Zeromus condemns the Judge Magisters

Art by Ryoma Ito for the Final Fantasy Trading Card Game.

Round 2

Shuyin: Will kill for you. For 1000 years. Please, let him kill for you.

Drace: All Judges Are Bastards

One more ordinary day in FF12 office AU

Such strength – Inhuman!

girls i like ♡♡♡

armor dissection: judge drace (i meant no disrespect, ma’am. this is for educational purposes *is hit*)

without cape 

brightness up + lighting settings on 

underarmor, close up 

et cetera

Judge Drace's Death - Final Fantasy XII

Truthfully, Gylfie is rather lonely.

She would never admit it, of course - she's too proud to admit such a thing. But... the friends she had grown up with, she lost when she joined the military. Her schedule was strict and rigorous, and she lost touch and they drifted apart. As she clawed her way up, there were few who would even consider her an equal, let alone a friend. She had to fight to prove herself - fight to get even a fraction of respect the men she fought alongside earned with little effort. She became fierce and ruthless, and began to keep distance between herself and those around her to keep control. To keep one step ahead of everyone else. No matter how she presented herself, she knew she would be judged and ridiculed, so she stopped caring about what others thought of her. Of how she appeared to be.

She had yearned for her father's affections and pride, and it took her nearly losing her life to realize she would never even earn a moment's attention from him. She had befriended Ffamran, and his disappearance felt like a personal slight. Even though she still holds a level of respect and gratitude for him after he took her mother and sister out of Archades, and now understands his reasoning for leaving, she feels she has changed too much to try and rekindle that friendship. She still loves her mother and sister, but since they left, she has made little effort to keep in touch. She feels they would be disappointed and disgusted with her for everything she has done, and fails to see that they still love her. She grew close with Drace and Gabranth, yet... even with them, she held them at a distance, even if unintentionally, to protect herself from further hurt. And still, their deaths broke a part of her.

Her loneliness is suffocating, but... it's a burden she has no choice but to bear if she wants to see Archadia thrive. If she wants to keep her vow to keep Larsa safe.

I want to talk about the marriage between noah and effie and the effects it has on vayne but to do that I have to elaborate on the relationship between the emperor and effie and to do THAT I have to headcanon drace a family and how she became a judge and I ALSO have to fill in the gaps in noah's history. kms kms kms kms

@5judgements​ found the dancer . chapter 5

An evening to celebrate and honor the passing of another year of the Archadian Emperor, Gramis Gana Solidor, was an occasion that no citizen or imperial guest wished to miss. With the emperor’s health declining over the recent months, there was an additional care to ensure that the commemorations would be remembered by those in attendance, regardless of their ties to the actual ruling house of Archadia.

Judge magisters, the superior officers among their troops, the head scientists from Draklor, diplomats from allied nations, members of the Senate, military personnel serving as liaisons to occupied territories, the capital’s very own elite - everyone received an invitation for a ball held within palace grounds, which again served a double purpose as propaganda and suggestion of intent for those keen on threatening Archadia. Although there was no actual display of power from their best among military ranks such as the tournament held months before, security was impossibly high and Emperor Gramis decided to make an appearance, health concerns notwithstanding.

Melissa was there, among those graced with an invitation - something only possible thanks to the backing and meddling of the Marquis of Ondore, of course. For all intents and purposes, her season was supposed to have ended a few weeks before, when she was even transported to the Sky City with the 8th Fleet, a personal courtesy given the woman’s non-official diplomatic status in the city. However, the dancer returned a couple of days later with news of an extension - for a full year, with an exclusive contract with the local opera house.

While initially her role had seemed to be one to foster curiosity and goodwill for Bhujerba, Melissa explained that her craft had indeed drawn the curiosity of many from the Empire - enough to secure sizeable revenue for the venue promoters who sought to retain her as a fixed attraction. The Marquis signed off on such dealings, evidence of his continued support of the fragile but sincere collaboration of the Sky City and Archades. 

Behind the scenes, however, the intentions of the Ondore administration were very different - Melissa had met with him at their homeland, and explained the status of her assignment in a way to highlight that she needed time - only on the very eve of the meeting had she been successful in breaching Ghis’ final layer of armor and ensnaring him. The delay did not please the Marquis, but the account of her travel instigated him to continue with the charade - and Melissa was able to return with the fanfarre her created persona required, even if deep down she had no intention of following through with the Resistance plans anymore.

The Bhujerban had decided to use the time to find an alternative - anything that could help her country, but not at the cost of her beloved magistrate’s life.

The renewed season, the possibility of meeting Ghis frequently, the life in the capital to which she had been growing used to - all these things filled Melissa with excitement for the evening of the ball, Drace being immensely helpful with recommendations for a good seamstress as well as getting the woman in touch with those who could not only secure her an apartment but also a decent one (after all, a hotel was no longer suitable for the Bhujerban considering her long-term presence). Zargabaath had also provided counsel and the last weeks had been used to finalize her move into a new place, decorated to her preferences (with everything she had brought from the Sky City after her meeting with Ondore).

The only thing missing was speaking with Ghis - since they said their goodbyes at the Bhujerban aerodrome, she had not seen him again. Presumably too busy with the Marquis, and then dispatched elsewhere when she returned to Archades. Melissa was itching to share the good news with him - and to talk about what it represented for both of them; Ghis had hinted at a relationship before - would he still be amenable to it if they both lived in the same city? It seemed like a silly thing to fret over with war on the horizon, but her heart could yearn for nothing else.

