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Post by Cor Leonis on Aug 31, 2024 15:46:27 GMT -6
WHEN THE DUST OF BATTLE SETTLES THE WAR STILL RAGES WITHIN
When the world went to hell, the nightmares never stopped.
They always begin the same way: with Cor Leonis in full prostration before the Lucii, the ancient spirits of the Old Kings. He dares not look upon their towering, armored forms — even as their own gaze upon him with cold, unfeeling judgment.
He cannot. He knows why. They know why.
Hands unconsciously clench into trembling fists. He silently bites his teeth into nothing. There were no excuses, no explanations, no possible way to shed light on his actions without further solidifying the crushing guilt that weighed his entire body down to the polished black tile floor, his own hollow face peering back at him from the haunted moors of his wretched past.
He had failed his duty to protect his King. Failed to protect the people of his homeland. Failed to protect the world.
He had failed his purpose in life.
He failed Regis—
Wrought with inviolable shame, Cor’s body sinks even lower to the floor. Every time, he always hopes they show him compassion, that they may be lenient in their assessment of him in all his visible weakness and piety.
Every time, they never do.
The Old Kings say nothing to him. There is no need. All of them share the same verdict. It reverberates inside of Cor’s mind with the sonorous fury of a thousand temple bells ringing all at once.
Guilty… Guilty… Guilty… Guilty… Guilty…
Always, without fail, the nightmare gets worse here. Cor dreads it every time it happens. Every aspect of himself wants to do nothing but cry and wail and scream and howl until nothing left of him remains—but, always, without fail, his body stays firmly rooted where it is, frozen in reverent fear of the ancient rulers of yore. He anticipates their righteous anger to rain down over his head, to end his pathetic life once and for all; after so many times repeating the same dream, a part of Cor even wanted to tell them to simply get it the fuck over with.
Instead, he simply remained put, like the stupid obedient mutt he was.
Only a single presence among the old Lucian rulers positions themselves before the despondent and helpless Marshal as a single blade of purest argent silver manifests from a glassy burst of reflected light, heralded by the sound of crystals tinkling in the wind like ethereal chimes.
It was all Cor needed to know what was about to happen next.
An invisible force would lift the Marshal into the air, then throw him backwards before he could allow himself to brace for the impact his body would feel afterward, as it slammed into a chair-shaped recess amidst the choking darkness of his own mind. It knocks the wind out of his lungs, every time.
Once it had settled, the blackness slowly dissolved away with a liquid-like suggestion, revealing a throne of peerless opulence and spectacle in its wake, cast in a pale blue light. Above it sits a hollowing where the Crystal ought to be, devoid of splendor and radiance, now but a decorative recess with nothing to show for it. It felt wrong for him to be on it, even against his will, but Cor can barely so much as sputter out a groan from the impact.
A choked gasp is what leaves his mouth next as a silver greatsword punctured through his abdomen with no resistance, pinning Cor securely to the Throne of Lucis. The pain that follows is unbearable.
One by one, the Lucii manifest their sacred weapons—the royal arms—and drive them into Cor’s body in quick succession, one after another. They give him no room to scream or cry as they pierce and skewer and impale his limbs, trapping them against the throne he failed to protect with his life, crucified for his role in bringing about the end of the world.
Shock sets in at this point. Agony ripples through every single wound on his body, leaving only his fingers to twitch on nervous reflex alone. His own breathing turns haggard and strained as blood and fluids pool into his lungs and trachea. Any capacity for speech had since begun to die along with the rest of himself here.
But none of this compared to the torment of what followed after.
The final specter of the Lucii, the one who had first summoned his royal arm, uses its tip to force Cor’s vision upward, even as it wavered in and out of focus. The lordly spirit had every intention of making sure he looked upon the face of the man Cor failed most of all, the one who he owed his entire existence to.
As he stared upon his hollow, mournful face, the Marshal could do nothing but weep.
He couldn’t even muster the strength to beg him for mercy.
His eyes watch the wraith lift his sword high, gleaming over its victim with looming finality.
Every time, just before the moment of termination, Cor would catch a glimpse of one more figure among the Old Kings, standing closely behind the shadow of the one that was to be his executioner, glaring back at him with vengeful contempt.
He knew why. It always cycled back to the reason he was here in the first place. This endless, repeating hell-within-hell.
Cor offers them both a pleading, sorrowful expression. “N...Noc—”
The sword comes flashing at him—
—————————————
—before he wakes up gasping, drenched in a cold sweat.
Searing, blinding light overwhelms his sense of sight. “Ngh—!” Bombarded by sensory stimuli, his initial thought was to presume he was under attack, but as soon as his hand slapped against something soft and granular, hoping to reach for his trusted swords, the Marshal found the rest of his body rapidly shuffling around, spurred by the rush of adrenaline, until he could at least get to his knees.
His vision still blurred and out of focus, Cor had fully expected to hear the sounds of fighting all around him; weapons skewering into daemon flesh or spells frying the circuits of abandoned magitek troops.
Instead, a gentle breeze was all that rolled past his ears, along with the distinctive call of seagulls on the horizon.
Wait…seagulls?
