloody Banquet, it was Aymeric that made their entry into Ishgard possible at all - and while Rune had some reservations about such a move being used as a possible form of debt in the future, it was one that he graciously accepted due to the direness of the situation at the time. All of this is to say that their relationship did not start off as well as others may think, which may come as a surprise, considering how badly the two hide their affections for each other now.

Between the two of them, Rune was definitely the icier one in the beginning, but would prove to Aymeric over and over again his devotion to the star by acting as a weapon for Ishgard even though he was not of the nation. Such acts of devotion in turn would cause Aymeric to become more open in his admiration, confidence, and trust in Rune, which would then translate into more straightforwardness that the Viera would receive and highly prefer over the gymnastics of politics. It was to the surprise of Rune when he found just how close he had become to Aymeric when, at one point, the Elezen confided in him his laments regarding his relationship with father, and Rune found himself thinking that he would easily kill Thordan for him if need be (and in Rune’s eyes, there was no greater act of devotion than killing for the sake of someone else).

This relationship of theirs would later bleed into Rune’s relationship with Estinien - and, by virtue of Aymeric’s relationship with Estinien as well, it all turns into a sort of throuple/polycule/queerplatonic relationship/what have you. If anyone asked them how to define it, the three involved wouldn’t even know how to describe it - just that they all care for each other very, very much, more so than normal. The bottom line is that they are homes to each other that they can come back to.

Their love language is mainly through acts of service. ‘No, let me do this for you,’ so on and so forth. Neither see it as transactional whatsoever. There is lots of non-sexual intimacy to be had here – best example I can give is this entire fic. Aymeric is also definitely more of a talker than Rune here, and Rune shows his affection more so through actions than words. They don’t hold hands out in public, though, and don’t engage too much with PDA. This is mostly done for Aymeric’s sake… even though their relationship is the subject of much gossip throughout Foundation.

zenos yae galvus

These violent delights have violent ends. (or, toxic yaoi realness)

The relationship these two share is very convoluted and complicated, with the only point holding them together being that of ultraviolence.

Their personalities are two different kinds of cold and yet they clash all the same; Rune’s underlying heart is bathed in protective fury and Zenos’s is wrapped in hedonistic masochism. None of their encounters seem romantic either, at least to outsiders, and yet in some kind of sick way, Rune is the only one able to understand Zenos and how he ticks and Zenos with Rune. This is because Rune finds his love for life in the fleeting moments where he nearly dies. Zenos is easily able to provide this to him. On the flip side, Zenos finds joy and a brightness to his life by challenging enemies that he finds worthy, especially those that bring him adversity where others couldn’t otherwise. Rune is easily able to provide this to him as well. (This makes their relationship hilariously closed, actually.)

Where Aymeric and Estinien try to pull Rune back from the abyss that comes with his concerning enthusiasm regarding dancing with death, Zenos pulls him in further and ruins any kind of progress they may have made. This is also what separates Rune from Zenos in terms of their similarities with their bloodlust - Rune has a support system and Zenos doesn’t. Because of that, it’s all Zenos knows, and why he continues to enable Rune’s behavior. It’s not that Rune easily allows him to do so either; it’s something the Viera thoroughly despises him for and actively fights against for the sake of his loved ones. And yet, Zenos makes it too easy to fall back on bad habits.

On the flip side, Rune also enables Zenos’s behavior by simply existing the way he is. To the crown prince, Rune was his “angel” that “came to bring him love (aka unfettered and unrestrained violence and the thrill that comes with such adversity)” and he wants nothing more than that. The Viera becomes a sort of obsession for him, making him spiral down further into his own web of destruction; for prior to meeting Rune, his life was stagnant and he was unable to find the satisfaction he so craved in the war that comes with living. It probably wouldn’t even come as a surprise if he ended up mistaking his obsession as love at some point. What kind of love, though, is anyone’s guess. After all, what wouldn’t he do for the one that brought color to his world, even if that color happened to be a deep scarlet?