However, his colleagues within the magister circle told her to not send word - both Drace and Zargabaath suggested doing so personally at the ball, which Ghis would be sure to attend (as well as all of them). Besides, Melissa’s fresh anxiety in relation to the oldest judge did not escape the trained eye of his peers - despite the dancer never outright gossiping about her trip with Ghis to the Sky City, she had alluded to certain events - Drace immediately understood.

So that brought the dancer to the night at the palace, for once dressed like an Archadian (it was the Emperor’s birthday, after all). Her dress was one of shimmering fabric mimicking the colors of the sunset, with crossed straps around the neck that turned into billowing twin capes trailing after her steps while leaving most of Melissa’s back bare. The front of the dress had no embroidery save for the right side of the waist, where crystals had been sewn into a delicate flower pattern, decorating a small section there where some skin was visible in a tasteful manner (but considerably less if one compared to her usual attire).

The slit for the right side of her legs offered ample movement - and combining with the soft fabric used for the outfit, there was a lot of freedom for her to walk as if wearing one of her own adored costumes. Her long, dark hair was styled with a half braid, the only Bhujerban concession being the jewelry added to her tresses, earrings and arms; nothing else on Melissa hailed from the Sky City, and if not for the choice of vibrant colors, she could perhaps be confused with one of the local ladies in attendance.

With a glass in hand, Melissa walked around the main room, looking for familiar faces - one in particular, which she had failed to locate despite the assurances of the other magisters that he would be there. It was a most curious feeling the dancer experienced then - almost like stage fright, but of an extremely personal nature; the woman felt hot and cold simultaneously, and longed to see Ghis’ face while at the same time hoping he would share her enthusiasm for the news. There was hardly anything she could do but wait more - but the weeks without contact had turned her into someone almost desperate for his presence, and, more importantly, his approval.

An assassin turned soft - if only Ondore knew how well his own agent had lied to him.

I wish we could've fought all the judge magisters in ffxii

Drace's weapon looks insane and I would've liked to be bonked in the head with it. Zargabaath could've delivered such a thorough spanking with his. Mother I crave violence but like towards myself

Round 1

Drace: Love a woman in full body armor...

Venat: Do you have an absent father? Would you like one?

okay actually. 

consider a bad ending au; the party is apprehended and sent into the dungeons as per the game. instead of escaping in the scene where prisoners leave because imperial soldiers have arrived, alongside judge gabranth, they are too slow to tail after him, and the dusk stone subsequently confiscated later on when soldiers do a routine check.

basch never escapes his imprisonment, and so forgoes the entire plotline of the reveal of his survival and him being given to ghis as a token of genuine interest in aiding the empire oh behalf of the marquis. bhujerba continues to be watched the utmost scrutiny and especially when the mines have been brought to a halt.

ghis sends soldiers in to clear the mines of monster and to protect the miners, thus giving the marquis no reason to not have them returning to full production. up until ghis leaves bhujerba with larsa. after the fleet is long gone the resistance takes up arms against the imperial soldiers that had been left behind and the marquis claims it was monsters that had killed them, or perhaps a cave in.

all the while ghis takes the 8th fleet to the tomb of raithwall and pillages the place in search of the sword of kings. he does not find the sword here, but does obtain the dawn shard.

back in archades the emperor still perishes but in gabranth’s stead, drace had been the one sent to retrieve larsa (gabranth had only gone in the first place bc he heard basch was there lol), and is not present for the accusations placed against the senators and their arrest. she lives and continues to be larsa’s tutor and protector.

bergan still travels to mt.bur-omisace and slaughters the entire religious occupation there, taking the sword of kings from the sanctuary unhindered, retrieved by zargabaath and the newly formed 12th fleet. to hide their actions there they kill remaining survivors (much to zargabaath’s dismay) and destroy the upper section of the mountain. al-cid manages to escape the brutality and reports the archadian actions back to rozarria and the resistance.

at this point they, have all three shards and the sword, cid taking all to the sun cryst and activating it. this thereby fully powers the bahamut and affords cid the leisure of both experimenting on the cryst + cutting free more pieces of nethicite.

the fight over rabanastre ensues, though with the 8th fleet there and the bahamut entirely powered the fight doesn’t last for long. the marquis is killed when his flagship is destroyed. bhujerba lacks a leader and archadia claims the territory with no opposition outside remaining resistance forces and city guard. the incredible act of aggression sparks a full response from rozarria, who now has only their own forces to try and contend with the sky fortress and whatever else draklor creates with the deifacted nethicite fully at their disposal. more airships are retrofitted with the stronger stones, increasing their lethality.

the war now rages at the border, with archadia gaining ground every day, and rozarrian forces dwindling.

Of Matsuno's Token Evil Girlie Who Defects characters, Drace truly got the rawest deal. She's in two scenes, and in the second one she's murdered by Gabranth and serves as little more than a vessel for his manpain. Which is such a damn shame because she's sooo well voice-acted. Ik you can fight her in Trial Mode in TZA but good god what a waste of a character. I wonder if she suffered the same way Penelo did--i.e. a bunch of her material was cut during editing--or if she was always going to be underwhelming and underwritten? Also I hate her particular Judge armor, I think it makes her look weirdly soft compared to the dudes. Why's her chestplate so wide, why does she have that stupid metal skirt, and why are the horns in her helmet so round and puffy

gabranth e drace