That shouldn’t be right; I was nowhere near the coastline when I fell asleep, Cor tried to rationalize, still straining himself to try and make sense of the blurred colors and shapes, or the lack thereof. More importantly, the atmosphere felt…warmer than it should. Almost as if…
As soon as he mustered the inner fortitude to open his eyes, Cor turned his head upward.
What he saw left him mystified. “...What…?”
Five years. It had been five years since the world became cloaked in endless darkness, since the daemons took over and turned Eos into a living hellscape for humanity. But the longer Cor tried to stare upon the view in front of him, the longer he tried to process all that he could see, the less he was able to understand. But what he could not comprehend, above all the other details that lay before him, was one that directly contradicted everything that he had been led to believe, up until this very moment—
The sun was out. Light shone upon the world.
He wanted to ask the obvious question first: ‘Had Noctis succeeded?’ Maybe it was that part of him that still clung on to the prophecy. Maybe it was him simply trying to hold out for the sake of his friends.
But the more his senses began to adjust, the more it became apparent to Cor that something was gravely amiss with what he was now seeing, which made his theory less plausible in turn.
Which begs the question: Where exactly is he?
Immediately looking around gave Cor enough information to discern that this area was some kind of a beach or shoreline, not entirely dissimilar to the resorts at Galdin Quay, although the sand was a paler hue and seemed coarser to the touch, along with covering a noticeably larger stretch of space as white tongues of foam lapped at the edges from a crystal blue ocean.
For lack of a better word to describe it, the scenery was…peaceful. Almost unnervingly so.
In his endeavors to lift to a standing position and brush the sand off his clothes, Cor’s sense of hearing could pick up a soft laugh in the distance. Someone else was here, as well? He wasn’t entirely certain if this was an act of divine intervention or sheer luck, but either way, the sound of another person could only mean he hadn’t been surreptitiously killed, or worse. At least, he could only presume, anyway.
It didn’t take Cor much scanning for his eyes to fall upon another presence standing approximately a few dozen meters from where he was. Even from a distance, the Marshal could observe the figure’s bronzed complexion and well-muscled physique, but his clothing—what little he wore of it, at least—resembled nothing he’d ever seen before. Close to him was some kind of large black object that vaguely resembled a large sword, or perhaps a great iron paddle.
Feeling a headache threatening to develop, Cor rubbed his neck with a sigh. It was better than nothing, at least.
Taking a single deep breath to collect himself, the Marshal soon began making his way in the direction of the only other person visible within a mile of this place. He didn’t need to call for his attention. Simply lifting his hand up in a half-wave once he was close enough to stand out would be sufficient.
[attr="class","ion-heart"] You are only as good as your last battle.
The esteemed Marshal of the Crownsguard royal military, the illustrious reputation and exploits of Cor Leonis have long since preceded his own name. Hailed as one of the best fighters in the Kingdom of Lucis, it is his unfailing ability to complete any assignment handed to him, along with his uncanny capacity for escaping the jaws of death unscathed, that earned him global recognition as "The Immortal", an epithet he considers distasteful.[break][break]
Cor's service to the royal family stretches as far back as the reign of Mors Lucis Caelum, having enlisted with the Crownsguard at the young age of 13 years old, yet his unwavering fealty to both crown and country has its roots in the friendship he shared with the King's son, Regis, who Cor traveled and fought alongside over thirty years ago. He offers this same loyalty to Prince Noctis out of lasting gratitude for Regis, and also extends his counsel to the people he would call friends and companions.[break][break]
The successes attributed to Cor's life are all ironically defined by failure: his loss to the ancient spirit of the Blademaster played a crucial role in the formation of his military career, and his decision to follow the orders of his King on the night Insomnia was attacked by the Niflheim Empire ended with the Marshal being unable to save Regis from death. He would relive this pain once again after learning that His Majesty's son, Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum, had been swallowed by the Crystal within the bowels of Zegnautus Keep.[break][break]
After the Long Night fell over Eos, Cor was among the small handful of people who banded the remaining vestiges of humanity together against the coming daemon tides, using his many years of expertise to ensure mankind's continued survival. With all that said, catching forty winks in the middle of an apocalypse was effectively a pipe dream.[break][break]
So, imagine Cor's surprise when he wakes up to discover the world is no longer collapsing around him.[break][break]
More worrying than this, however, is the fact that it is clearly not his own.