In terms of their history, he actually happens to be the first that Rune meets out of those involved with him in some sort of situationship. Zenos and Varis had been visiting the facility where Rune was taken to after his kidnapping, during Aulus’s attempts to legitimize his research to be used by the Empire during their conquest. When they came to see those being experimented on – Rune being amongst them – Zenos noted that everyone there lacked spirit and looked pathetic in their holding cells… all except one, who stared at him with eyes so bright with gold and fury despite his hands being bound. Where others had been broken down, it only stoked Rune’s killing intent more, enough to where he was openly staring at Zenos with murder in his eyes. Zenos, not used to such open hatred in the sheltered confines of the imperial palace, finds this absolutely fascinating. The two stare at each other for some time until Varis calls Zenos away.

After the events of the Final Days and despite seemingly enjoying his time in Tural, a part of Rune’s heart remains locked away in grief he cannot share regarding Zenos’s rescue of him. The prince went to him at the end of the universe just to help him. He conjured up a teleportation device from dynamis to save him. How could he not feel anything about it afterward?

For a time, Rune would keep to himself in his own shell in simultaneous grief and confusion regarding his feelings towards Zenos. Others may assume that he was recovering from his brutal fight against the Garlean prince, and in some ways that’s true. Rune had lived his fair share of restless nights, but the following nights afterward were the most restless he had ever been. (Estinien, sensing his distress, would spend these nights with him as Rune would curl up in his embrace, crying silent tears.)

Overall, theirs is a relationship deeply entrenched in their violent vices and further complicated with their respective personalities, relationships, and histories. Their mutual violence towards each other is the only kind of language that they are able to speak to each other with that is done incredibly effectively. There’s no flowers to be shared here, or for romantic songs to be sung. Somehow, the “do you think love can bloom on a battlefield” quote applies here and is incredibly appropriate for the two of them.

bad ending

related to: lightwarden au logistics / andante agitato - to snuff out the light one last time.

Probably during the worst timeline of the Lightwarden AU is only when the two finally acknowledge how they feel for each other in their own convoluted way. In a desperate last bid to prevent Lightwarden Rune from destroying The First, the Scions call on Zenos to kill him, in which the latter was all too happy to do.

  • Imagery:
    • A waltz with the dance floor dashed with blood
    • Obligatory song lyrics →
      • And I hope you die / I hope we both die / And I hope when you think of me years down the line / You can’t find one good thing to say / I am drowning / There is no sign of land / You are coming down with me / Hand in unlovable hand - The Mountain Goats, “No Children”
      • ”You are my angel / Come from way above to bring me love” - Massive Attack, “Angel”
  • See runos things bc im brainrotting rn for extra stuff.
  • Snippets I’ve done of them, because I’m unhinged:

ardbert hylfyst

If someone were to get a nickel for every time Rune had a rivalry that turned into a relationship with a lasting impact and implications, they would not have two, but three nickels. This is the case with Ardbert, who was one of few who were able to match Rune in terms of combat. The rivalry was exemplified further with Ardbert’s use of the moniker Warrior of Darkness during the events of Heavensward.

After Rune foiled his plans and Urianger bade them to go back to the First with Minfilia, the two would not see each other for some time – in Ardbert’s case, for about a hundred years. They would meet again during Shadowbringers, where he and Axilia become close friends with him and offer him companionship after enduring years of loneliness. Eventually, he finds purpose in saving Rune when the latter was under severe strain of the Lightwardens’ aether by merging their souls together – only done so when it was discovered that the two were both shards of Koronis.

