As we get closer and closer to ARR +, I'd like to talk about ARR's most famous or infamous horror story Edda Blackheart, now most veterans know this story, she and her group of adventurers were trying to make their way, their leader admired us, she was betrothed to him, he dies tragically while she's unable to move on, zombifies him, is defeated by us, then we reunite with her in POTD where we finally put her down for good. But certain details reveal an unreliable narrator and tell a much different story than tragic love, rather it tells of an abuser and the effects it had on the victim.
First of, I'd like to cast some doubt on the idea that Avere admired us, and talked about us positively from dawn to dusk or that he had any actual love for Edda. First of when we first see them in before the first dungeon, Edda is being mocked for her inability to heal and get potions by her party, Avere even telling her that potions are more reliable than her healing ability and that she's only as good as the gil in her pockets. He looks down on us and says that his team will finish the dungeon before us. So it's hard to see Avere's relationship with Edda in a positive light, or that he admired us. It's far more likely he viewed as a rival, one he intended to outshine and beat, not someone to admire. Perhaps the rest of the party mistook us having free real estate in his head for admiration? It's very easy to forget when a person is dead and can't correct them after all.
Nevertheless, he doesn't have much time to admire or hate us because he's dead after we finish the second story dungeon. Edda is blamed for this by the party in a parody of party infighting after wipes, and defends herself by saying Avere ran out of range, we don't know which is true, but from what we know of him and how he looked down on Edda's healing abilities, the latter is more likely.
Livianne, the elezen lady is of particular interest in this scene, she tells Edda to leave the head of Avere that Edda kept, citing it's not healthy. Additionally Livianne joins the Scions as an NPC later, and states she had feelings for Avere. Now there's quite a number of possibilities but one that springs to mind is that Avere may have been cheating on Edda given how Livianne was affectionate towards him and how much he and her mock Edda in her first scene.
With this in mind, Avere is far less sympathetic, and his relationship with Edda is in question, did he really care for her or did he only see her as arm candy and a source of gil? He did have a ring for her, but we aren't sure if it was meant for Edda or for Livianne. Perhaps Avere DID care for her, but that doesn't change he was abusive towards someone who cared for him. Edda becomes far more tragic in this scene instead of a woman who lost her loved one in a tragic accident, she becomes an abuse victim gaslighted into loving a man who treats her like trash and accepting blame for his death by her " friends " when evidence is against that. It's also unlikely he could have spent very long thinking about us either in a positive or negative light despite what the Lala or Edda herself says because Avere's dead next dungeon, most likely they would think more fondly of the dead and their memories distorted as a result.
As a result Avere's transformation into an Ahriman is less tragic and more karma at the hands of his abuse victim even if she was trying to revive him. It's quite possible that his abuse of Edda made her co-dependent on him, it's an unfortunate reality that for most abuse victims leaving is not simply an option because of the cruel mental games that abusers play, but in this case, it backfired on Avere beyond the grave.
Edda's tale also has a consistent pattern of men using and abusing her, Avere and Nybeth, the latter used her as a puppet despite sympathizing with her, furthering the theme that even if an abuser is capable of love, they are still quite capable of abuse.
So in conclusion, Edda's tale is less a story about tragic love and happiness lost, than it is about a woman who was horrifically driven mad by abuse, tragedy, and horrors, and finally being put to rest after a miserable life.
Sort of mirrors certain other villains.
submitted by /u/MegaGamer235
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First of, I'd like to cast some doubt on the idea that Avere admired us, and talked about us positively from dawn to dusk or that he had any actual love for Edda. First of when we first see them in before the first dungeon, Edda is being mocked for her inability to heal and get potions by her party, Avere even telling her that potions are more reliable than her healing ability and that she's only as good as the gil in her pockets. He looks down on us and says that his team will finish the dungeon before us. So it's hard to see Avere's relationship with Edda in a positive light, or that he admired us. It's far more likely he viewed as a rival, one he intended to outshine and beat, not someone to admire. Perhaps the rest of the party mistook us having free real estate in his head for admiration? It's very easy to forget when a person is dead and can't correct them after all.
Nevertheless, he doesn't have much time to admire or hate us because he's dead after we finish the second story dungeon. Edda is blamed for this by the party in a parody of party infighting after wipes, and defends herself by saying Avere ran out of range, we don't know which is true, but from what we know of him and how he looked down on Edda's healing abilities, the latter is more likely.
Livianne, the elezen lady is of particular interest in this scene, she tells Edda to leave the head of Avere that Edda kept, citing it's not healthy. Additionally Livianne joins the Scions as an NPC later, and states she had feelings for Avere. Now there's quite a number of possibilities but one that springs to mind is that Avere may have been cheating on Edda given how Livianne was affectionate towards him and how much he and her mock Edda in her first scene.
With this in mind, Avere is far less sympathetic, and his relationship with Edda is in question, did he really care for her or did he only see her as arm candy and a source of gil? He did have a ring for her, but we aren't sure if it was meant for Edda or for Livianne. Perhaps Avere DID care for her, but that doesn't change he was abusive towards someone who cared for him. Edda becomes far more tragic in this scene instead of a woman who lost her loved one in a tragic accident, she becomes an abuse victim gaslighted into loving a man who treats her like trash and accepting blame for his death by her " friends " when evidence is against that. It's also unlikely he could have spent very long thinking about us either in a positive or negative light despite what the Lala or Edda herself says because Avere's dead next dungeon, most likely they would think more fondly of the dead and their memories distorted as a result.
As a result Avere's transformation into an Ahriman is less tragic and more karma at the hands of his abuse victim even if she was trying to revive him. It's quite possible that his abuse of Edda made her co-dependent on him, it's an unfortunate reality that for most abuse victims leaving is not simply an option because of the cruel mental games that abusers play, but in this case, it backfired on Avere beyond the grave.
Edda's tale also has a consistent pattern of men using and abusing her, Avere and Nybeth, the latter used her as a puppet despite sympathizing with her, furthering the theme that even if an abuser is capable of love, they are still quite capable of abuse.
So in conclusion, Edda's tale is less a story about tragic love and happiness lost, than it is about a woman who was horrifically driven mad by abuse, tragedy, and horrors, and finally being put to rest after a miserable life.
Sort of mirrors certain other villains.
submitted by /u/MegaGamer235
[link] [comments]
Continue reading...