ALLIES SOME DAYS, SOME NIGHTS; SOME LIVE, SOME DIE
Growing up under impoverished conditions without the support of his parents or peers, Cor quickly learned to become self-reliant from an early age, and his enlistment into the Crownsguard at thirteen years old shaped this sense of independence into the distinctive arrogance that later came to underscore the beginning of his career. Overzealous commitment to the military lifestyle encouraged Cor to show resistance to ideas like camaraderie and trust until he was called upon to accompany then-Prince Regis Lucis Caelum and his royal entourage on a diplomatic mission to Altissia.[break][break]
His experiences beyond the walls of Insomnia gradually softened Cor's attitude towards friendship over time, and while he still remains difficult to socialize with on account of unyielding focus and dedication towards the job, he freely and openly espouses the virtues of building good rapport with allies and companions alike, and encourages those who would try to presume otherwise to reconsider going it alone.[break][break]
Cor's exhaustive background as a soldier and leader means he is often looked to for guidance and wisdom, a function he tries to fulfill with tempered enthusiasm, as he believes it is his responsibility to ensure that anyone who follows his orders are given as much help as they need to guarantee that the task gets accomplished.[break][break]
ADVERSARIES IN THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI
It is often lonely at the top, or so the old saying goes.[break][break]
Being possessed of outstanding martial caliber leaves very little room for sporting rivalries or competition to blossom. Hailed as a prodigy above prodigies since the day he first started fighting, Cor's skill for combat is so unprecedented, it isn't entirely certain whether his official performance evaluation records are either grossly exaggerated or alarmingly understated.[break][break]
Needless to say, such a highly prolific reputation is practically guaranteed to attract unwanted attention now and again. Much to his perpetual chagrin, Cor seems to collect enemies like how a dumpster collects garbage.[break][break]
Cor has had over thirty years to put distance between himself and the hubris of his youth, and, as such, he no longer seeks to cause problems with people that rub him the wrong way, nor does he see the value in settling disputes through senseless violence. Being leader of the Crownsguard also means he must command through example; diplomacy and negotiation are the most valuable tools in Cor's arsenal for this, and if he can get somebody to see reason before tensions flare, then a situation never obtains the chance to turn into a problem thereafter.[break][break]
But heaven help whoever wants to get hostile with the Marshal, because Cor shows no tolerance for thoughtless aggression anymore. He will waste no time in subduing a violent personality if he is forced to defend himself, or somebody who is unable to stay out of harm's way.[break][break]
ATTACHMENTS SOME FIGHT, SOME BLEED, SUN UP TO SUN DOWN
Will be added soon.
COMBAT DOSSIER THE SONS OF A BATTLECRY
SPELLS[break] During the rule of King Regis, Cor once had the privilege of being able to make use of the royal magic, and demonstrated these powers with incredible mastery. When Regis was killed in the attack on Insomnia, Cor gradually lost his ability to wield magic until his capacity for it had vanished entirely when Noctis later disappeared inside the Crystal.[break][break]
Rather than impair his prowess, however, the absence of magic merely highlights Cor's prodigious gift for swordsmanship.[break][break]
As usual, he regards the loss of these powers with casual indifference.[break][break]
ABILITIES[break] Might: Not officially named such, but rather a tongue-in-cheek allusion to the effects this ability confers. Cor will surround himself in a sinister aura of red energy that not only empowers the strength and force of his attacks, but also renders them unblockable for a temporary period. It is currently unknown if this is a magic spell granted by his link to the royal family or a skill learned through intensive training. He still has yet to elaborate. [break][break]
WEAPONS[break] Kotetsu: Cor's trusted katana, an exotic weapon with origins beyond the shores of Lucis. Although it harbors no special enhancements, this sword's razor-sharp edge has been the agent of many a legendary feat.[break] Kikuichimonji: A companion sword to Kotetsu, given near-identical trappings. Traditionally a melee weapon, this compact blade flies true when thrown, making it deadly in both close range combat and from a distance. [break][break]
ACCESSORIES[break] Carbon Bangle: A bangle forged in carbon steel. Offers a nominal increase to maximum HP.[break] Niella Bracelet: A bracelet made of polished black stone with exquisite gold marbling. Possibly a keepsake from someone precious to the wearer.[break] Protective Amulet: A nondescript pendant cast in pewter, its corners rounded from years of handling. Could be worn as a safeguard against negative influences. [break][break]
ATTIRE[break] Crownsguard Fatigues: The official battle garb of the Lucian Crownsguard, commissioned through Roen. The fabrics are supple and dense enough to protect the wearer and increase their health. Removing the tailored jacket affords breathability to the upper body and offers an increase to strength, instead. [break][break]
TECHNIQUE: LION'S ROAR[break] Cor lunges forward a short distance before unleashing a mighty drawing slash with Kotetsu, sending forth a wide vertical shockwave that strikes any enemy it connects with in a straight line. When performing a critical hit, Cor instead rises upward before returning to the earth with a downward slice. Under ideal conditions, this Technique could potentially cleave even the toughest of enemies in two, although Cor is just as likely to tell you that it isn't normally capable of causing such damage.[break][break]
FULL NAME:: Cor Leonis NICKNAMES:: Marshal, "The Immortal" GENDER:: Male AGE:: 50 ORIENTATION:: Homosexual, but committed to his work. GAME OF ORIGIN:: Crown City of Insomnia, Kingdom of Lucis, Final Fantasy XV ALIGNMENT:: Neutral EQUIPMENT:: Cor’s most trusted weapon is the Kotetsu, a katana of exquisite craftsmanship with a razor-sharp edge he has dutifully maintained since the day he first obtained it. Notable for being absent of any special enchantments or fortifications, it has been the agent of many a legendary feat all the same. He also possesses the Kikuichimonji, a companion weapon to his primary arm; traditionally a melee implement, this compact sword has been tempered and weighted to fly true when thrown, making it deadly at close range and from a distance.
Cor is also known to wear three different accessories as an added safety precaution, these being a Carbon Bangle, a Niella Bracelet, and a Protective Amulet. The Carbon Bangle, cast from polished carbon steel, issues a nominal increase to the wearer’s health. It is unknown what benefits the other two accessories provide him, and Cor’s deliberate (and constant) refusal to speak of either trinket has led to the formation of many unusual rumors surrounding their alleged functions.