Nowadays, he sits in the proverbial back seat of their shared soul, watching the world through Rune’s eyes, but his ability to comment is limited due to the level at which their souls were merged together in the first place. At one point, though, Rune finds out how to let him take the reins for a while…

erenville

Recall the rule of straightforwardness with Rune, and Erenville would certainly win the contest (if there even was one). It’s with this particular Viera that Rune encounters some sort of schoolboy-like crush (for probably the first time in his life) during his time in Old Sharlayan (which is kind of funny, considering that Old Sharlayan is basically a Big College Nation) simply because he’s pretty and he really liked his personality. He is also ironically terrible at hiding this due to his inexperience with such feelings, to which Axilia and Krile are Too Aware of his feelings as a result. This would prove a humorous detriment during their forays into Tural with Wuk Lamat and company, where Axilia would constantly try to set up ways to get Rune to confess to him, and where the latter would easily rather die than do so.

adra

see the pact of the void for more info :^)

Adra is a voidsent that initially appears with long violet hair and the same golden eyes as Rune. They work in tandem with him as he learns to harness his abilities as a Reaper.

The only time they truly appear to others is when Rune uses Enshroud and they take over for a short time. Otherwise, they appear to him only and are able to change their appearance at will after they were fed enough aether over time that they are able to do so.

They mainly serve as his tether to the darkness after his experiences in the First, in which such experiences have left him shaken in regards to his connection with the Light. Their bargain was struck out of Rune’s secret fear of being unable to maintain a balance of both Light, and falling prey to either as a result.

biological family

Rune’s biological family consisted of Joryck (father – presumed deceased), Katja (mother – alive), and Thurin (older brother – deceased). Rune himself is thought to be deceased by his village after Thurin’s body was found by a fellow Warder with Rune nowhere to be found.

thurin

Rune’s older brother by ten years and the one who had trained him for a short while as a Wood Warder before his untimely death at the hands of Garleans. The two were not particularly close due to their age gap. In a both hilarious and sad fashion, Rune never truly realized that he was related to Thurin at all due to this age gap and with Thurin opting to not say anything about their familial relationship for the sole assumption that “he thought he knew”. This fact would unfortunately be taken to his grave.

His body was found by another Warder not long after the Garlean attack to their camp and was subsequently returned to the village, where Katja held last rites for both of her sons, under the assumption that both were dead.

joryck

Rune’s father and the spitting image of Thurin. Once known throughout the village for his combat prowess and many, many years of Warder experience under his belt, Joryck was Thurin and Rune’s father and was also well-known for his kind eyes. Joryck was presumed deceased after failing to return to the village after a decade and five years of no contact, where male Viera were expected to return every three to five years. No evidence of his death, however, has been found.

In truth, Joryck is indeed dead, and was killed by the hands of an aether-starved voidsent — and one that also happens to serve as Rune’s Avatar now.

katja

Rune’s mother and his sole surviving relative, who remains unaware to this day that he is alive and well after the assumption was made that Rune had died with Thurin. With Rune unable to recall exactly where he came from, it’s highly unlikely that she will ever know that he lives.

If Thurin was the mirror image of Joryck, then Rune is the mirror image of Katja.

others

mother miounne

Rune’s parental figure while he grew out of his later teenage years in Gridania. Having relatively recently arrived from Othard, his youthful features belie a scarred body and mind from past experiences – one that Miounne was intuitively aware of as soon as Rune tried to join the Adventurers’ Guild at age 16. Wanting him to even have a little bit of a childhood, she would refuse his requests and would eventually only relent once he was able to prove his combat prowess time and time again. She would find herself wondering: where in the world did he learn to fight so viciously at such a young age? What exactly did he go through to become so reticent and quiet when other children his age were much more lively? And why in the world was he alone without a family? She had endless questions for him, but she knew that only time will reveal the truths… that is, if he ever decided to ever tell her about it, anyway.

For the most part, she was the provider of a safe haven for him during his darkest hour, and to this day does he remain grateful to her for it. She became a mother to him when he desperately needed guidance when he had none, and even though it took him a long time to warm up to her enough to divulge what had actually happened in his past, she never felt compelled to pry further beyond simply asking. Later on, he would approach her with a request to take in a young Miqo’te girl, just as Miounne did with him, and she would oblige him as he never really asked her for anything else. This would lead to Rune living a relatively normal life in Gridania with one he would consider a younger sister for a couple of years until he began taking harder jobs for the Guild, putting him on the track into a run-in with the Scions.

