The Dravanians

[Lium]

I feel like the dragons are the wild card in all of this. During the echo vision where we see the Exarch’s future and the Calamity, there was no mention of the dragons at all. Other than Urianger saying that Black Rose spared no one. That would obviously include the Dravanians.

But here’s what I don’t understand. You mean to tell me that dragons as ultra-powerful as Hraesvelgr and Midgardsormr himself would do absolutely nothing as the world is destroyed? Because it would affect them as well.

I find that hard to believe. The Garleans are already on Midgardsormr’s crap list for Silvertear Lake. We already saw the dragons attack the empire when they went too far. I think they would do so again because this particular Calamity seemed far worse than the other seven that preceded it.

A single dragon like Hraesvelgr could raze Garlemald. Did you see the Game of Thrones episode “The Bells” where Dany burned King’s Landing to the ground? It would be like that.

Not to mention a Dravanian horde could wipe out ever Black Rose facility there is. The only reason they didn’t destroy Ishgard was because it was warded for centuries, and then they had the help of the WoL and Hraesvelgr.

Also, Middy seems protective of the WoL because of his covenant with Hydaelyn. They have to have a part to play in all this when the action returns to the Source.

[Cilia]

A few problems:

-The dragons would probably just fly away from something like Black Rose.

-Dragons aren't attached to particular mortals. They are largely apathetic to the conflicts of man, and as such rarely intervene (Midgardsormr's unexpected rescue at Silvertear being the first, last, and only instance thus far).

-The Dravanian Horde (or at least Nidhogg's brood) could have wiped out Ishgard any time he wanted. Nidhogg's goal wasn't to destroy Ishgard, it was to make them suffer.

-We can't count on Midgardsormr for aid, as he used the last of his barely-recovered energy to break out and save the Warrior of Light when Omega trapped and tried to kill them in an attempt to awaken their latent power.

[Lium]

A few problems:

-The dragons would probably just fly away from something like Black Rose.

-Dragons aren't attached to particular mortals. They are largely apathetic to the conflicts of man, and as such rarely intervene (Midgardsormr's unexpected rescue at Silvertear being the first, last, and only instance thus far).

-The Dravanian Horde (or at least Nidhogg's brood) could have wiped out Ishgard any time he wanted. Nidhogg's goal wasn't to destroy Ishgard, it was to make them suffer.

-We can't count on Midgardsormr for aid, as he used the last of his barely-recovered energy to break out and save the Warrior of Light when Omega trapped and tried to kill them in an attempt to awaken their latent power.

True on all accounts. But the Exarch's future looked so bleak, I feel like this would call the dragons to action because they themselves would be threatened. Wasn't it implied that after Black Rose was deployed, the land itself started killing all life? Something to do with the aether being removed from everything.

And yeah, I know Midgardsormr used the last of his strength to free the WoL from Omega, but I didn't know that was permanent. I just thought he needed to go back to sleep for a long while.

[Nalien]

But the Exarch's future looked so bleak, I feel like this would call the dragons to action because they themselves would be threatened.

IDK, I imagine they'd just escape to the one place that hasn't been corrupted by Black Rose; Space! If you didn't read that as Tim Curry putting on a glorious Russian accent, we can't be friends. Sorry.

But yeah, they do have a history of "Welp, this planet is doomed, lets fly around space for a bit".

[myahele]

It doesn't look like Midgardsormr (though I'm sure he had his reasons) and the other brood siblings helped out when Bahamut and Tiamat were fighting Alagans. Not sure where the rest of the dragons were during the time of the Allagans now that I think of it.

The dragons managed to survive multiple Calamities and I'm sure they would have survived the 8th Umbral Calamity, too. After all, people were still alive and fighting each other centuries after the Black Rose spread and destroyed most life. With Hraesvelgr and Tiamat living on floating lands, would the gas have spread there?

Since its said that aether accumulates and is stored in their eyes then maybe that's how they survive? Go to a safe place and hibernate until things settle down?

[Hezzlocks]

IDK, I imagine they'd just escape to the one place that hasn't been corrupted by Black Rose; Space! If you didn't read that as Tim Curry putting on a glorious Russian accent, we can't be friends. Sorry.

But yeah, they do have a history of "Welp, this planet is doomed, lets fly around space for a bit".

I didn't read that as Tim Curry up until "hasn't been corrupted", and then I went FULL TIM CURRY. Goddamn that was a brilliant line, best part about it was you could visibly see Tim barely stopping himself from bursting out laughing, and realizing that that was his best take. I really want to see all his other attempts on that line because that was just gold!

On topic, another factor to consider is that its possible that Midgardsormr and Sons might also be killed off, too. Black Rose spares no one, and on top of that I doubt they could raze Garlemald either. Midgardsormr led an army of dragons against the Agrius over Silvertear, and while Midgardsormr won, he was left in a state where everyone presumed him dead. I would imagine Garlemald itself would have plenty more firepower to defend itself than the Agrius did, and burning a sprawling city takes a lot more time and effort than what is effectively knocking a giant blimp out of the sky

[Cilia]

True on all accounts. But the Exarch's future looked so bleak, I feel like this would call the dragons to action because they themselves would be threatened. Wasn't it implied that after Black Rose was deployed, the land itself started killing all life? Something to do with the aether being removed from everything.

And yeah, I know Midgardsormr used the last of his strength to free the WoL from Omega, but I didn't know that was permanent. I just thought he needed to go back to sleep for a long while.

It's not so much as the land started killing things, the land itself died - i.e. crops wouldn't grow, plants died out, etc. Black Rose works by halting the circulation of aether; apply that to the land and you get something like the Burn or the Empty. (Not necessarily a bleak white wasteland, but definitely unable to support life.)

Midgardsormr's efforts have probably earned him a permanent rest for the remainder of the game's life, or until he's needed to fill a narrative purpose again. He's not dead, but he won't be able to intervene in events for the foreseeable future.

[Alleluia]

Since its said that aether accumulates and is stored in their eyes then maybe that's how they survive? Go to a safe place and hibernate until things settle down?

This is a good idea and I like it. Seems like a definite possibility.

[Iscah]

Because Black Rose works by affecting aether, the dragons are quite likely just as vulnerable as any other creature. All their power and strength means nothing if it's exactly that power which is targeted and negated by the gas.