HEIGHT:: 191cm (6'3") HAIR/EYES/SKIN:: Brown/Light Blue/Fair DISTINGUISHING MARKS:: Shows signs of a beard beginning to emerge on his face, in addition to nearly five years worth of visible stress from his experiences during the Long Night.
II. PERSONA
Best described as a stubborn, taciturn, and no-nonsense military man, Cor Leonis stands as a glittering exemplar of loyalty and devotion to the royal family, the Crown City of Insomnia, and the realm of Lucis. He is clean, methodical, punctilious, and organized across every aspect of his daily life—from his morning routines, to his personal training schedule, to weapon maintenance, to the food he prepares for every meal, even to the art of combat itself—placing aesthetics on the same level as discipline. Even his own opinions on current events and political happenings are tempered by a rational mind and a conscious consideration for the minor details that affect the lives of everyday people.
As Marshal of the Crownsguard, Cor is bound through honor and duty to instruct those under his wing in the ways of the soldier, and he is as strict with his subordinates as he is with himself. Not even the likes of Noctis Lucis Caelum or his royal entourage will earn exemption from living up to Cor’s seemingly lofty standards, especially in the wake of Niflheim’s assault on the Crown City and the subsequent death of the late King Regis, to whom he was deeply indebted. Having promised to watch over Noctis and his friends, Cor has made peace with the fact that he will not always see eye-to-eye with them on everything, and he will patiently level any pertinent advice, or opinions, their way before permitting them to act in their own best interests as they see fit thereafter.
Unbeknownst to nearly everyone, save but an extremely small number of those he implicitly trusts, his cool-headed demeanor and intensively rigid temperament is a far cry from how Cor used to be in his youth: irascible, arrogant, overconfident in his opinion of himself and the problems of the world, swaggering about like his life meant something back then. Worst of all, he had been boastful of these flaws, and proved himself reckless because of this until he lost his encounter against the Blademaster and fled the Tempering Grounds.
Against any that would see themselves like he did as a boy, Cor has only solemn advice to offer, and only pity for those who might turn away from him: never seek glory in death, because there is no glory in death. Such behavior is the primary reason that Cor has grown to detest the various apocryphal testimonies and tall tales surrounding his “countless legendary exploits”, but nothing brings him greater shame than to be called “the Immortal”, an appellation he earned for being the only known living survivor of the Blademaster’s trial, and a constant reminder that he once lacked both respect for other people and a sense of appreciation for his own life.
III. BACKGROUND
An accomplished and highly decorated soldier, Cor is widely celebrated as one of the best fighters throughout the Kingdom of Lucis, and also holds the prestigious distinction of having served three separate monarchs: Mors, Regis, and Noctis. His talents in the arts of swordsmanship are as prodigious as they are peerless; that he specializes in the use of katanas, a weapon entirely foreign to Lucis wielded by a vanishingly small number of individuals, serves as a further testament to his dedication and commitment to his role as a protector of the realm.
As a testament to his training, he can perform synchronized link-strikes and fluid blindside attacks with his companions. Outside his use of swords, Cor is a competent hand with throwing blades and also demonstrates considerable skill in the martial arts if he must fight unarmed. His signature Technique is Lion’s Roar, a mighty upward drawing slash performed that splits a wide vertical shockwave through the air with such intensity that it cleaves even the deadliest foes in two.
Cor is a trusted leader and a capable mentor to those in his command, issuing orders and providing instructions with a sound mind, a calm heart, and a clear focus on the objectives at hand. No longer keen to shoulder his burdens or responsibilities alone, he has learned the importance of teamwork and stresses this value whenever he can, as it is just as crucial to express diligent care for the people one loves as much as it is to diligently care for one’s own self.
Before the Long Night descended over Eos and filled the world with daemons, Cor once demonstrated the ability to use magic, although that power was lost when Regis died and his magic faded away. Despite this, he remained unmatched in melee combat, although he committed the majority of his efforts toward teaching new recruits as opposed to fighting on the front lines. Cor was able to manifest his weapons out of thin air, and also had the ability to cloak himself in a red energy field that momentarily strengthened the power of his attacks, although it is unknown if these powers were obtained through intensive training or given to him by virtue of esoteric connection to the royal bloodline.
In the time Cor spent serving as a retainer and bodyguard to Regis, he acted as the late King’s personal chauffeur by driving him around in the Regalia, and also cooked meals for him and his retinue, his personal specialty being an exquisite samurai-style seafood honzen-ryōri. Both his culinary talents and driving skills remain perfectly intact, and only continue to improve with regular practice.
IV. HISTORY
The son of a less-than-affluent household, the childhood of Cor Leonis is underscored by a once-prominent conviction to rise above his meager circumstances and be recognized as a man of worth. Having accumulated unprecedented volumes of fighting experience going as far back as his early youth, Cor sought even greater prospects and attracted the interest of a retired swordsman from a foreign land beyond Lucis, who saw enormous potential in the boy and trained him in the use of katanas for an unknown period of time. His mastery of the weapon was as relentless as it was swift, and would mark him both a prodigy among his peers and a prime candidate for military service.
At the impressionable age of 13, Cor enlisted with the Lucian Crownsguard, hungry for the acknowledgement he so ravenously craved. His incredible prowess for battle earned Cor the unyielding respect of his superiors and enabled him to carry out two illustrious years of distinguished service to the royal family until the Great War broke out between Lucis and the Empire of Niflheim.