On his 18th (presumed) year of life and a year into his newfound adventuring life graciously granted by Miounne, the Seventh Umbral Calamity struck.

timeline

YearAgeEvent
1552–The imperial legion conquers and annexes Doma, a small border nation on the eastern continent of Othard.
1553-The XIVth legion advances on the Ala Mhigan border.
1554022nd Sun of First Umbral Moon – Rúni Monnawesfv is born in a Viera village in the Skatay Range, located in Southern Othard.
15573The mountain village of Ferndale is laid to waste by a recently awakened Nidhogg.
15617The Eorzean Alliance is formally inaugurated.
Twins Alphinaud and Alisaie are born to House Leveilleur.
15628Archon Louisoix gathers twelve of his disciples and forms the Circle of Knowing, a secret society with a self-proclaimed goal of saving Eorzea from disaster foretold.
Archons from the Circle of Knowing arrive in Eorzea. They split up and travel to each of the realm’s city-states.

1.0 begins here.
A goobbue breaks free of its arcane fetters during a parade and proceeds to run amok the streets. Ascilia, one of the spectators, is orphaned at the age of twelve when her father is killed by the rampaging beast.
156612Rúni approaches the village matriarch and tells her about him not being comfortable with his own body. The matriarch agrees to help him with a treatment of fantasia and allows him to switch over from village duties to Wood-Warder training.
156713Rúni completes his fantasia treatment and begins training as a Wood-Warder under the Wood-Warder master (and unbeknownst to him, his older brother) Thurin.
156915Thurin is killed by a stray contingent of Garleans after attempting to fend them off. Rúni is kidnapped by the remaining Garleans and shipped off to Doma for experimentation, where he has a fateful meeting with a certain prince. He manages to escape only after a few short months.
157016Rúni changes his name to “Rune Monna” and moves to Eorzea via ship in an attempt to escape Garlean presence in Othard. He then joins the Lancers’ Guild in Gridania and begins a small life for himself as an adventurer, granted graciously by Mother Miounne despite his younger age.
157218The Seventh Umbral Calamity occurs.
1577232.0 begins.

pre-ARR

Rune is born to a village located in the Skatay Range in southern Othard. For the most part, he lived a rather idyllic childhood but was often found at the edge of the village, watching the tree line as if he was waiting for something. During this time, he was taught how to read, write, and the basics of combat and survival by the women of the village. At one point, he tries to sneak outside but ends up being caught by a Wood Warder and was subsequently punished for it after he was brought back to the village - this was when he learned of the dangers of the outside world and the existence of the Wood Warders.

“You’re lucky I looked first before firing my arrow, small one,” the Warder told him gruffly.

Once puberty hit and the roles of the children were to be determined within the village, Rune is AFAB and at first spends the first several months in the village learning the tasks of the village women; and yet, throughout this time, it was clear that he had felt miserable the entire time. He says as much as well to the matriarch, who then tells him that he’s not the first one to feel this way and lets him know that it’s alright - the only thing was that his role was to be changed to that of a protector of the forest. He eagerly accepts this trade and, after a short treatment with fantasia, begins his forest protector training at the age of 13.

During this time, Thurin, his Wood Warder master (and, unbeknownst to him, his older brother), teaches him a variety of combat methods, to which it’s revealed that Rune has a natural talent for melee combat despite the focus of Warders to stick to the shadows and strike the enemy unnoticed. From there they began his brutal combat training in earnest; to this end, he always gives credit to his master regarding his combat prowess should someone ask.

Unfortunately, his training only lasts for 2 years when, at age 15, a wayward Garlean unit strays into the forest and kills his master in combat. They then kidnap Rune and ship him off to Doma under orders for experimentation overseen by Aulus mal Asina. It would take only a few short months for Rune to escape the facility, however, but not without extra scars in body and mind. This experience would leave him with a deep hatred for Garleans.

Finding himself unable to return home after his escape, Rune decides to move to Eorzea in a bid to avoid the Garlean presence in Othard, eventually finding himself in Gridania as an adventurer during the Seventh Umbral Calamity. The fall of Dalamud calls back to the original Final Days and awakens the echo in both him and one particular Miqo’te also residing in Gridania.

A year after the Calamity, Rune is still living under Miounne’s roof when he takes on a request by a Keeper of the Moon tribe to find a missing member of theirs. This missing member turns out to be Axilia, who Rune eventually finds. However, after an explanation of her side of the story as to why she ran away from home (and a good amount of begging on her part for him not to take her back), he agrees to take her to Miounne (but not before the two deciding to fake her death – not too far-fetched for an idea for the two to come up with as Rune was 19 and Axilia was 15 at the time).

After not much petitioning to Miounne on Rune’s part, she agrees to let Axilia stay and take her under her wing. The two then spend about a year together living a life of relative normalcy… as normal as it could be after the Calamity, that is. During this time, Rune finally opens up more on a degree that Miounne had not seen previously. Axilia would later leave to explore the outside world – a sentiment that Rune also shares – and would not come back after about another year. The two would eventually cross paths again under the Scions of the Seventh Dawn.

a realm reborn

before the fall

  • Rune and Axi become part of the Scions, and at this point will both do separate parts of the MSQ that still eventually reach the endings per base game and expansion.

heavensward

  • Rune, finding Coerthas to be similar to his home in terms of climate and environment, is often found here on days where he has time to relax. Ishgard eventually becomes the place he calls home in Eorzea.
  • DRG job quests → uhhhh I did them so long ago I can barely remember what happened so I gotta review
  • Rune and Aymeric become close friends during this time. This leaves Aymeric feeling a little conflicted when he realizes his true affections for Rune, since he and Estinien already have something going on but god forbid the two say it out loud (everyone and their mother already knows what’s up and the two of them think they’re being so sneaky but they’re NOT)
    • Aymeric goes to Estinien to confess regarding Rune. It’s funny bc Estinien is like “Oh. You too huh.”
      • During the trip to Zenith, Rune ended up having lots of bonding moments with Estinien under the stars, with the latter finding that he cares about him more than he wants to admit. It kind of becomes a ritual thing whenever they have to set up camp – and later on in the future as well. Ysayle and Alphinaud pretend that They Do Not See the entire time.
    • The duo decide to talk about it with Rune when Tataru lets slip that she had noticed Rune being WAY more affectionate towards the two of them than anyone else. Lucia also ends up calling out Aymeric with his frankly embarrassing behavior.
      • Lucia: Milord… are you kicking your feet under the table?
      • Aymeric: I have no idea what you’re talking about. (blatantly lying)

stormblood

  • That whole speech Zenos gives the WoLs after Yugiri and them try to ambush him:
    • Zenos: Hear me. Endure. Survive. Live. For the rush of blood, for the time between the seconds - live. For the sole pleasure left to me in this empty, ephemeral world - live!
    • Rune: Sir, this is a Wendy’s
      • Unfortunately for Rune though, this is truly the only time someone actually gets a read on his guilty pleasure for the thrill of battle and having close brushes with death and he hates that it’s the fucking crown prince of the Garleans of all people
  • After Zenos loses to Rune as Shinryu, Rune takes a piece of Shinryu’s scales and fashions it into a spear as a kind of trophy for his victory.

[POST-SB → SHB] At the point when he was the only one of the Scions left, he was very much at a low point, especially when, at the time, he believed it was by an enemy that he couldn’t even fight. One by one his friends were dropping like flies and he wasn’t able to do anything about it.