Over those two months, he accompanied the son of King Mors Lucis Caelum, the once-Crown Prince Regis, alongside his retinue of royal retainers on a journey to Accordo with the aims of seeking the restoration of an allied force, while the Imperial army’s newly fabricated magitek infantry swept through and established bases inside the regions of Leide, Cleigne, and Duscae. During his travels, Cor made the acquaintance of Ezma Auburnbrie, promising to her that he would slay the monsters sealed deep inside the secret dungeons scattered across Eos once the war had properly ended.
Lucis dispatches its armies to challenge Niflheim, but sustain heavy casualties and are pushed back, forcing Prince Regis to withdraw from Accordo and return to the Crown City before he could establish terms of alliance. In the arrogance of his youth, an incensed Cor publicly criticized Regis for retreating, calling him and his men “a bunch of cowards”. His show of impertinence fanned the flames of hostility among his Crownsguard colleagues, as well as the others that traveled alongside him, but, against all expectations that he would be imprisoned for his show of disrespect, Cor somehow managed to impress Regis with his willingness to speak truth to power, and was immediately hired as an escort and bodyguard on that very spot.
This single act of lordly grace deeply moved Cor, enough for him to swear his life in servitude to Regis from that moment onward.
Niflheim’s siege against the protective Wall surrounding Insomnia caused a part of it to be destroyed, compelling King Mors to scale its boundaries back towards the Crown City’s ramparts so that he may fortify the capital’s defenses and halt the advancing Imperial armies. Countless civilians were displaced by Niflheim’s oppressive campaign, forming outposts or fleeing to Insomnia for sanctuary, although many were turned away due to the monarchy’s strict entry requirements. The royal mechanic Cid Sophiar would cut ties with the royal family in protest over King Mors’ unwillingness to make concessions in a time of crisis, whereas the Prince’s royal steward Weskham Armaugh made for Accordo and fostered a friendship with the first secretary, Camelia Claustra, which would later prove crucial to reestablishing conciliatory relations between Lucis and the Protectorate. Cor was among the men who stood by Prince Regis and his father out of obligate duty, along with the King’s Sworn Shield Clarus Amicitia, although this would mark the beginning of a gradual shift in the young officer’s attitude towards authority.
A small period of peace followed this conflict. During this time, a group of Hunters accidentally discover a sprawling complex of ancient ruins deep within Taelpar Crag, only to be mercilessly slaughtered by the ancient lingering will of the Blademaster, Gilgamesh, who once served as the legendary Shield of the Founder King. Numerous expeditions into the so-called “Tempering Grounds” yield no meaningful information, save for the knowledge that any who dared to step foot inside the ruins with the intent to challenge the Blademaster in single combat would never return alive, and that their weapons would be claimed as trophies of his victory over them.
At 15 years old, drunk on his own hubris, Cor Leonis proudly faced the trials of the Tempering Grounds. Standing before the Blademaster, he draws the Genji Blade—the weapon that served as his badge of office, his mark of mastery, the symbol of his peerless swordsmanship, the manifestation of ideals and beliefs as a warrior of Lucis—and levels its tip at the entity that was to be his prey. The fight is long and protracted, and pushes all of Cor’s abilities to the absolute brink of their limits and further beyond, yet still it is not enough to protect himself against over two-thousand years of fighting experience accumulated through countless battles against innumerable people, jesters and fools alike, who all saw themselves mighty warriors, merely to be reduced to bones and dust in the end.
For the first time in his life, Cor feels genuine fear take hold in his heart. Sensing this weakness, Gilgamesh lunged for a killing blow.
It is often claimed that, prior to the moment of death, a person essentially observes the entire length of their life play out instantaneously and with great autobiographical detail. Some call it a “life review”. Others refer to it as “having it flash before their eyes”. Whatever the case may be, Cor was never allowed nor permitted the luxury of relating to those who have experienced this well-documented phenomenon, because in the moment he saw the Blademaster’s weapon close in toward his heart, he saw only a still emptiness.
Adrenaline gives way to primal instinct. His weapon swings upward against his better reasoning. Miraculously, against odds that should have resulted in his own demise, the Genji Blade carves effortlessly through Gilgamesh’s left arm. In that same breath, Cor allows himself to relinquish hold of the sword responsible for the deed, and does what no man could ever hope to achieve before the Blademaster, who so ruthlessly destroyed all that crossed his path; at 15 years old, he did what any boy still wet behind the ears would resort to doing when faced with an opponent more powerful than themselves—
—Cor fled.
But the world saw it differently. Official records stated, with no shortage of bureaucratic confidence, that Cor Leonis was the only known living survivor to emerge from the Tempering Grounds, and the Blademaster’s trials by extension, completely unscathed. News of his “victory” spread throughout Lucis like all-consuming wildfire, and soon, people from all over Eos would take to calling him “Cor the Immortal” in homage to his “legendary achievements”, even going as far as to fabricate completely fictional tales of his exploits in an attempt to embellish the ordinary career of an otherwise simple military man. At 15 years old, King Mors would promote him to the role of personal bodyguard in recognition for exemplary service to the monarchy, making him the youngest individual in Lucian history to ever serve the royal security detail. It is both his greatest accomplishment, and his greatest failure.