The anguish he experienced during this time period made it very hard for him to forgive G’raha for a while. When G’raha tells him that his friends in the First and the others back in the Source were okay, his feelings go up to a boiling point and he finally flies into a rage.

shadowbringers

  • Feo-Ul slowly helps Rune out of his shell and teaches him the importance of relaxation and play alongside work. For a guy constantly vigilant and always fighting, especially for a few years straight now since ARR, unlearning this habit was incredibly difficult, but the fae was eventually successful in their efforts.
  • It also kind of helped that they were in the First rather than the Source and that things were handled at the Source for the time being.
  • Axi’s kids ->
    • “Alice loves Rune. She just constantly asks about him and Rune is like I am not allowed around this child per tataru’s request (she caught him giving Alice a knife)”
    • “Aliceen is super rambunctious! She grew up kinda spoiled (her years on the first and Axi and Graha gave her everything and anything) so she seems a little entitled but genuinely she just has so much love and energy to give out and she rarely sees Rune laugh or genuinely smile so she makes it her “life goal” to be the reason most days”
    • “Akisah (second born) is more quiet and reserved! She really keeps to herself and when she does have the small adventurous spirit her sister absolutely encourages it (they once got stuck in a tree trying to build a treehouse on their own and it was Aki’s idea). It’s why Aki grows up to become an Archon like her father. She’s just really studious”
  • It’s also revealed that both Rune and Axi are both of the same sundered Ascian from the events of the Final Days in Amaurot, along with Ardbert. This explains how the three are able to communicate with each other despite Ardbert’s current “condition.”
  • [POST-5.0]
    • “alright i’m so tired i’m just gonna fuck off and go fishing for a while” moment
    • Immediately after the events of Shadowbringers did Rune feel shaken up about his connection with the Light, and decided to seek out teachers of the dark in order to keep a healthy balance of both. This is when he learns of Reapers and their pacts with voidsent, and forms a bargain with one such voidsent in order to keep himself in check. Similarly, he finds a teacher in a man named Fray and also begins his training as a Dark Knight in this way.
      • He also has an irreversible change with his appearance where, under times of significant stress, he slowly turns back into his appearance while he was under the influence of the Lightwardens’ aether. He also gets a bit more feral in fights. All of this is mildly concerning to the Scions because every time this happens, they keep thinking he’ll fully turn into a Lightwarden when, in reality, the danger has fully passed.
        • His eye color is usually the first to go. When his hair turns fully white, it means it’s really, really bad.
      • See the characteristics of the lightwarden of the first for extra things
      • At the same time, this appearance change also occurs whenever he assumes the mantle of a Reaper. During this time, he and his Avatar also work in tandem to keep the light within him in check. → the pact of the void

alternate timeline → forgiven retribution

See lightwarden au logistics for extra info!

  • The group decide that both Axi and Rune were to split the lightwardens between themselves

    • Axi: Holminster Switch, Rak’tika
    • Rune: Il Mheg, Ahm Araeng, Eulmore
      • He gets Titania for more Feo-Ul angst :nodders:
    • Axi is the first to get the symptoms from the overabundance of light aether and Rune immediately goes “nononono, give it to me, stop that”
      • The two have a very intense shouting match in The Pendants that only G’raha and Thancred are privy to, with G’raha finding out by seeing them through his mirror and Thancred finding out through the door of the room. The latter decides to come back later after hearing the revelation that Axi was pregnant. Meanwhile, Ardbert is stuck between the two trying to stop them from arguing. This is probably one of the few times Rune truly gets heated.
        • Axi: You don’t get to make this decision for me!
        • Rune: You have a CHILD
        • Thancred/G’raha: SHE HAS A WHAT
        • Ardbert: Guys please-
        • Axi/Rune: NOT NOW ARDBERT
        • G’raha: WHO???
    • Axi eventually acquiesces and transfers the aether over to Rune who immediately shows symptoms of the overabundance of aether, having to deal with a combination from 4 lightwardens in total now.
      • Axi: SEE? You can’t handle it
      • Rune: Yes I can now SHUT UP AND STAY HEALTHY
        • He, in fact, ended up not being able to handle it

  • Defeating Vauthry -> Rune immediately suffers from the full force of all lightwarden aether combined -> G’raha comes in, does his speech, and gets shot by Emet -> Ryne subdues Rune by managing to contain the light for a short while -> the Scions take Rune to the castle in Il Mheg with Feo-Ul for safekeeping while they attempt to find a cure -> somehow they find out the cure???? (aka tempering treatment)

    • Feel like this won’t really work bc they needed G’raha there with them to figure out the cure for tempering with Beq Lugg

  • OR:

  • The entire bullshit in Mt Gulg happens -> Scions return to the Crystarium as normal looking for cures -> normal Tempest events -> defeating Emet AND THEN for some Fucking Reason putting all the light aether into the final blow and merging with Ardbert didnt do shit. idk how that happens yet but it’s an au for a reason -> this kinda sorta opens up the way to them finding out a cure for tempering

    • The cure is tempering treatment since Rune’s situation is similar to Titania’s in a way, but with just a severely worse abundance of light aether. Titania got only one dose while Rune got 5x that amount. Titania was able to keep some of their mind bc of their strength of will, and what is the Warrior of Light if not with an extreme strength of will??
    • Overabundance of light also changing his own aether + affects his mind first and then later on his physical features = basically it’s just like tempering

the worst ending

  • The Scions are unable to find a cure for Rune’s “condition” and are unable to really help him much after that. Ryne tries her damndest to contain it but day by day it just gets worse. (See: seconds ticking by)
    • It eventually gets to a point where Feo-Ul has to hold Rune down with magic vines while Ryne and Y’shtola attempt to help him as much as they are able
  • Out of options and also hearing news about Zenos returning (somehow) they (somehow) contact him to (somehow) get to the First (somehow) to try and kill Rune before he ends up destroying the First and inadvertently causing a Rejoining
    • This is easy to learn since Axi is able to go back to the Source and everyone can learn that information that way
  • Rune fully transforms into a Lightwarden, in which both Estinien and Zenos team up (fucking somehow idk how these bitches are gonna work together) to try and stop him (and somehow save him????? idk man this dude is 99% gonna die this is the worst ending for a reason)
  • ANYWAY RAID TIME!

endwalker

the seat of azem

  • As mentioned earlier, the two Warriors of Light were both reflections of sundered Ancients that both held the Seat of Azem at the same time. The only reason why this actually worked is because of their very unusual appearance of their souls. Their souls are so identical to each other that it takes people like Hythlodaeus and Emet-Selch to even notice the minute differences in their souls, so much that they might as well have been twins. The two were also very alike in terms of personality, so really it was insanely hard to tell which was which if they both wore their hoods and masks at the same time.
    • The only thing was that they looked entirely different if one was to look at them by their physical appearance alone.
    • Venat was absolutely enthusiastic about the idea of the two sharing the seat of Azem; inversely, Emet-Selch was vehemently against the idea. Hythlodaeus thought the entire thing was fucking hilarious.
    • Koronis →  Rune: Rune’s Ancient reflection was named Koronis, meaning “crow.” It was very much an appropriate name, considering the man had hair that was so intensely dark.
      • His personality might as well be total opposites with Rune on the surface. He had quite the sunny and endearing personality. He was also rather impulsive and reckless with his methodology, but in the end his ways ended up being rather effective and efficient, much to Emet’s chagrin and Hythlodaeus’s amusement. He was known for being very eager to help others as well, and had a stubborn streak so wide that it was almost, if not all of, the source of Emet’s woes. That being said, he  held so much love for Etheirys and its people.
        • The only time the similarities between him and Rune can be seen is when Koronis frankly shuts the fuck up (and when he’s on his impulsive and reckless bullshit). There are moments when one can find the man sitting underneath a tree and observing the clouds above with gentle contemplation. That’s when it’s easy to see the similarities between the two.
      • His name is a reference to an Apollon myth.
        • KORONIS (Coronis) was a princess of the Thessalian kingdom of Phlegyantis loved by the god Apollon. During her pregnancy she committed adultery with a man named Iskhys (Ischys) and when Apollon learned of this from a raven he commanded his sister Artemis slay her. The goddess did so, felling many others besides with her deadly plague arrows. Apollon afterwards felt some remorse and, angered by the tattling bird, turned the raven’s snow-white feathers black. He also recovered the child Asklepios (Asclepius) from the womb of Koronis and entrusted him to the care of the kentauros Kheiron (Chiron).
        • Koronis was later set amongst the stars as the constellation Corvus (“the Crow”). Her name means “Curved One” from the Greek word korônis or “Crow” from the word korônê.