His loss against Gilgamesh deeply humbled Cor, who became disgusted by his own willingness to throw away his life in return for nothing, and swore to walk the path of modesty and self-cultivation until the day he allowed himself to draw his final breath. Never again would he devote himself recklessly to chasing glory in death—there was none to be found there. He deemed the Genji Blade forever lost, marred by the stains of his youthful pride, and replaced it with the twin blades Kotetsu and Kikuichimonji, etching cherry blossoms into both weapons as a reminder of life’s transient nature and the ease at which it drifts away. From that moment onward, Cor radically transformed himself, internally and externally, until he no longer resembled the man he once used to be, and became much closer to the one he is today.
At 18 years old, Cor was among but a handful of people present at the bedside of King Mors on the night of his passing, there to comfort the grieving heart of Prince Regis before he was to ascend the throne of Lucis and receive coronation as its 113th ruler. When Regis gave his speech before the citizens of Insomnia, Cor was there to witness the newly-crowned King of Lucis express his true feelings to the people he swore to protect, which further strengthened his own resolve to do the same for Regis in kind.
At 21, Cor would be present for the King’s wedding to his childhood sweetheart, Aulea Lucis Caelum. For many people throughout Eos, it is a pivotal moment in history worthy of spectacular celebration, but for Cor, it would be a vivid and personal reminder that he could never pursue that kind of life for himself, no matter how much he might want it.
At the age of 23, Cor Leonis bravely fulfilled his duties to the royal family when the fabled “Adagium” of Lucian legend emerged without warning during the apex of the festivities being held in honor of Founder’s Day and summoned the Astral Ifrit to raze Insomnia to the ground. He was among the surviving Royal Guards and Crownsguard officers to coordinate evacuation efforts with Sworn Shield Clarus Amicitia while King Regis personally contended with the ancient criminal himself, being forced to evade Ifrit’s rampage and cut down scores of his own siblings-in-arms as they transformed into daemons before his very eyes; even the former commander of the Crownsguard, himself a seasoned veteran of battle, fell victim to this strange and horrible process, requiring Cor to slay the creature he had become in self-defense.
Through some accursed stroke of serendipity or by will of divine intervention, Regis survived his encounter with the Kingdom’s most sworn enemy and was soundly rescued by special forces. In the wake of the attack, Cor was elevated to the status of Crownsguard commander for outstanding service to the royal family and Kingdom of Lucis. Over time, the title of “Marshal” evolved into something of an unofficial term for Cor’s seat of office, yet it also served as a reference to his disciplinarian methods as well as the unbreakable courage and dedication he showed when rescuing the civilians of Insomnia during the Founder’s Day catastrophe. If nothing else, it was better than being called “the Immortal”, though this never stopped, either, to Cor’s perpetual chagrin.
At 25, upon learning that Queen Aulea had gone into labor, both King Regis and Cor dropped everything they had been doing prior to receiving the phone call, and the latter drove to the hospital with such alarming speed that he completely damaged the Regalia from front to back. By the time they had arrived, she had finished giving birth to her child, a healthy boy, but fell victim to a deadly postpartum illness from which she ultimately never recovered. That same night, Cor would meet the newborn Crown Prince, Noctis Lucis Caelum, for the first time.
Like most people, Cor had familiarized himself with the Cosmogony in some form or another, and thus understood the importance of the Lucian royal bloodline to the people of Eos, their mythical connection to the Astrals, as well as the sacred Crystal that blessed them with the power of magic. Likewise, he expressed awareness of the prophecy that surrounded the Caelum Dynasty regarding the Crystal’s anointment of a “Chosen King” who would appear when eternal night fell upon the world and unleash the light of Providence to banish the darkness at the cost of their own life. Given how long-lived the bloodline was, Cor had plenty of reason to believe he would never come to witness the fulfillment of a thousand-year-old prediction during his lifetime, and gladly made peace with this reality.
But on the night of the Crown Prince’s fifth birthday, a 30-year-old Cor received a phone call from a solemn King Regis, issuing news that the spirits of the Old Kings had declared Noctis to be the One that the prophecy spoke of: the True King who will one day give his life to save the world from everlasting darkness. The announcement causes the Marshal to drop both his composure and his phone in silent grief for his best friend and King, for everyone that would ever be involved in the young Prince’s life, and for Noctis himself most of all.
Following this enormous revelation, Regis forms the elite Kingsglaive unit to serve as the royal family’s best line of defense, imbuing the most talented among them with the ability to cast magic. This would also mark the beginning of a dramatic change in the King’s treatment of the Prince, permitting Noctis all the concessions and privileges that Regis either never got to enjoy himself, or took for granted when he had the power to indulge in them, yet Cor knew, as much as anybody else, that he simply wanted to be a father to his own son, while he still had time.
For the next fifteen years, Cor Leonis unflinchingly served as leader of the Crownsguard and personally saw to the training of its most skilled members, as well as the induction of several others, across the course of his tenure. 15-year-old Ignis Scientia would be the first among Prince Noctis’s friends and royal retainers to begin his mentorship under the Crownsguard’s tutelage, and his need for total clarity in all aspects of his life seamlessly translates into a perfectionism matched only by the Marshal himself. The Prince’s personal trainer and Sworn Shield, Gladiolus Amicitia, becomes registered as an enlisted officer of the Crownsguard at 20 years old, followed closely by an 18-year-old Ignis one year later. Prompto Argentum, common-born like Cor and a close friend of Prince Noctis from his time in school, is given official recognition among the Crownsguard ranks and provided training in firearms to account for his lack of military experience.
The four young men, Prince and his entourage, are a reflective echo of King Regis and his retinue from thirty years ago, and a perpetual reminder of much simpler times.
In a political move that stuns the people of Eos, Chancellor Ardyn Izunia of Niflheim, at the behest of Emperor Iedolas Aldercapt, comes forward with terms of peace for King Regis and the people of Insomnia: in exchange for Imperial annexation of all territories outside the Crown City and marriage between the Crown Prince Noctis and Princess Lunafreya of the province of Tenebrae, Niflheim would cease all hostilities against Lucis. Only Regis expresses concern over the fact that the chancellor had been sent to act the part of envoy without an escort, and begins to sense that the arrangement was actually a most nefarious trap. Weakened from sustaining the Wall over Insomnia for years with his own life’s essence, the King of Lucis shrewdly accepts Niflheim’s terms.
Before the treaty-signing was to occur, the Crownsguard unit were abruptly reassigned from protecting the royal family and Citadel to the broader role of public peacekeepers, while the Kingsglaive were given their former duties as part of enhanced security measures. The King’s Sworn Shield, Clarus Amicitia, is unbothered by these changes, as protecting the people also means it keeps their support for Regis alive and strong. Having been tasked with external patrol that day with only a skeleton crew to keep watch, however, Cor voices his displeasure to Clarus at the thought of him and his men being virtually excluded from the ceremony itself, but is calmly reminded of the necessity that comes with safeguarding the civilians of Lucis, and that only the Kingsglaive and their ability to use the royal magic could properly fight the Empire in case the worst should come to pass. Sensing that he was being intentionally kept in the dark, Cor had eventually come to the bitter realization that Regis himself knew what was at stake, and that he would want his implicit trust in seeing his wishes through. He would never get the chance to look upon his liege one last time.
On May 16th, in the year M.E. 756, after they had received the blessings of King Regis, a 45-year-old Cor escorts Prince Noctis and his retainers to the Regalia, where they were then free to take the royal car outside of Insomnia and drive their way to Galdin Quay to be ferried off to Altissia on the false pretense of securing the marriage between the Crown Prince and the Oracle of Tenebrae.
That same night, all hell broke loose upon Insomnia. Unbeknownst to Cor entirely, it was through a carefully coordinated act of treachery that enabled Niflheim agents to infiltrate the Crystal’s sanctuary and disable the apparatus that powered the city’s shield, allowing Imperial dropships to descend from above and unleash their latest magitek monstrosities: the Diamond Weapons. Unable to rush to the defense of his King in the midst of the chaos, Cor turned all of his efforts to evacuating as much of the population as he could, even as the bulk of the Crownsguard forces were ruthlessly cut down by Imperial magitek troops. It is through the coordination of fellow officers Monica Elshett and Dustin Ackers that Cor is able to rescue numerous lives, including Gladiolus Amicitia’s little sister Iris, but they are forced to flee the Crown City proper as catastrophe engulfs it almost completely.
In the aftermath of the invasion, Cor is aggrieved to learn of all that had transpired at the Citadel, including Niflheim’s abduction of the Crystal that gives the Lucian monarchs their power, but nothing angers and upsets him more than to discover that King Regis had been killed, along with Clarus and the entire Lucian delegation party, although it would put his spirit at ease to be told that their murderer, General Glauca of Niflheim, met his end at the blades of a Kingsglaive who ultimately died protecting the future of his homeland and people. The press coverage on the attack even claimed that Prince Noctis and Lady Lunafreya had also perished during the siege, but Cor had personally seen to his departure to Galdin Quay and was eventually informed that Lunafreya had also escaped, along with the sacred Ring of the Lucii, due to the active involvement of another Kingsglaive.
Cor eventually establishes contact with the Prince himself, pained as he was to confirm his worst fears by stating that King Regis had died in the assault, and instructs him and his friends to make way for Hammerhead so that Cid could relay them a message to meet him at the Tomb of the Wise near the ruins of Keycatrich. Once they had arrived, Cor explained to Noctis that, as the incumbent King of Lucis, it was now his responsibility to seek out the various royal tombs scattered across Eos and inherit the powers of the past kings so that he may reclaim the throne. Noctis expresses grief over being lied to about the true reasons for being sent away from Insomnia, as well as anger over the burdens he must now inherit, but Cor tells him with no shortage of confidence that Regis wanted his son to remember him not as a King, but as a father, and that he sincerely believed in him until the very end.
After Noctis resolved to accept the Power of Kings, Cor leads the Prince to the location of another royal tomb nearby, illuminating the purpose of the royal arms to Noctis so that he may better understand their nature as weapons connected to the Crystal’s magic, but he would need the Ring of the Lucii to bring out the full strength of his forebears, which had been entrusted to Lunafreya by Regis prior to his death. At the entrance into Keycatrich Trench, Cor hands Noctis a special key to unlock the royal tombs before departing his company to investigate rumors of travel into Duscae being restricted by Imperial checkpoints.