in from the cold

  • From in from the cold:
    • Immediately following the aftermath of the entire thing, Rune would at most feel mildly uncomfortable but would be very, very much relieved that he got his body back and that his friends are unharmed. No time for that, though, since it’s time for the next part of the mission now that things are speeding up at an incredibly rapid pace. His mind will just jump from one thing to the next, with the main focus being to get to the goal. End the mission and make sure everyone is alive while doing so. Other things can come up later. As a result, he pushes it all aside and ends up thinking that he’s fine.
      • When everything ends and he finally has time to breathe and relax, that’s when it starts hitting him in ways that he doesn’t expect. Some days he gets up, looks at the mirror, and doesn’t recognize who’s staring back at him. Other days it feels like some kind of veil is torn in front of him and fluttering in the wind, and the open shards of the veil let him see through a kind of unreality. His mind feels stuffed with cotton on the times that happens, and during the times when it’s especially bad, he very nearly resorts to hitting himself just to take that feeling of fogginess away and regain his sharpness. Sometimes, though, the sting of his own slaps against his face isn’t enough to take away the cotton. He does eventually find that an incredibly cold shower helps. 
      • Sometimes, he wakes up from incredibly violent nightmares – both a residue of the time Zenos’s soul had spent inhabiting his body and from the things he had seen while trying to make it back to Camp Broken Glass as an Imperial. He is particularly sensitive to such events due to his extremely vulnerable state at the time. Sometimes he dreams of being unable to save his friends. Sometimes he dreams of the Garlean citizens that he fought alongside with, faceless and desperate, all dying in the blast of the exploding Magitek Reaper. Sometimes he dreams of the cold finally taking him as his attempts to get back to the camp slow to a literal crawl and an eventual stop, not being able to reach them in time. Ultimately, he ends up having a lot more sleepless nights afterward.
    • A particularly bad string of nightmares over the course of several days renders him very much sleep deprived and lost in a state of heavy dissociation. He goes missing for a while after this, unreachable via linkpearl, leaving the Scions in a panic. Initially they had thought that he went to the First and had just forgotten to tell anyone, but G’raha had told them that he felt no presence enter or leave the Crystal Tower. Eventually, they hear from Estinien that he was found in central Coerthas and sent to Aymeric’s home to be taken care of and to rest in a relatively quiet and private area. This disappearing act left the Scions wondering as to how exactly he ended up in that situation, and this was when he confides in them regarding his nightmares - omitting certain details, of course. It’s only with Aymeric and Estinien that he tells the full story.
    • At the heart of it all, one would expect Rune to harbor a deep-seated hatred for Zenos, and it definitely does. It elevated Rune’s desire from simply stopping the Telophoroi and their plans all the way to “I’m going to kill him, and I’m going to make it hurt” territory. This of course plays into Zenos’s hands about getting a reaction out of him for his own personal benefit, but Rune’s fury coalesces less into a fiery explosion and more of a quiet rage, murderous and cold. And yet, a part of him laments that Zenos was the only one to truly understand him, and that leaves him at a very unfortunate and uncomfortable crossroads. He still very much wants to kill him at the end of the day, but the underlying secret conflict that he has is something that he has trouble navigating for a long, long time. He remains a thorn in his side even after the former crown prince’s presumed death at the edge of the universe, in a world ruined by dynamis. After all, how can one forget someone that understands your heart but has also committed unforgivable acts towards you and your friends? It’s too easy to say to just drop him, in the end, especially for someone like Rune. There is no “dropping” Zenos, as much as Rune wants to, and the effects of this whole ordeal will haunt him for a very, very long time.

the walk and the final end

dawntrail

extras

related

writing and snippets