By the time Noctis acquires his second royal arm, Cor informs him and his group of Niflheim’s presence and guides them to rendezvous with him at the Norduscaean Blockade. With a diversion from Noctis’s friends, Cor and the Prince take out the magitek troops stationed at the blockade, only to be confronted by Brigadier General Loqi Tummelt. Growing up hearing stories of the Marshal’s numerous exploits, Cor’s self-professed “rival” swoons at the prospect of defeating his heroic nemesis in combat, but he is soundly beaten by the Crownsguard commander with assistance from Noctis and his friends; yet another footnote among his many “countless exploits”. He parted ways with the royal company after clearing the path to Duscae, expressing trust in their ability to continue their mission without further guidance from him.
Motivated by his enduring promise to Regis, Cor continued to follow the orders of the late King by assisting the people of Lucis, collaborating with the local Hunters of the region and enlisting their help in locating several of the lost royal tombs, however, he would eventually be required to put his search on hold in order to aid Hunters in thwarting troublesome monsters around Eos.
Then, one day, Cor receives a phone call from Gladiolus Amicitia, Noctis’s Sworn Shield, who boldly declares his plan to take on the Blademaster’s trial. Over a hot meal and a drink, the Marshal tells Gladio he is willing to accompany him and offer support as they navigate their way through the Tempering Grounds, but that he must face Gilgamesh’s trials alone. During their excursion into the Blademaster’s lair, Cor recalled the story of the Tempering Grounds and their discovery thirty years prior, how numerous attempts were made to explore the ruins, and how all of these endeavors collapsed in failure and led to the slaughter of everyone that sought to complete the trials, save but one man: himself. Cor confides in Gladio that he had only survived against Gilgamesh because he fled, and that he had almost died in return for nothing.
Against the Blademaster himself, Gladio confronts his only true fear—that of being unable to protect the Chosen King—and earns the favor of Gilgamesh in valorous combat, winning Cor’s old Genji Blade as a trophy of his victory and proof of his conviction as Shield of the True King. Simply looking upon his former sword was enough evidence for Cor to recognize Gladio had succeeded in completing the trials, and is a moment of deep personal catharsis for the Crownsguard commander, who could now make peace with the mistakes of his past and serve both Crown and Kingdom with nothing less than his signature brand of peerless excellence.
Cor makes his way to Cape Caem after hearing news of the Prince’s endeavors to repair his father’s old sailing vessel, and takes it upon his shoulders to personally apologize to Noctis for being unable to protect Regis when Niflheim attacked Insomnia, but is gracefully absolved of any wrongdoing on the basis that it was something no one could have possibly anticipated, much less prevented on their own. He is among the people to bid the royal party farewell as they set off for Altissia, and one of countless others tuning in to the radio broadcast of Lady Lunafreya’s first public address since the Imperial invasion.
Then, things went to hell. Again. Niflheim launched a siege on Altissia to disrupt Lunafreya’s communion with Leviathan, leaving the Oracle dead; trying to protect Noctis, Ignis Scientia sustained irreparable damage to his eyes and lost the ability to see; and Noctis himself, having defeated Leviathan with Lunafreya’s aid, had fallen into a near-comatose slumber that lasted for several days. Without an Oracle to heal the afflicted populations of Starscourge, nights were doomed to grow noticeably longer and longer, which meant the presence of daemons was certain to intensify in turn. Cor’s last known correspondence with Noctis and his friends involved an anonymous tip regarding the location of a lost royal tomb hidden deep inside Imperial territory.
Sure enough, eternal night descended over Eos, with Noctis nowhere to be seen. Unable to control the daemons that thrived in darkness, the Niflheim Empire disintegrates. Cor played an instrumental role in banding together the former Crownsguard with the Hunters, the surviving remnants of the Kingsglaive, and other rebel soldiers to stand as humanity’s last line of defense against the daemon hordes that quickly took over the world. Although he initially devoted resources towards locating and rescuing Noctis, Cor would later reassign his search parties to defending outposts, a decision that was met with many misgivings from those who still held faith in the gospel of the True King.
Cor gradually lost the ability to use magic over time, but remained unmatched in melee combat otherwise, even as he committed the majority of his time into training new fighters over battling on the front lines himself. He is even called upon to exterminate a mutant iron giant lurking on the outskirts of Lestallum. As they waited for the Chosen One, Cor invested special attention towards Noctis’s friends, and played a pivotal role of inspiration to Iris Amicitia’s steady development into a daemon huntress of exceptional talent, helping her evacuate the citizens of Insomnia following the collapse of Niflheim’s “recovery assistance efforts” once the daemons had fully infested the city.
But five years into the Long Night—five years before the King of Light’s return—Cor Leonis was never seen, nor heard from, again.
V. AUTHOR
PLAYER ALIAS:: Ensō OTHER CHARACTERS:: Gilgamesh ROLE-PLAYING EXPERIENCE:: *hysterical laughter* HOW YOU FOUND US:: I watched a curse video tape. After seven days, you're trapped here forever. NOTES FOR CONSIDERATION:: Cor is going to be VERY CONFUSED why the world is no longer an apocalyptic nightmare hellscape anymore. ROLE-PLAY SAMPLE:: anime_sword_slash.mov
